NUTRITION AND GASTRONOMY: GENERAL AND PARTICULAR

The article examines nutrition and gastronomy as phenomena of everyday life in their specifics. Nutrition and gastronomy are socio-cultural phenomena that determine the standard of living of a particular society. The nutrition system, the culture of eating peculiar to a particular population, determine the direction of gastronomic culture, and culinary culture is a set of specific means that take place in this culture with respect to food. One can distinguish: firstly, the theoretical level of culinary culture, which consists of a system of general specific principles of cooking, and secondly, the empirical level of artifacts. Nutrition is an integral part of gastronomy, which also includes reflection. Gastronomic reflection makes it possible to realize the importance of food both in the lives of people in general and of each individual in particular. In addition, it provides understanding of national food, defines the boundaries within which appropriate gastronomic strategies are developed, and as well as the basic principles of their creation. Through reflection, signs can be established that determine the presence/absence of culture, the standard of living of both an individual and a country, as well as an epoch. Gastronomy can be used as a tool to explore the cultural status and potential of not only countries, but also an entire epoch.