Aristology
Encyclopedia
Aristology is the art
or science
of cooking
and dining
. It encompasses the preparation, combination, and presentation of dishes
and the manner in which these dishes are integrated into a meal
.
The term has been largely superseded by "gourmet
", which is also the older word, borrowed into English in 1820. An aristologist is likely to place great importance on the experience, skill, and artistic integrity of the chef, and disdain the use of cookbook
s, ready-made ingredients, and other conveniences.
άριστον (ariston), meaning "breakfast
" or "lunch", and the suffix "-logy", connoting a systematic discipline. Its earliest attestation in the Oxford English Dictionary
dates from 1835.
Edward Abbot, the author of the first Australia
n cookbook (Cooking for the Many, published 1864), described himself as "an Australian Aristologist".
The term has also been used in the mystery novels of American
author Rex Stout
, whose corpulent protagonist, Nero Wolfe
, has a couple of encounters with a society known as the Ten for Aristology, who in his eyes are fools as dining is an art and not a science.
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
or science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
of cooking
Cooking
Cooking is the process of preparing food by use of heat. Cooking techniques and ingredients vary widely across the world, reflecting unique environmental, economic, and cultural traditions. Cooks themselves also vary widely in skill and training...
and dining
Eating
Eating is the ingestion of food to provide for all organisms their nutritional needs, particularly for energy and growth. Animals and other heterotrophs must eat in order to survive: carnivores eat other animals, herbivores eat plants, omnivores consume a mixture of both plant and animal matter,...
. It encompasses the preparation, combination, and presentation of dishes
Food
Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals...
and the manner in which these dishes are integrated into a meal
Meal
A meal is an instance of eating, specifically one that takes place at a specific time and includes specific, prepared food.Meals occur primarily at homes, restaurants, and cafeterias, but may occur anywhere. Regular meals occur on a daily basis, typically several times a day...
.
The term has been largely superseded by "gourmet
Gourmet
Gourmet is a cultural ideal associated with the culinary arts of fine food and drink, or haute cuisine, which is characterised by elaborate preparations and presentations of large meals of small, often quite rich courses...
", which is also the older word, borrowed into English in 1820. An aristologist is likely to place great importance on the experience, skill, and artistic integrity of the chef, and disdain the use of cookbook
Cookbook
A cookbook is a kitchen reference that typically contains a collection of recipes. Modern versions may also include colorful illustrations and advice on purchasing quality ingredients or making substitutions...
s, ready-made ingredients, and other conveniences.
Literary record
The word is derived from the GreekGreek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
άριστον (ariston), meaning "breakfast
Breakfast
Breakfast is the first meal taken after rising from a night's sleep, most often eaten in the early morning before undertaking the day's work...
" or "lunch", and the suffix "-logy", connoting a systematic discipline. Its earliest attestation in the Oxford English Dictionary
Oxford English Dictionary
The Oxford English Dictionary , published by the Oxford University Press, is the self-styled premier dictionary of the English language. Two fully bound print editions of the OED have been published under its current name, in 1928 and 1989. The first edition was published in twelve volumes , and...
dates from 1835.
Edward Abbot, the author of the first Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n cookbook (Cooking for the Many, published 1864), described himself as "an Australian Aristologist".
The term has also been used in the mystery novels of American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author Rex Stout
Rex Stout
Rex Todhunter Stout was an American writer noted for his detective fiction. Stout is best known as the creator of the larger-than-life fictional detective Nero Wolfe, described by reviewer Will Cuppy as "that Falstaff of detectives." Wolfe's assistant Archie Goodwin recorded the cases of the...
, whose corpulent protagonist, Nero Wolfe
Nero Wolfe
Nero Wolfe is a fictional detective, created in 1934 by the American mystery writer Rex Stout. Wolfe's confidential assistant Archie Goodwin narrates the cases of the detective genius. Stout wrote 33 novels and 39 short stories from 1934 to 1974, with most of them set in New York City. Wolfe's...
, has a couple of encounters with a society known as the Ten for Aristology, who in his eyes are fools as dining is an art and not a science.