1.1. From Etymology to Conceptual Clarity The term “gastronomy” derives from the Greek words gaster (stomach) and nomos (law, rule, or norm), evoking the idea that eating is governed not merely by biological need, but also by cultural and normative frameworks. Gastronomy, therefore, can be understood as the “law of eating”—a phrase that gained prominence in late eighteenth-century France to describe the codification of culinary knowledge, taste, and refinement. This etymological root signals that gastronomy is more than an activity; it implies a structured, reflective engagement with food and its broader meaning in society.4 Far from being a contemporary invention, gastronomy has been the subject of intellectual inquiry and literary reflection since the earliest phases of civilised human history.5 The modern understanding of gastronomy was notably shaped by the French lawyer and culinary connoisseur Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin in the early 19th century. In his book The Physiology of taste (1825), he described gastronomy as “the knowledge and understanding of everything that relates to humankind as feeding animals”. Today, “gastronomy” is broadly defined as the art, cultural history, and science of good cooking.6 It is seen as a reasoned comprehension of everything connected with the nourishment of humans. These considerations have remained important, showing that gastronomy is not just about cooking, but also about knowledge and culture. Importantly, in literature gastronomy is also distinguished from culinary arts.7 The latter concerns the practical and creative aspects of food preparation, whereas gastronomy encompasses broader cultural, legal, environmental, and economic dimensions. It considers the origins of ingredients, the systems of production and distribution, and the social meanings attributed to food practices. 4 Richard Mohr and Nadirsyah Hosen, ‘Internormative Gastronomies: Law, Nation and Identity’ in Stefan Huygebaert and others (eds), Sensing the Nation’s Law, vol 13 (Springer International Publishing 2018) 238. Available <http://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-3-319-75497-0_10> accessed 19 August 2025. 5 John Wilkins, ‘GREEK GASTRONOMY?’ A. DALBI: Siren Feasts: a History of Food and Gastronomy in Greece. Pp. xv + 320, 37 figs. London and New York: Routledge, 1995. £35.00. ISBN: 0-415-41620-1. (1998) 48 The Classical Review 387 <https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0009840X98340020/type/journal_article> accessed 18 August 2025. See also Ugo Patroni Griffi ‘Il caso Parmesan. Considerazioni parasistematiche sul rapporto tra disciplina delle DOP e disciplina dei marchi’ in Alberto Aronovitz, Gastronomie, Alimentation et Droit: Mélanges en l’honneur de Pierre Widmer (Schulthess 2003) 129, where the author mentions that the “noble” cheese has been referenced in several literary works since the 1200s, from Boccaccio’s Decameron to R. L. Stevenson’s Treasure Island (1883). 6 Mark Edward Blankenship Jr, ‘Gastrophysics and Intellectual Property Law: Analyzing the Legal and Market E ects of a Reimagined Form of Culinary Art and Science’ (2023) 75(2) South Carolina Law Review 474 with further references. Available at: <https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/sclr/vol75/iss2/9> accessed 19 August 2025. 7 Amiluhur Soeroso and Dewi Turgarini, ‘Culinary Versus Gastronomy’ [2020] E-Journal of Tourism 193 <https://ojs.unud.ac.id/index.php/eot/article/view/60537> accessed 19 August 2025. 469 SUSTAINABLE GASTRONOMY IN ALBANIA
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