Economy in Taste: The World Through the Eyes of a Hungry Economist (Book)

Tadında Ekonomi is one of the popular economics works by South Korean economist Ha-Joon Chang. Originally titled Edible Economics: A Hungry Economist Explains the World, the book was translated into Turkish by Gökçe Çakmak and published by Domingo Yayınları in October 2023. This 224-page work presents a narrative that intertwines food culture with economics.

Subject

The book is composed of economic essays, each structured around a specific food item. Ingredients such as garlic, acorn, banana, pasta, chicken, and chocolate serve as entry points to economic concepts, examined within their historical and cultural contexts. The author aims to explain fundamental economic issues—such as development, inequality, industrialization, free markets, and protectionism—in accessible terms, using food-centered stories.

Themes

The impact of cultural prejudices on economics: Through foods like garlic and coconut, the book illustrates how certain societies’ economic understandings have been marginalized. Examples show how dismissing non-Western perspectives narrows economic thinking.

The importance of industrialization and protectionist policies: In sections on anchovy, carrot, and shrimp, the book emphasizes that countries cannot develop solely through agricultural production; industrialization is essential for growth. It argues that developing nations must protect their domestic industries to achieve economic advancement.

Consumption habits and global inequality: Through widely consumed foods such as banana, cola, chocolate, and chicken, the book examines the influence of multinational corporations on global markets, highlighting injustices in production relationships and disparities in income distribution.

Invisible labor and the care economy: Using chili pepper as a starting point, the book addresses domestic care work. It underscores how unpaid labor, typically performed by women, is excluded from economic frameworks, despite being vital to social life.

Climate change and the economy of the future: Through examples such as strawberry, musk lemon, and spices, the book argues for an economic system in harmony with nature. It develops an economic perspective on concepts like carbon emissions, sustainability, and green energy.

Style and Format

Chang’s style relies on a simple, witty, and instructive narrative. Instead of technical economic language, the book employs metaphors built around food. Each chapter begins with a cultural or personal anecdote related to a dish, then transitions into an economic analysis. The structure is designed to appeal to both academic readers and general audiences new to economics. The final section, titled “Ways to Eat Economics Better,” highlights the ethical and social dimensions of the book’s conceptual framework.