Plurality of Taste: Food and Consumption in West Germany During the 1950s
Author(s)
Wildt, Michael
Abstract
Analyzes consumption in terms of quantitative patterns, food purchasing and preparation, changes in cooking technology, and cultural meanings. Postwar consumption can only be fully understood against the background of the scarcity, hunger, and secondary economies of World War I, the interwar period, and World War II. During the early 1950’s food expenditures accounted for nearly half of total household expenditures, and many products that previously were available only at limited times became part of the daily diet. The second half of the decade was dominated by increased use of ready-made products and kitchen machines and the transition from small food shops to self-service markets. By the end of the decade consumption patterns reflected increasing distance between producers and consumers and the high value placed on individual choice.
