Food is one of the things we can't live without. We extract the chemicals we need to build bones, grow muscles and make all of our organs.

Because food is so essential, we have special taste buds in our mouths that make useful foods attractive. More receptors make it smell attractive, too.

There are a vast number of different kinds of food, all looking tasty. You can look at 100 of them by clicking the icon above. To find out about food history, food science and other things related to food, choose the other food topics in search.

World Food Day occurs on the 16th October every year. Food security is an ongoing problem that has faced people down the ages, so food storage has been important in more or less every period of history, so whatever history topic you happen to be studying, it is sure to be relevant.

There are a vast number of different kinds of food, all looking tasty. You can look at 100 of them by clicking the icon above. To find out about food history, food science and other things related to food, choose the other food topics in search.

The reading room has an enormous range of food books. Some of them are gathered together by continent under 'Our world' in geography. Many science topics are also about food.

Have a look at the search entry on diet, too.

Jump to the 'All about food' topic by clicking the link below.