Introduction

Abstract

La Rochefoucauld was a noted French author of maxims. His worldview was clear eyed and urbane. He neither condemned human conduct nor celebrated it with sentimentality. He received the education of the nobleman of his time, with an emphasis on court etiquette, elegance of expression and comportment, and worldly knowledge. Ultimately, he was considered a fine example of the accomplished seventeenth-century French nobleman, and his maxims are timeless and acclaimed up to this day. Refinement to the point of excess characterized both the French Art de la Table and the hairstyles at the French court of his time. The care for food and the care of the hair obviously share commonalities. Both are deeply rooted in human culture and personal self-cultivation, and require a degree of knowledge, intelligence, and refinement. Ultimately, to eat intelligently, in particular getting the right balance between quantity, quality, and combination of nutrients in relation to demographics, environment, and health is not only an art, but a science.

“To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art.”

François de La Rochefoucauld (1613–1680)