Loïc Bienassis
Researcher & Project Manager – Institut Européen d’Histoire et des Cultures de l’Alimentation
Loïc Bienassis is a Researcher and Project Manager at the Institut Européen d’Histoire et des Cultures de l’Alimentation (European Institute for the History and Cultures of Food) at the university of Tours, France, Loïc Bienassis is a historian and a food writer.L Originally studying international relations in the 17th -century, his current position led him to investigate food history. His research focuses on the appearance of regional cuisine in France (19th-20th centuries), on the historical construction of the concept of “terroir” and on the advent of the notions of gastronomical/culinary heritage. He is also interested in foodways in western Europe (France, Great Britain, Italy) during the 16th and 17th centuries.
He took part in the inventory of French food heritage (Inventaire du patrimoine culinaire de la France. Région Centre, France, Albin Michel, 2012) and was involved in the inscription of the Gastronomic Meal of the French on the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage. He also edited a reference book about this essential element of French culinary culture (Le Repas Gastronomique des Français, Gallimard, 2015).
Alongside his research, he works more generally on disseminating a better knowledge of food history through numerous conferences and the publication of books for a broader audience (French Regional Foods, London, Frances Lincoln, 2014).