Final answer:
Throughout history, food and dining experiences have differed significantly across social classes, with the wealthy enjoying a variety of fine foods and dining practices, while the lower classes faced scarcity and less formal eating arrangements. Industrialization and mass production eventually allowed some amenities to become accessible to both business and working classes, but disparities in dining experiences persisted. Introduction of new foods and beverages such as tea and coffee were initially class-bound but became widespread over time.
Step-by-step explanation:
Food and dining experiences varied significantly across different social classes throughout history. In earlier times, the division of classes led to a stark contrast in the quality and quantity of food available, as well as the dining practices. With the rise of the nobility class, those with more resources enjoyed better living conditions, which included access to a variety of foods and spices, and the ability to dine in a more refined manner. In contrast, the lower classes often experienced food scarcity and had to eat in a more practical and less formalized way, sometimes battling for resources, as depicted by the experience of a family in Virginia.
During the industrialization period in urban areas like the Soviet Union in the 1930s, peasants migrated to cities and became dependent on dining halls at work or school due to low wages and food shortages. This was also a time when government officials could easily monitor the conversations of the citizens while they dined. Mass production eventually enabled both the business and the working class to enjoy the same amenities, blurring the lines between the classes to some extent, but differences in food and dining customs remained. Unique dietary habits of the aristocrats and merchants also highlighted the disparities, such as the inclusion of new foods like squash, corn, and potatoes, and consumption of beverages like tea and coffee, which were initially more popular with nobility but eventually spread to all classes as cheaper sources of sustenance for factory workers.