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Why don’t we eat people? (classic)

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Feb 20, 2026
Calva Sane, writer and taboo critic exploring cultural and philosophical angles. Hannah Goldfield, New Yorker food critic and mother who sparked the question with her four-year-old. They chase a child’s question into stories about Columbus and the origins of the word cannibal, European medicinal eating, a notorious German trial, kuru and funeral cannibalism in Papua New Guinea, and whether lab-grown human meat would change our taboos.
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ANECDOTE

Four-Year-Old Sparks Cannibalism Question

  • Otto, a newly turned four-year-old, asked his mom why people don't eat human heads after suggesting it for dinner.
  • Hannah Goldfield realized she had no satisfying cultural explanation and started researching cannibalism online.
INSIGHT

Disgust Is Culturally Taught

  • Disgust toward certain foods is culturally learned, not purely innate.
  • What feels hardwired can vary dramatically across societies and upbringing.
ANECDOTE

Food Critic Tries Balut Once

  • Hannah Goldfield tried balut once and felt it was off despite understanding its cultural normalcy.
  • Her curiosity drives her to taste unusual foods even when they provoke physical discomfort.
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