Food is any substance, generally consisting of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and water, which can be ingested by an animal, including humans, for food or pleasure. Foods considered may come from plants, animals or other categories such as fungus or fermented products like alcohol. Although many human cultures sought food by hunting and gathering, today most cultures use farming, ranching and fishing, hunting, foraging and other methods of local character, including, but plays a minor role.
Most traditions have a recognizable cuisine, a specific set of cooking traditions, preferences and practices, the study is known as gastronomy. Many cultures have diversified their foods by means of the preparation, cooking and manufacturing methods. It also includes a complex food trade which helps the cultures to survive economically in the form of food, not just by consumption.
Many cultures study the dietary analysis of food products. Although humans are omnivores, religion and social constructs such as morality often affect which foods they eat. Food safety is also a concern of a foodborne illness claiming many lives each year. In many languages, food is often used metaphorically or figuratively, as in “food for thought.”