1. Introduction
When talking about food, tradition is a very large subject that can be described at different levels: within social groups as small as a family or as a function of time scale for example.
Traditional foods can be related to special events such as a wedding or a birthday as for example the traditional wedding cake in Great Britain. Religions also have a great importance when talking about traditional foods: prohibited foods that are numerous, special dishes corresponding to an event of the religious calendars.
Traditional foods are also often related to local foods and artisan foods referring to specific ingredients, location of the production and know-how. It could be the foodmade by your grandmother or by the native people of your country (ethnic food).
Different questions are rising when reproducing these foods. Is it still possible to find the ingredients? Is it possible to reproduce the recipe and the process? Could it be as good as it was? Could it be better from a sensory point of view? Could it be healthier? It is possible to find what makes the specificity (or the typicality) of these products? And finally as many new products are proposed everyday to consumers: how much time does it take before an innovative product becomes a traditional one?