It occurred to me at some point that what many "fine" foods have in common is fermentation. Tea, coffee, chocolate, cheese, alcohol, cured meats, dry aged meats, others I can't think of right now. Makes sense, as the complex biological processes are of course going to lead to the culinary complexity and variety that is necessary for connoisseurship.
It's a good observation, though many of those are also food for poor people. Wealthy food is often a refined version of what everyone else eats, usually requiring a lot of extra effort and time.
Lobster is a famous example (though I am skeptical of the story that prisoners revolted over being forced to eat it too much; I have been unable to find a reliable primary source). A beautiful example is from the film Ratatouille, where the eponymous dish is contrasted between his mother's peasant stew and the $50 a plate Thomas Keller version.
Makes sense, the process is complex, the mixture of micro organisms is complex, and generates many complex molecules giving fermented foods a depth of flavor, a broadness and finesse. Especially when compared to bland, few-ingredients-taken-from-crude-oil "highly processed" foods.
I experience this with my sourdough bread, the smell of the sourdough and the bread vary and are subtle, deep and nice. The bread is dry and stale in a day though, so the bread is the family's favorite, but only when it's fresh. Although freezing it after it has been properly cooled is not half bad.
