Examining the food culture of the early Neolithic period in Southeast Europe, this book uses the examples of dairy farming and subsistence farming in the northern Balkans and the Carpathian Basin. Through organic residue analysis, faunal data and cultural-theoretical approaches, it illustrates how eating habits are negotiated between tradition and innovation. Moving beyond functionalist explanations, the author also emphasizes the symbolic, social, and ecological dimensions of food, questioning how encounters, adaptation, and identity shaped dietary strategies. Together, these factors create a nuanced picture of the transition to the Neolithic period.