Food: The History of Taste
This richly illustrated book is the first to apply the discoveries of the new generation of food historians to the pleasures of dining and the culinary accomplishments of diverse civilizations, past and present. Editor Paul Freedman has gathered essays by French, German, Belgian, American, and British historians to present a comprehensive, chronological history of taste from prehistory to the present day. The authors explore the early repertoire of sweet tastes; the distinctive contributions...
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"While it may be true that chacun à son gout, Food: The History of Taste shows us that, since Homer, the foods we eat have reflected our culture's most closely held values and understanding of our place in the world. This book reminds us that taste is an essential part of civilization, and that it is something worth protecting from the homogenizing force of the modern, global food supply."—Alice Waters "A fascinating and ambitious look at why we eat what we eat. Roaming through time and space, it is different than anything else I've read on the subject; I couldn't put it down."—Ruth Reichl The New York Times - Gregory Cowles …a weirdly fascinating survey of dietary habits stretching from prehistoric barbecues right up to the "molecular" menu at El Bulli…the essays are generously illustrated with photographs and paintings like Boucher's "Feast of the Chinese Emperor"; not quite a coffee-table book, this feels more like one of those glossy textbooks you can't bring yourself to ditch after college. But its real virtue lies in the big picture. Contributor after contributor links diet to class, colonialism, politics, religion…
\ Gregory Cowles…a weirdly fascinating survey of dietary habits stretching from prehistoric barbecues right up to the "molecular" menu at El Bulli…the essays are generously illustrated with photographs and paintings like Boucher's "Feast of the Chinese Emperor"; not quite a coffee-table book, this feels more like one of those glossy textbooks you can't bring yourself to ditch after college. But its real virtue lies in the big picture. Contributor after contributor links diet to class, colonialism, politics, religion…\ —The New York Times\ \
