History of Food
Everything you eat has a story behind it. If you relish savory steaks you'll delight in the story of the Roman emperor who kept his figure by eating 40 pounds a meat a day. According to legend, you may even one day discover the genie of the tea, an ancient Chinese poet. Compiling countless references and illustrations, History of Food serves up delicious research on the common groceries you buy and some not-so-common foods eaten throughout the world.\ \ This well-written volume discusses the...
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This classic work is an exploration and celebration of man’s relationship with food from earliest times to the present day. Maguelonne Toussaint-Samat tells the story of cuisine and the social history of food taking in fascinating, little-known byways along the journey. For instance, we learn that Aztecs enjoyed chocolate as a drink with chilli and honey; we discover the Iroquois origins of popcorn; we hear about the potential culinary and farming uses of lupin seeds. Toussaint-Samat looks at the transition from a vegetable- to an increasingly meat-based diet, as well as at the relationship between people and what they eat, between particular foods and social behaviour, and between dietary habits and methods of cooking. This new expanded edition includes a foreword by food writer, Betty Fussell, author of The Story of Corn and Raising Steaks, a new final chapter covering recent developments in food production and consumption around the world, and an updated bibliography. Beautifully illustrated with nearly 70 figures and new color plates, A History of Food will continue to be read and enjoyed by a fresh generation of readers. Publishers Weekly Although this voluminous compendium, mixing social and natural history, is a worthy resource, it lacks verve and narrative coherence. Toussaint-Samat, a French journalist and sociologist, is more accomplished at describing the past, such as the origins of hunting and gathering, than the uses of food today and the development of modern cuisine. The author canvasses the world but emphasizes Europe and especially France, which may interest Francophiles for Toussaint-Samat devotes more attention to foie gras than to pasta. The book contains interesting information--on winemaking at monasteries and the role of merchants in the Middle Ages--but subjects like chocolate and chilis beg for more creative exposition. Illustrations. (Dec.)
ForewordAcknowledgementsList of IllustrationsIntroduction1ICollecting, Gathering, Hunting71Collecting honey152The history of gathering393Hunting72IIStock-Breeding, Arable Farming: Meat, Milk, Cereals894The history of meat935The history of dairy produce1136The history of cereals125IIIThe Three Sacramental Foods: Oil, Bread, Wine2017The history of oil2058The history of bread and cakes2239The history of wine247IVThe Economy of the Markets29110The history of fish29611The history of poultry336VLuxury Foods36512Treasures from the sea37313The treasure of the forests407VIThe Era of the Merchants44314An essential food45715Spice at any price480VIINew Needs: Sugar, Chocolate, Coffee, Tea54716The lure of sugar55217Confectionery and preserves56518Chocolate and divinity57419Coffee and politics58120Tea and philosophy596VIIIOrchards and Kitchen Gardens60721The tradition of fruits62122The evolution of vegetables68823The potato revolution711IXScience and Conscience in the Diet72924Preserving by heat73525Preserving by cold74926The assurance of dietetics755Notes764Bibliography782Index787
\ Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly\ Although this voluminous compendium, mixing social and natural history, is a worthy resource, it lacks verve and narrative coherence. Toussaint-Samat, a French journalist and sociologist, is more accomplished at describing the past, such as the origins of hunting and gathering, than the uses of food today and the development of modern cuisine. The author canvasses the world but emphasizes Europe and especially France, which may interest Francophiles for Toussaint-Samat devotes more attention to foie gras than to pasta. The book contains interesting information--on winemaking at monasteries and the role of merchants in the Middle Ages--but subjects like chocolate and chilis beg for more creative exposition. Illustrations. Dec.\ \ \ \ \ Library JournalFrom hunters and gatherers and the onset of agriculture to the rise of commercial foodways, historian Toussaint-Samat presents not just the historical background but the cultural, religious, and social impact of food. Extensively researched, with quotations from a wide array of historical sources, the volume does tend to focus slightly more on Europe than on other parts of the world, although there is a visible effort to provide balanced coverage. While some areas receive more intense scrutiny-wine, for example, rates over 30 pages-other topics are skimmed over: an entire section of the book covering sugar, chocolate, tea, coffee, and confectionaries, all significant introductions, fills only 50 pages. While not precisely a book to be read from cover to cover, this will be a useful source for students or researchers as a strong first reference point and for anyone with a dedicated interest in food history. Changes include a new preface, epilog, updated bibliography, and chapter addressing recent issues relating to food. Recommended for larger public and academic libraries, although those whose collections include the first edition should not consider it an essential update.\ —Courtney Greene\ \ \ \ From the Publisher"This book should be in all libraries where history and food are a concern. It gives information that is not available anywhere else. It is well written and fascinating reading." (American Reference Books Annual, 2010)\ "A History of Food is a concise yet massively entertaining read that looks at the earliest hunter-gatherer societies and moves on to bring readers right up to the modern day. … It goes quite well with a cup of tea and a biscuit, and dipping in anywhere will uncover something delicious." (Heritage Key, December 2009)\ "The reader will be amazed and fascinated by the dizzying array of details about various foods in this 700-page tome." (Choice Reviews, May 2009)\ "Classic text … .[Brought] up to date by including 'the latest scientific and technological discoveries' regarding the food we eat." (Contemporary Review, 2009)\ "This densely informed history ranges from the first bread loaves to the low-down on cauliflowers. Fab for food geeks, it's one to dip into rather than devour in one go." (Metro, December 2008)\ "The second edition of this dense tome is perfect for the historian on your list." (San Francisco Chronicle, December 2008)\ "This densely informed history ranges from the first bread loaves to the lowdown on cauliflowers. Fab for food geeks, it's one to dip into rather than devour in one go." (Metro Food Books of the Year, December 2008)\ "A fascinating study that starts with the era when we are all still living in trees. Scrupulously thorough and pleasingly idiosyncratic, it promises the reader many a happy hour blissfully contemplating our ancient relationship with our stomachs. And that’s as much as you can ask from any food book." (Independent, November 2008)\ "Forceful and challenging … A powerful, compelling and readable case against biblical literalism and fundamentalism." (Times Higher Education, November 2008)\ "Encyclopaedic in scope, the result is never dull … You will find it, I guarantee, unfailingly witty and comprehensively rewarding." (The Glasgow Herald, November 2008)\ "Scrupulously thorough and pleasingly idiosyncratic, it promises the reader many a happy hour blissfully contemplating our ancient relationship with our stomachs. And that's as much as you can ask from any food book." (The Independent, November 2008)\ "A fascinating, enormously impressive work which will delight not just the foodie but anyone in social history." (Tribune, November 2008)\ "Toussaint Samat presents not just the historical background but the cultural, religious and social impact of food. Extensively researched with quotations from a wide array of historical sources … .Some areas receive more intense scrutiny—wine for example … .A useful source for students or researchers as a strong first reference point and for anyone with a dedicated interest in food history. Recommended for larger public and academic libraries." (Library Journal, November 2008)\ "First published in France in 1987, the second edition of this dense tome is perfect for the historian on your list. It explores the 10,000-year-old relationship between humans and food, including facts about foie gras, the history of olive oil and the symbolism of poultry." (San Francisco Chronicle, November 2008)\ "A fascinating study that starts with the era when we were still living in trees (yes, really). Scrupulously thorough and pleasingly idiosyncratic, it promises the reader many a happy hour blissfully contemplating our ancient relationship with our stomachs. And that's as much as you can ask from any food book." (The Independent on Sunday, November 2008)\ "A fascinating, enormously impressive work which will delight not just the foodie but anyone interested in social history." (Tribune, November 2008)\ "This excellent guide is an exploration of man's relationship with food from the discovery of fire onwards." (The Independent, October 2008)\ "This book should be republished and re-titled THE History of Food. It's probably the most remarkable book on the subject I have ever had the pleasure of reading." (Mostly Food Journal, October 2008)\ Praise for the First Edition:\ "Indispensable, and an endlessly fascinating book. The view is staggering. Not a book to digest at one or several sittings. Savor it instead, one small slice at a time, accompanied by a very fine wine." (New York Times)\ "This book is not only impressive for the knowledge it provides, it is unique in its integration of historical anecdotes and factual data. It is a marvellous reference to a great many topics." (Raymond Blanc, Restaurateur Writer)\ "Quirky, encyclopaedic, and hugely entertaining. A delight." (Sunday Telegraph)\ "It's the best book when you are looking for very clear but interesting stories. Everything is cross-referenced to an extraordinary degree, which is great because the information given is so complex and interweaving." (The Independent)\ "A History of Food is a monumental work, a prodigious feat of careful scholarship, patient research and attention to detail. Full of astonishing but insufficiently known facts." (Times Higher Education Supplement)\ \ \ \ \ \ From Barnes & NobleCovers in one volume the history of foodstuffs, the story of cuisine, and the social history of eating. Discusses such aspects as the domestication of animals, farming, dietary issues, the enjoyment of food, more.\ \
