Food Fights and Culture Wars: A Secret History of Taste

In this eclectic book of food history, Tom Nealon takes on such overlooked themes as carp and the Crusades, brown sauce and Byron, and chillies and cannibalism, and suggests that hunger and taste are the twin forces that secretly defined the course of civilization. Through war and plague, revolution and migration, people have always had to eat. What and how they ate provoked culinary upheaval around the world as ingredients were traded and fought over, and populations desperately walked the line between satiety and starvation. Parallel to the history books, a second, more obscure history was also being recorded in the cookbooks of the time, which charted the evolution of meals and the transmission of ingredients around the world. Food Fights and Culture Wars: A Secret History of Taste explores the mysteries at the intersection of food and society, and attempts to make sense of the curious area between fact and fiction. Beautifully illustrated with material from the collection of the British Library, this wide-ranging book addresses some of the fascinating, forgotten stories behind everyday dishes and processes. Among many conspiracies and controversies, the author meditates on the connections between the French Revolution and table settings, food thickness and colonialism, and lemonade and the Black Plague. This Book Of Food History, Suggests That Hunger And Taste Are The Twin Forces That Secretly Defined The Course Of Civilization. Through War And Plague, Revolution And Migration, People Have Always Had To Eat. What And How They Ate Provoked Culinary Upheaval Around The World As Ingredients Were Traded And Fought Over, And Populations Desperately Walked The Line Between Satiety And Starvation. Parallel To The History Books, A Second, More Obscure History Was Also Being Recorded In The Cookbooks Of The Time, Which Charted The Evolution Of Meals And The Transmission Of Ingredients Around The World. Food Fights And Culture Wars: A Secret History Of Taste Explores The Mysteries At The Intersection Of Food And Society, And Attempts To Make Sense Of The Curious Area Between Fact And Fiction. Beautifully Illustrated With Material From The Collection Of The British Library, This Wide-ranging Book Addresses Some Of The Fascinating, Forgotten Stories Behind Everyday Dishes And Processes. Carp And The People's Crusades -- Lemonade And The Plague -- Extract Abstration -- Everybody Eats Sometime, Sometimes -- The Dinner Party Revolution -- Crowdsaucing -- Cacao And Conflict -- Life, Liberty, And The Pursuit Of Tenderness -- Let Them Eat Queque -- The Thickening. Tom Nealon. Includes Index. Carp and the People's Crusades -- Lemonade and the plague -- Extract abstration -- Everybody eats sometime, sometimes -- The dinner party revolution -- Crowdsaucing -- Cacao and conflict -- Life, liberty, and the pursuit of tenderness -- Let them eat queque -- The thickening.;This book of food history, suggests that hunger and taste are the twin forces that secretly defined the course of civilization. Through war and plague, revolution and migration, people have always had to eat. What and how they ate provoked culinary upheaval around the world as ingredients were traded and fought over, and populations desperately walked the line between satiety and starvation. Parallel to the history books, a second, more obscure history was also being recorded in the cookbooks of the time, which charted the evolution of meals and the transmission of ingredients around the world. Food Fights and Culture Wars: A Secret History of Taste explores the mysteries at the intersection of food and society, and attempts to make sense of the curious area between fact and fiction. Beautifully illustrated with material from the collection of the British Library, this wide-ranging book addresses some of the fascinating, forgotten stories behind everyday dishes and processes. Through war and plague, revolution and migration, people have always had to eat. Parallel to the history books, a second, more obscure history was being recorded in the cookbooks of the time, which charted the evolution of meals and the transmission of ingredients around the world. In this eclectic book of food history, antiquarian cookbook expert Tom Nealon makes the case that the course of civilization has secretly been defined by two forces: hunger and taste. In the course of this sumptuous feast of a book, Tom Nealon takes on such overlooked themes as carp and the Crusades, brown sauce and Byron, and chillies and cannibalism. He examines conspiracies and controversies, probing the connections between the French Revolution and table settings, food thickness and colonialism, lemonade and the Black Plague, "and other astonishing connections in this wide-ranging history of food--and civilization itself" (Entertainment Weekly, Best New Books). Beautifully illustrated with material from the collection of the British Library, Food Fights & Culture Wars draws depth from Tom Nealon's wide-ranging knowledge to explore the mysteries at the intersection of food and society Revolution! Conflict! Gluttony! The gloriously illustrated history of food, including mythical origin stories, unusual recipes and more! In this eclectic book of food history, Tom Nealon takes on such overlooked themes as carp and the Crusades, brown sauce and Byron, and chillies and cannibalism, and suggests that hunger and taste are the twin forces that secretly defined the course of civilization. Through war and plague, revolution and migration, people have always had to eat. What and how they ate provoked culinary upheaval around the world as ingredients were traded and fought over, and populations desperately walked the line between satiety and starvation. Parallel to the history books, a second, more obscure history was also being recorded in the cookbooks of the time, which charted the evolution of meals and the transmission of ingredients around the world. Food Fights and Culture Wars: A Secret History of Taste explores the mysteries at the intersection of... "Tom Nealon... explores the mysteries at the intersection of food and society, and attempts to make sense of the curious area between fact and fiction. Through war and plague, revolution and migration, people have always had to eat. What and how they ate provoked culinary upheaval around the world as ingredients were traded and fought over, and populations desperately walked the line between satiety and starvation. Among the many conspiracies and controversies, the author meditates on the connections between the French Revolution and table settings, food thickness, and colonialism, and lemonade and the Black Plague." -- Jacket