Tastes of Byzantium: The Cuisine of a Legendary Empire (I.B.TAURIS)

For centuries, the food and culinary delights of the Byzantine empire - centred on Constantinople - have captivated the west, although it appeared that very little information had been passed down to us. Andrew Dalby's "Tastes of Byzantium" now reveals in astonishing detail, for the first time, what was eaten in the court of the Eastern Roman Empire - and how it was cooked. Fusing the spices of the Romans with the seafood and simple local food of the Aegean and Greek world, the cuisine of the Byzantines was unique and a precursor to much of the food of modern Turkey and Greece. Bringing this vanished cuisine to life in vivid and sensual detail, Dalby describes the sights and smells of Constantinople and its marketplaces, relates travellers' tales and paints a comprehensive picture of the recipes and customs of the empire and their relationship to health and the seasons, love and medicine. For food-lovers and historians alike, "Tastes of Byzantium" is both essential and riveting - an extraordinary illumination of everyday life in the Byzantine world. For centuries, the food and culinary delights of the Byzantine empire - centred on Constantinople - have captivated the west, although it appeared that very little information had been passed down to us. Andrew Dalby's "Tastes of Byzantium" now reveals in astonishing detail, for the first time, what was eaten in the court of the Eastern Roman Empire - and how it was cooked. Fusing the spices of the Romans with the seafood and simple local food of the Aegean and Greek world, the cuisine of the Byzantines was unique and a precursor to much of the food of modern Turkey and Greece. Bring.;Table of Contents; Preface; 1. An Introduction to Byzantium; 2. Tastes and Smells of the City; 3. Foods and Markets of Constantinople; 4. Water and Wine, Monks and Travellers; 5. Rulers of the World; 6. The Texts; 7. Instructions and Recipes; 8. A Phrase-Book of Byzantine Foods and Aromas; Bibliography; Index. Describes The Food And Eating Customs During The Byzantine Empire. An Introduction To Byzantium -- Tastes And Smells Of The City -- Food And Markets Of Constantinople -- Water And Wine, Monks And Travellers -- Rulers Of The World -- The Texts -- The Eight Flavours -- Categories Of Food -- Humoral And Dietary Qualities Of Foods -- A Dietary Calendar -- Instructions And Recipes -- A Phrase-book Of Byzantine Foods And Aromas. Andrew Dalby. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 241-256) And Index. Table of Contents 6 Preface 8 1. An Introduction to Byzantium 12 2. Tastes and Smells of the City 34 3. Foods and Markets of Constantinople 58 4. Water and Wine, Monks and Travellers 84 5. Rulers of the World 106 6. The Texts 126 The Eight Flavours 130 Categories of Foods 133 Humural and Dietary Qualities of Foods 148 A Dietary Calendar 162 7. Instructions and Recipes 172 8. A Phrase-Book of Byzantine Foods and Aromas 184 Bibliography 240 Index 258 For centuries, the food and culinary delights of the Byzantine empire - centred on Constantinople - have captivated the west. This book reveals in detail what was eaten in the court of the Eastern Roman Empire - and how it was cooked. It describes the sights and smells of Constantinople and its marketplaces, and relates travellers' tales