The Cambridge World History of Food

There are thousands of cookbooks and books about cooking that are published each year. The sad reality is that the majority of these are nothing more than a flash in the pan. Cookbooks that are truly worth reading are in the minority. A much smaller percentage of this minority comprise the truly exceptional and fit nicely into the category of "all time greats." Those fascinated with food will reference such excpetions for years. The Cambridge World History of Food is one of these rare books.

Before discussing The Cambridge World History of Food any further, I must specify that this is not a cookbook. Rather, it is an erudite text about food. It covers a wide range of topics from the mainstream to the obscure. Subjects from cocoa, game, breast milk and artificial infant feeding, and food fads are addressed in scholarly detail. Historical analysis of diets and nutrients compose a sizeable part of this work.

Well over 100 authors and researchers contributed to this massive work, which spans 2 volumes totaling over 2000 pages. Forty editors pulled from the international community under the direction of Kenneth F. Kiple and Kiemhild Coneé Ornelas, painstakingly assembled and organized the book.

The Cambridge World History of Food is ideal for those who want to understand the context in which they eat and cook. It is guaranteed to deepen one's appreciation for some of our most basic gustatory practices, beliefs, conventions, and traditions. Over time, this superlative chef d'oeuvre will certainly occupy a cherished spot in many culinary libraries.

 

Add to: Facebook Myspace del.icio.us | Digg Google Furl reddit