A Curious History of Food and Drink - Hardcover

Crofton, Ian

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9781623658250: A Curious History of Food and Drink

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 162365825X ISBN 13: 9781623658250

Publisher: Quercus NA, 2014

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Ever wondered where noodles came from? How Worcester Sauce was invented? Or even who the "Cucumber King of Burma" was? Beginning with the hippo soup eaten in Africa in 6000 BC, through to the dangerous blowfish enjoyed in contemporary Japan, A Curious History of Food and Drink reveals the bizarre origins of the food and drink consumed throughout history.
From the pheasant brains and flamingo tongues scoffed by the Roman emperor Vitellius, to the unusual uses of licorice (once a treatment for sore feet), Ian Crofton makes use of original sources--including journals, cookbooks and manuals--to reveal the bizarre, entertaining and informative stories behind the delicacies enjoyed by our ancestors.

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Product Description:

Ian Crofton's chronology of food and drink begins 1.9 million years ago, the point at which research suggests humans started cooking food, and goes on to describe foodstuffs and eating habits, from the Assyrians' use of liquorice and the fermented fish guts that so delighted the Romans to exploding watermelons (the result of overuse of chemicals) in 21st-century China. Crofton also records history's most notable banquets; the origins of dishes such as Sachertorte and sandwiches; and quotations from great gastronomes.

About the Author:

Ian Crofton was formerly editor-in-chief of The Guinness Encyclopaedia, and has written a wide range of other general reference books, including Science Without the Boring Bits, Brewer's Britain and Ireland and Brewer's Dictionary of Modern Phrase and Fable (both with John Ayto), A Dictionary of Musical Quotations (with Donald Fraser) and A Dictionary of Art Quotations.

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