Food Through the Ages: A Popular History

This book explores the history and development of key foods, from early hunter-gatherers to settled agriculture and the influence of trading, imperial conquests, and medieval exploration on the food chain. It reveals fascinating nuggets about the origins of commonplace foods, such as the difference between Indian and Chinese rice, the popularity of Turducken, and the debate over the magical and sinful attributes of Aztec chocolate.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 300 pages
Publication date: 28 November 2021
Publisher: The Liffey Press

For all food enthusiasts, this book offers an entertaining journey through the history and evolution of the essential foods we consume daily. Mike Gibney, Professor Emeritus of Food and Health at University College Dublin, traces the story of food from early hunter-gatherers to settled agriculture and the migration across Europe. He explores the influence of early trading, imperial conquests, and medieval exploration on the food chain. Throughout his exploration, Food through the Ages unveils fascinating insights:

Indian rice is fluffy and enjoyable to eat with the hand, while Chinese rice is sticky and best enjoyed with chopsticks.

In the Middle Ages, a fashionable trend emerged of stuffing boned smaller birds into larger birds, and then into even bigger birds, creating a process known as engastration. This practice is still prevalent in Cajun cuisine with Turducken, a hen in a duck in a turkey.

A deep passion for tea drove two great powers, China and England, to engage in warfare.

The popularity of the potato played a significant role in population growth in Europe from 1700 to 1900, accounting for about 25% of the increase.

The Arabs introduced pasta to Italy, but the most popular shaped pastas were often produced by religious orders, particularly nuns.

The Jesuits and Dominicans engaged in heated debates over the perceived magical yet sinful attributes of Aztec chocolate.

Professor Gibney delves into the origins of everyday foods, including bread, meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, pasta, rice, sugar, tea, chocolate, and, of course, Ireland's beloved potato. He defines a well-stocked larder and showcases how the kitchen has evolved over thousands of years, becoming cleaner, less smelly, more reliable, less dangerous, and more accessible to all.

Weight: 668g
Dimension: 240 x 170 x 22 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781838359379