Description
This delectable volume traces the rich variety of foods that are inescapably British and the thousand years of history behind them. Colin Spencer's masterful and witty account of Britain's culinary heritage explores what has influenced and changed eating in Britain-from the Black Death and the Reformation to the Industrial Revolution, the rise of capitalism, and the current pervasiveness of prepackaged and fast foods. The book also shows that in the twenty-first century, British food is experiencing a glorious resurgence, fueled by television gurus and innovative restaurants with firm roots in the British tradition.
About the Author
Colin Spencer is an author and playwright and was food editor for The Guardian for thirteen years. He is the author of Vegetarianism: A History and co-author of The Faber Book of Food.
Reviews
A stimulating work... What did the Brontes dine on at Haworth Parsonage? How did Jane Austen's family cook prepare the sauce? Colin Spencer will tell you. His book is a joyous, lively mine of information. Times Literary Supplement A book so absorbing it may even stop the reader from falling asleep after Christmas dinner. London Times One of the most fascinating and riveting reads this year. Go buy. Scotland on Sunday Never has there been such a breathtakingly comprehensive, wide-ranging and fascinating food history as this stonking great tome by Colin Spencer. The amount of research involved makes the brain boggle. Daily Mail Sure to become a classic. The Independent Magazine British Food describes the glories-and the decline-of the nation's cuisine over the centuries... Spencer traces the country's lamentable decline in cuisine through the Reformation, Puritanism, and the Industrial Revolution... Modern Britons would not recognize the impressive lists of ingredients their ancestors used. Library Journal [Spencer] ably covers a millennium and more, reflecting intelligently on the dramatic, and often sudden, dietary developments wrought by political and economic change... Spencer's rich lode of information about British food justifies his subtitle's claim that its present vigor caps off 'an extraordinary thousand years of history.' -- Claire Hopley Washington Times Spencer's interesting book is a worthwhile addition to the food history literature. Recommended [for] all levels. Choice Ten reference books every food loer should own...#10 British Food Waitrose Food Illustrated
Book Information
ISBN 9780231131100
Author Colin Spencer
Format Hardback
Page Count 416
Imprint Columbia University Press
Publisher Columbia University Press