Unmentionable Cuisine [Paperback]

Calvin W. Schwabe (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0813911621 | ISBN-13: 978-0813911625 | Publication Date: January 1, 1979

An engaging look at "food prejudices," or why we eat what we eat and why we reject other food sources as unpalatable--with recipes! "This is a unique and engrossing work and, to my mind, an important contribution to the annals of gastronomy. It will not, of course, appeal to all palates . . . but neither do snails and sweetbreads, brains and other oddments of animals." --Craig Claiborne "I read from cover to cover with huge enjoyment. . . I can recall no other book that has covered the subject of strange foods with quite his flair and authority, and I consider the book required reading for anyone interested in the lore of food." --James Beard

Product Details

• Paperback: 476 pages
• Publisher: University of Virginia Press (January 1, 1979)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813911621
• ISBN-13: 978-0813911625
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #392,709 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightfully unmentionable, June 11, 2004

By 

K. L. Gallaher "sir_ken_g" (Bartlesville, OK USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Unmentionable Cuisine (Paperback)

When I found this book I did a sanity check. I looked up a couple of recipies learned from my stay in the Phillipines. Sure enought they were both there and accurate - balot - a fertilized duck egg, and aso sena - dog stew.
I have cooked a few recipes from this book, but mainly it is a great conversation piece, and just a fun read. Where else can you read about preparing armadillo on the half shell, or grubs.
One interesting feature is that the book is indexed both by main ingredient and by country. Who is the best represented? - France and China.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Surprise - people eat things other than than french fries!, December 10, 1997

By 

Robert E. Spano "spano" (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Unmentionable Cuisine (Paperback)

A fun introduction to foods that we do not usually think of as comestible. No recipes for newt eyes though, but there are recipes for mice, rats, grasshoppers and pretty much anything else that can creep, crawl or walk. People in other parts of the world make do and enjoy many items that may be very tasty which we would abhor the thought of even eating, even when faced with starvation. French fries and hamburgers aren't everything.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A truly USEFUL cookbook!, May 25, 2003

By 

Eric L. Peters (Glenwood, IL USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Unmentionable Cuisine (Paperback)

I bought this book as part of my research for a college course/textbook on human interactions with animals. I'm a good cook, and broad-minded, so I tried quite a few of the recipes (the book has many excellent recipes for the "cheaper cuts" of conventional meat animals, and we have a butcher nearby that sells many of them), not just exotic ones (so our dog can relax!). All of the recipes I've tried have been winners!

Our local supermarket recently started selling frozen octopus, and both of the recipes we've tried have been hits. My wife HATES molluscs because of the texture, but she found eating octopus to be "like eating cheese". I like eating octopus because it not only tastes good, but most only live a couple of years and then die after reproducing.

All in all, a great book (and the only one of my reference books that I keep in the kitchen!). Buy it!