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Colin Spencer

British Food: An Extraordinary Thousand Years of History (Arts and Traditions of the Table: Perspectives on Culinary History) Hardcover – November 5, 2003

by Colin Spencer (Author)

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Until the middle of the nineteenth century, English cuisine was known throughout Europe as extraordinarily stylish, tasteful, and contemporary, designed to satisfy sophisticated palates. So, as Colin Spencer asks, why did British food "decline so direly that it became a world-wide joke, and how is it now climbing back into eminence?" 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, the Enclosures, the Reformation, the Age of Exploration, the Industrial Revolution, and the rise of capitalism to present-day threats posed by globalization, including factory farming, corporate control of food supplies, and the pervasiveness of prepackaged and fast foods. He situates the beginning of the decline in British cuisine in the Victorian age, when various social, historical, and economic factors―an emphasis on appearances, a worship of French cuisine, the rise of Nonconformism, which saw any pleasure as a sin, the alienation from rural life found in burgeoning towns, the rise and affluence of the new bourgeoisie, and much else―created a fear that simple cooking was vulgar. The Victorians also harbored suspicions that raw foods were harmful, encouraged by the publication of a key cookbook of the period, Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management.

However, twenty-first century British cooking is experiencing a glorious resurgence, fueled by television gurus and innovative restaurants with firm roots in the British tradition. This new interest in and respect for good food is showing the whole world, as Spencer puts it, "that the old horror stories about British food are no longer true."

Print length

400 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Columbia University Press
Publication date

November 5, 2003
Dimensions

10.3 x 7.25 x 1.12 inches
ISBN-10

0231131100
ISBN-13

978-0231131100
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Editorial Reviews

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Few national cuisines have endured as much abuse as Britain's. Vilified as unimaginative and heavy, it has traditionally been recognized for only two achievements: the English breakfast and Christmas dinner. But, Spencer explains, even before the Romans brought their civilization to the islands, Celtic agriculture and animal husbandry produced a wide range of foodstuffs. Anglo-Saxon England knew how to stew meats with savory herbs before that practice became common in Europe. The Norman conquest introduced exotic spices. Medieval England even saw the invention of fast food, in the cookshops that lined the Thames, catering to boatmen and travelers. And imperialists returned home with knowledge of India's elaborate food tradition, full of strong, penetrating spices and herbs. Victorian home cooking succumbed to uniformity under one of the earliest cookbooks: Isabella Beeton's Book of Household Management (1800). Rationing and postwar austerity in large part gave birth to British cooking's modern evil reputation, but globalization and affluence have transformed London into one of the world's gastronomic capitals. A glossary assists readers with old and unfamiliar kitchen terms. Mark Knoblauch
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

A stimulating work.... What did the Brontës 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 lover should own...#10 British Food ― Waitrose Food Illustrated

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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Columbia University Press (November 5, 2003)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 400 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0231131100
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0231131100
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.99 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 10.3 x 7.25 x 1.12 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #874,833 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,165 in Customs & Traditions Social Sciences
- #1,424 in Gastronomy History (Books)
- #6,656 in Great Britain History (Books)

Customer Reviews:
29 ratings

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3 star		8%
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Randal Oulton

Very good read

Reviewed in the United States on September 17, 2013

Verified Purchase

Have read it off and on over the course of the year on my ipad. Have thoroughly enjoyed having it to turn to, and have learnt a great deal from it. Many highlighted items to go back to and think more about.

5 people found this helpful

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Haba Flores

My bible!

Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2013

Verified Purchase

I'm starting a thesis related to british cuisine, and Spencer's "British food" is a MUST for anyone interested in this subject.

2 people found this helpful

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S. Weigelt

not exactly as described

Reviewed in the United States on May 19, 2013

Verified Purchase

It is a very interesting book. I was disappointed that the description was not clear. I was expecting a collection of actual recipes from times past.

4 people found this helpful

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Kathy Pemberton

An excellent and informative read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 30, 2014

Verified Purchase

This book gives a lucid and fascinating account of British food, diet and cooking for the last one thousand years.
It is meticulously researched but also highly readable and entertaining. It is an invaluable addition to the social history of GB.
It gives accounts of old receipes and the quantities of various foods eaten down the ages. I couldn't put it down!

Lindsay

Excellent

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 30, 2011

Verified Purchase

Wonderful. I had been looking for this book and found it, or so I thought, I ordered it and waited with great excitement. It arrived and I tore off the cardboard, only to find a book of recipes by Jill Dupleix, but stuck on the back of the book was the title and ISB of the book I'd ordered. I phoned Amazon who issued the paperwork for me to return it and ordered the book from another supplier.
Eventually it was all OK and I now have the book. Superb, a great insight into the history of British Food.

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British Food: An Extraordinary Thousand Years of History (Arts and Traditions of the Table: Perspectives on Culinary History) Hardcover – November 5, 2003

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Colin Spencer

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