Cuisine and Culture: A History of Food and People 2nd Edition

by Linda Civitello (Author)

20 ratings

ISBN-13: 978-0471741725

ISBN-10: 0471741728

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An illuminating account of how history shapes our diets-now revised and updated

Why did the ancient Romans believe cinnamon grew in swamps guarded by giant killer bats? How did the African cultures imported by slavery influence cooking in the American South? What does the 700-seat McDonald's in Beijing serve in the age of globalization? With the answers to these and many more such questions, Cuisine and Culture, Second Edition presents an engaging, informative, and witty narrative of the interactions among history, culture, and food.

From prehistory and the earliest societies around the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers to today's celebrity chefs, Cuisine and Culture, Second Edition presents a multicultural and multiethnic approach that draws connections between major historical events and how and why these events affected and defined the culinary traditions of different societies. Fully revised and updated, this Second Edition offers new and expanded features and coverage, including:

New Crossing Cultures sections providing brief sketches of foods and food customs moving between cultures
More holiday histories, food fables, and food chronologies
Discussions of food in the Byzantine, Portuguese, Turkish/Ottoman, and Austro-Hungarian empires
Greater coverage of the scientific genetic modification of food, from Mendel in the 19th century to the contemporary GM vs. organic food debate
Speculation on the future of food
And much more!

Complete with sample recipes and menus, as well as revealing photographs and illustrations, Cuisine and Culture, Second Edition is the essential survey history for students of food history.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

An illuminating account of how history shapes our diets—now revised and updated

Why did the ancient Romans believe cinnamon grew in swamps guarded by giant killer bats? How did the African cultures imported by slavery influence cooking in the American South? What does the 700-seat McDonald's in Beijing serve in the age of globalization? With the answers to these and many more such questions, Cuisine and Culture, Second Edition presentsan engaging, informative, and witty narrative of the interactions among history, culture, and food.

From prehistory and the earliest societies around the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers to today's celebrity chefs, Cuisine and Culture, Second Edition presents a multicultural and multiethnic approach that draws connections between major historical events and how and why these events affected and defined the culinary traditions of different societies. Fully revised and updated, this Second Edition offers new and expanded features and coverage, including:

New Crossing Cultures sections providing brief sketches of foods and food customs moving between cultures
More holiday histories, food fables, and food chronologies
Discussions of food in the Byzantine, Portuguese, Turkish/Ottoman, and Austro-Hungarian empires
Greater coverage of the scientific genetic modification of food, from Mendel in the 19th century to the contemporary GM vs. organic food debate
Speculation on the future of food
And much more!

Complete with sample recipes and menus, as well as revealing photographs and illustrations, Cuisine and Culture, Second Edition is the essential survey history for students of food history.

About the Author

LINDA CIVITELLO has a B.A. from Vassar College and an M.A. in history from UCLA. She has taught food history in California and written extensively for television. The previous edition of Cuisine and Culture won the 2003 Gourmand World Cookbook Award for Best Culinary History Book.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Wiley; 2nd edition (March 9, 2007)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 432 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0471741728
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0471741725
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.25 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.04 x 0.72 x 9.13 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #885,103 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,327 in Gastronomy Essays (Books)
- #1,373 in Gastronomy History (Books)
- #124,676 in Textbooks

Customer Reviews:
20 ratings

Customer reviews

5 star		73%
4 star		20%
3 star 0% (0%)		0%
2 star 0% (0%)		0%
1 star		8%

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Top reviews from the United States

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S. Boul

Fun Read

Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2010

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Okay, so her historical research at the beginning of the book is a little spotty but otherwise this is a very entertaining book. Chock full of food trivia and interesting information about how food played a part in our evolution as well as how our evolution has resulted in our taking food preparation to ever higher levels. You can't read this and not get a hankering for something or have a sincere desire to check out some new culinary treat. All you foodies out there - this is a MUST READ!

2 people found this helpful

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JACKI PETERSON

Outstanding Info

Reviewed in the United States on March 9, 2014

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Used this book as a springboard for stimulating group discussion. Chock full of interesting and well-researched info. Written with a little humor, as a conversation with the reader. All relevant in today's world.

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Ellie Mae

Great Book!

Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2008

I was afraid this book would be a dry, hard read. It's not. This book is my foods history class, and it's great. I love the recipes, and the anecdotes provided by the author. This book brings history to life and you can tell the author really enjoys this subject. I recommend this for any culinary student, or anyone interested in why we eat what we today!

12 people found this helpful

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Christopher Lauderdale

None better, and I've read them all!

Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2008

I am a Chef/Instructor at a culinary school in Southern California. We use Cuisine and Culture for our food history class. This book reveals the author's true passion for food, and serves as the perfect complement to our World Civilization course. Not a dry textbook but an absorbing piece of literature, full of fascinating side-notes, dispels many urban legends, and provides historically accurate recipes that our students then make and bring into class. I especially like the time she spends on the 20th century, and her conjectures on the future of food. Definitely for anyone who loves food!

22 people found this helpful

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J. Lewis

A passion for food and history

Reviewed in the United States on April 25, 2009

A foodie friend had recommended Linda's book to me and I was delightfully surprised to find it so entertaining to read and absorb. Surprised, when I was told it was a text book! I'd go back to school if this was the class. By chance I saw Linda at the Getty Museum describing the history of foods featured in many of the artworks. She made a obscure topic so entertaining; many of the group laughing as we learned about art, food and history. Linda's passion for your subject matter is so apparent---just read the first page!

3 people found this helpful

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Teresa Amos

Great Book

Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2009

As a history buff, I thoroughly enjoyed reading the first edition. I find the second edition even more fine-tuned. The author has the ability to demonstrate the influence of food on the history of cultures. I would recommend this book to anyone.

7 people found this helpful

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clara m lovett

This one needs another cook

Reviewed in the United States on May 24, 2009

This is a fascinating book, but it is replete with errors. Also, it is very poorly written; there is a kind of facile omniscience and flippant handling of the subject. For a second edition to have such gross mistakes on Italian food, for example, not to mention many others, is unforgivable and amazing. This book either had no editor or someone wholly alien to the subject. I want to believe some of the nuggets of history the author includes, still I can't but be sceptical when I see so many simplistic assertions; so it is difficult to know what to believe. Let's face it, I had fun with this book but I was annoyed on virtually every third page. Recipes are intriguing, but what to risk trying? To be fair, there is certainly a thread of food evolution outlined here showing obvious connections with the conditions in which various cultures lived and evolved. In all honesty, I cannot recommend this book. The subject has endless possiblities, but it calls for a truly able study.

15 people found this helpful

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D. C. Lynch

Fantastic!

Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2009

Although I'm not part of the "foodie" world, this book was interesting and fun for me to read. I'm now loaded with historical information about food with which to wow my guests when I entertain. It's going to be a regular resource for me. Kudos to the author!

2 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Kalaschnikow Irina

Not a waste of time

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 30, 2013

Verified Purchase

I read it a while ago and enjoyed it. Can not give it 5 strars since some of the facts were not exactly accurate and in a couple of cases events and places were totally mixed up. But still worth reading. Just do not consider it a study book. just something to widen your horizons, gain some knowledge and entertain yourself.

Ms. A. Kendal

A massive disappointment

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 6, 2010

Verified Purchase

The problems start with the introduction.

When a supposedly proper historian (Linda Civitello has an MA in history) starts off by saying that there have been nine world wars (the thesis, it seems of some US school textbook writer, but no reputable historian that I can find), and stating as fact that the Romans threw Christians to the lions "for entertainment" (there is no supporting evidence for this), you know you have problems.

After that, it's difficult to take anything here seriously.

I bought this because it looks as though it's going to be an intelligent book, aimed at adults.

But amongst other things, the plethora of gray-backgrounded charts and box-outs - which include such un-scientific gems as one of the jobs of women on a 19th-century Midwestern farm being described as to "make everything look nice" - make the book seem like something intended for secondary school children who can't read lengthy passages of text.

At least one can argue that occasionally finding oneself holding such dross helps one appreciate the considerably better stuff even more.

6 people found this helpful

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