Cuisine and empire : cooking in world history /

Laudan (The Food of Paradise, 1997) traces about five thousand years of a few major "families of cuisine," which all extended beyond single states. Each cuisine was shaped by social beliefs that accompanied its spread as empires were created and destroyed. The premise is that these cuisines were created by transfer, rather than developed from indigenous practices. Each of these cuisines was based on grain. The author notes that cuisine tends to be the food of the rich, but she also includes the foods of the poor as part of the story. This scholarly work may appeal to a broader audience than those interested just in food history. The book includes very helpful maps showing the spread of cuisines; additional illustrations would have been welcome. A 32-page notes section and an extensive 46-page bibliography provide suggestions for further reading for those who wish to do more in-depth research. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels/libraries. N. Duran Texas A&M University

In her new book, Jane Grigson Prize-winning author Laudan (The Food of Paradise: Exploring Hawaii's Culinary Heritage) has written a broad overview of culinary history, from early humans to McDonald's. Laudan does an excellent job of taking the reader across the globe and through time, using food as her vehicle. She explores how cuisines moved and evolved as a result of changes in politics, society, and religion as well as evolving health beliefs. For instance, Laudan describes how during the 17th century, fermentation was deemed more important than cooking; thus, foods such as mushrooms and fresh fruit were considered healthy, despite years of tradition to the contrary. Notably, the author also shows how armies helped spread foods-the Romans, for example, took their cuisine to the Orient and brought Eastern cooking back to Rome. Laudan successfully breaks down a complex and sweeping topic into a fascinating read. VERDICT This well-written and well--researched scholarly work will appeal to historians as well as foodies.-Lisa Ennis, Univ. of Alabama at Birmingham (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.