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An undertaking without parallel or precedent, this monumental two-volume work encapsulates much of what is known of the history of food and nutrition. It constitutes a vast and essential chapter in the history of human health and culture. Ranging from the eating habits of our prehistoric ancestors to food-related policy issues we face today, The Cambridge World History of Food covers the full spectrum of foods that have been hunted, gathered, cultivated, and domesticated; their nutritional makeup and uses; and their impact on cultures and demography. It offers a geographical perspective on the history and culture of food and drink and takes up subjects from food fads, prejudices, and taboos to questions of food toxins, additives, labeling, and entitlements. It culminates in a dictionary that identifies and sketches out brief histories of plant foods mentioned in the text – over 1 000 in all – and additionally supplies thousands of common names and synonyms for those foods.
Part I. Determining What Our Ancestors Ate
Part II. Staple Foods
Part III. Dietary Liquids
Part IV. The Nutrients - Deficiencies and Surfeits
Part V. Food and drink around the world
Part VI. History, Nutrition, and Health
Part VII. Contemporary Food-Related Policy Issues
Part VIII. A Dictionary of the World's Plant Foods
"This treasure trove of knowledge about food is so interesting and useful that I have only one regret. I wish that it had been available earlier, to spare me (and you) the effort of tracking down hundreds of different sources now summarized here. Whether you are a cook, gourmet, or glutton, an archaeologist, physiologist, or historian, you will be browsing these two volumes for years to come."
- Jared Diamond
"In a word: wow [...] The World History of Food is part fascinating reading, part essential reference tool. What's not in here doesn't exist."
- USA Today
"An essential addition to the library of any serious chef, culinary educator, or devotee of fine cuisine."
- Cuisine
"[A] tour de force [...] With information that is up-to-date, a format that is easy to use and a fresh, engaging approach to their subject, Kiple and Ornelas have prepared a magnificent resource."
- Publishers Weekly
"An outstanding new reference source [...]. The Cambridge World History of Food is a remarkable work of scholarship and is highly recommended."
- Library Journal
"Top of the league [...] there is enough in the two volumes to keep the curious happy for Christmases to come."
- Matthew Fort, The Guardian
"It is a fantastic labour of love and such a pleasure to read."
- Rick Stein
"Monumentally big and impressively erudite. The scope of the work is immense, as is its undeniable value to writers, students and researchers of food."
- Food and Travel
"Unparalleled in its knowledge and content."
- BBC Good Food Magazine
"Anyone looking for something in the 'oh, you shouldn't have!' category could do worse than give The Cambridge World History of Food."
- The Sunday Telegraph
"If you have a very special gourmet in your life, this is the Christmas present for them. [...] This book is so fascinating that you could spend a whole year dipping in to it."
- Healthy Eating
"The inquisitive food lover will find much to sift through, from the beginning chapter on what ancient people ate, to one on contemporary food-policy issues."
- New York Times
"A weighty tome packed with culinary wisdom, which is ideal for lazy browsing."
- Waitrose Food Illustrated
"A massive two-volume work [...] The scholarship is fascinating. [...] The entry on the British Isles is excellent [and] the history of contemporary preoccupations such as slimming and vegetarianism are compelling."
- Country Life
"An essential addition to the library of any serious chef, culinary educator, or devotee of fine cuisine."
- Cuizine
"A place to start understanding the questions being asked by serious students of nearly any food-related discipline."
- Gourmet
"[...] Factual Feast [...]"
- Condé Nast Traveller
