Food in Early Modern Europe by Ken Albala

Drawing on the work of some of our era's foremost food historians such as Jean-Louis Flandrin, Massimo Montanari, Stephen Mennell, Jean-FranÃ§ois Revel, Wolfgang Schivelbusch, Rebecca L. These claims are certainly true, yet Albala's generalist approach by no means negates his overall contribution to the field. Thus he acknowledges that 'historians will miss the lack of meticulous notes' and fellow food scholars will 'miss the precision' that comes with the use of specialized language (p. As he states in his introduction, this work is not geared at scholars who already have a solid grounding in food history or at specialist seeking specific information but rather at a 'nonspecialist audience of students and the general public' (p. In clear prose with a conscience avoidance of scholarly jargon, Albala's text provides a solid overview of Western European food history from 1500 to 1800 with a clear focus on the early modern period.

Providing much food for thought, Albala's study serves as a compendium that should be of great practical value both to food historians in need of concise reference works for their undergraduate courses and to anyone new to the field of Food Studies. I can only echo Albala's sentiment by noting that his work is also a pleasure to read. In the acknowledgements with which he opens his 2003 study, Food in Early Modern Europe, author Ken Albala claims that his book was 'an absolute ball to write' (p. Reviewed by Sabrina Moser (Independent Scholar)

This book answers such questions as: Why did people toil and travel for certain foods, such as spices, when they were already surrounded by an abundance of edible plants at home? How did foods fit in the ritual life of the ordinary villager? Why were people expected to avoid meat for long periods? Why were nobles and peasants expected to eat different food than the lower classes? How did cooking methods differ from our own? This guide also includes many period recipes, never before available in English, along with evocative illustrations and a timeline.Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 2003. Food historian Ken Albala has written the perfect book for students and other readers interested in the myriad aspects of food in Early Modern Europe. Agricultural revolution gave rise to new farming methods. Food became a cardinal concern in explorations of the New World, as well as a fundamental element of global trade. It was a time when even forks and table manners were remarkable and new. This unique book examines food's importance during the massive evolution of Europe following the Middle Ages. Yet its study offers us a humanizing look at those who lived before us.

Rarely do we read about the roles of food in history.

Food in Early Modern Europe by Ken Albala