An Edible History of Humanity | 
pickFood isn't usually the focus in history. More often it's the great leaders, or the actions of countries vs other countries, that get center stage. Here though, food is the focus. It looks at history through the lens of what fuels it. Initially that's simply food but innovations throughout history expand the scope of that many fold. If The Omnivores Dilemma looked at individuals relationship with food, this looks at all of humanity's.
Wow. Adoption of the chile across the world was fast. Just a couple decades to get incorporated into Asian cooking, when introduced through Europe. This book keeps hitting me with realizations that trade throughout history was far richer and wider reaching than I ever thought.
I knew Columbus was an asshole, but reading about him cherry picking estimates saying the world was smaller so he could travel, then intentionally misnaming things and swearing his crew to secrecy about his lies, really was peak white man confidence. No wonder he was arrested and sent back in chains at the end of his third voyage. Died in disgrace and we still have a day named after him. SMH.
I'm about 1/4 through this book, and the current section highlights the wide network of trading that occurred in the ancient world by what spices were available in different areas. So far the illustration of that is still Europe focused, but I didn't give enough consideration before to what trade must've existed to make expeditions like Marco Polos seem worth funding. All this intercontinental trade was already happening for so long!
#RedRoseSeptember
I love #History and books that teach me something new & I especially love books about the history of food. Here are a dozen food history books from my shelves, both read & #TBR that have history in their title or subtitle. They range from exploring cuisines to the history of a single food item to dining customs to the last meal historical figures ate before their demises. 🍽📚🤓
Day #nineteen is World Toilet Day. No, I don‘t have an ebook about toilets or bathrooms but I do have this one. You know what they say - what goes in.... #NovemberByTheNumbers
Update: I skipped Day 18! Oh no!
pickGreat overview of the world starting with those cultures that grew wheat or corn or rice and how they evolved...
What did you learn today? I learned that because in ancient Rome spice used to mean any expensive import, tigers were considered a spice, but, because it wasn't costly enough, black pepper was not.
pickInteresting, engaging, logixal flow to narrative. Good information!
