Food in history - Reay Tannahill

Food in History, a panoramic survey of a vast and fascinating subject, will appeal to any and every reader with a general, civilised interest in food and eating.

Spanning over half a million years, this lively account describes the world history of food and the way in which food has influenced the whole course of human development. It is packed with intriguing information and insights: how pepper contributed to the fall of the Roman empire; how a new kind of plough helped to spark off the Crusades; why the cow became sacred in India; why stir-fry cooking was invented; how the turkey got its name. This remarkable book confirms that food is still, as it always has been, not only inseparable from the history of the human race but essential to it.