A Taste of History: 10,000 Years of Food in Britain

by Peter C.D. Brears

The collaboration of five food historians, this text provides an authorative survey of British cooking. Over 90 practical recipes adapted for the modern cook allow the reader to experience a real taste of the past. The early recipes are based upon archaeological discoveries and the later on manuscripts or cookbooks of the period.

Genres: History, Food, Nonfiction, Cookbooks, Reference, Food History, Cooking

352 pages, Paperback

First published July 7, 1997

About the author

Peter Brears was director of both York and Leeds' City Museums, is a consultant to the National Trust, English Heritage, the Historic Royal Palaces, the winner of numerous prizes including the André Simon award for his book, Cooking and Dining in Medieval England, the standard text on the subject, and Britain's leading authority on jelly. He has written extensively on traditional foods and cookery in Yorkshire, as well as a groundbreaking illustrated catalogue of domestic and farmhouse materials in Torquay Museum. He supervised the reconstruction of several important historical kitchens, including those at Hampton Court, Ham House, Cowdray Castle and Belvoir Castle.

Reviews

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

A taste, is an accurate description of this book.
Split into convenient sections by periods from Prehistoric Britain through the various royalties to the 20th Century.
As each section is from one of five contributors the contents vary. Normally there's a general introduction, sources and types of food popular, cooking equipment and utensils, and a final recipe section.
I did feel that too many of the recipes featured were clearly enjoyed only by the very few, namely the rich. Perhaps this was because cook books were only written by cooks/chefs or the wealthy who had an interest in cookery. Those with lower incomes had no cooks or chefs and therefore no cook books.
However it was known from hand-me-down handwritten recipes what was eaten by the many, rather than the few.
These, I would have thought, more accurately reflect The Taste of History than many of those given.

That said this is an interesting peek at the various time in our food history and may well wet your appetite to delve further into any particular period that appeals.

[Elisabeth Marksteiner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a survey overview of the history of food in Britain. I was less interested in the recipes than in what foods were common, imported, or grown. The technical innovations also were fascinating in cooking styles.
I didn’t know that it was the Romans who introduced parsley and mint to the country. Or that it wasn’t until the 1920s that milk was commonly in bottles. We may harken after a golden age, but that exists purely in our imagination.

[Dr Susan Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tasty!