Food, Cookery, and Dining in Ancient Times: Alexis Soyer's Pantropheon

by Alexis Soyer

"Tell me what thou eatest," Alexis Soyer declared in a familiar refrain, "and I will tell thee who thou art." In his book Pantropheon, originally published in 1853, the flamboyant Frenchman (and world's first celebrity chef) ventures to answer that question as he presents a wealth of entertaining and enlightening information on what food the people of ancient civilizations ate and how they prepared it.
Describing the culinary achievements of the Greeks, Romans, Assyrians, Egyptians, and Jews, Soyer covers such topics as the mythological origin of specific foods (pomegranates and eels, for example); agricultural, milling, and marketing practices; descriptions of seasonings, pastries, and exotic dishes; the treatment of dinner guests; as well as suggestions for serving pigeon, peacock, wild boar, camel, elephant, flamingo, and other wildlife.
Enhanced by 38 illustrations depicting food-related objects and antiquity's gastronomic wonders, this witty and literal study of epicurean delights will charm history buffs and food enthusiasts alike.

Genres: History, Cooking, Food

560 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1853

About the author

Alexis Benoît Soyer was a French chef who became the most celebrated cook in Victorian England. He also tried to alleviate suffering of the Irish poor in the Great Irish Famine (1845–1849), and contributed a penny for the relief of the poor for every copy sold of his pamphlet The Poor Man's Regenerator (1847). He worked to improve the food provided to British soldiers in the Crimean War. A variant of the field stove he invented at that time, known as the "Soyer stove", remained in use with the British army until 1982

Reviews

[Lacivard Mammadova · Rating 3 out of 5]

Deyirlər kitabın çox ləzzətli şəkilləri var, təəssüf ki, məndə olan nüsxə şəkilsiz idi. Amma kitabın zənginliyini anlamaq üçün şəkillərə heç ehtiyac da qalmır. Hər hansı məhsul, ərzaq haqqında ümumi məlumat verilir, tarixindən danışılır, süfrəyə təqdim şəkli göstərilir, bölmənin sonunda isə resept qeyd edilir. Hazırlasaq, çətin ki, antik dövrdəki dadı ala bilərik. Nə qol o qoldur, nə toyuq həmin toyuq, nə də buğda həmin buğda. Amma yoxlamağı heç kim qadağan etməyib. Maraqlı idi.
Amma az idi, daha bol məlumatlar istəyirdim. Bu informasiya aclığı bitmir.

[Redsteve · Rating 2 out of 5]

Half-Assed Victorian history of food and cooking in the classical period.

Nice illustrations, though...

[Jonathan Farley · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent book, but a somewhat convoluted writing style. You have to keep a notebook and pencil handy if you are attempting to reconstruct any recipes.