Alan Davidson, The Oxford Companion to Food, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1999
From Aardvark to Zuppa Inglese this is a bountiful magnum opus edited by the late Alan Davidson.
Each entry gives a concise sum of factual backgrounds but are also beautifully embellished with historical accounts.
There are entries on yesteryear’s amphitryons (Grimod de la Reyniere), the role of food across continents. Even Antarctica is included: ‘the whites of penguin eggs are an off-putting bluish grey and better used in cakes and omelettes…‘, another extraordinary ingredient referred to is giraffe tongue ‘the long succulent tongue properly cooked, is not only eatable, but also delectable‘ (Leipoldt 1976). A somewhat dubious delectability…
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