num_pages: 405
description: Seasoned generously with literary wit The Diner's Dictionary is a veritable feast tracing the origins and history of over 2300 gastronomical words and phrases. John Ayto spreads across our table a veritable cornucopia from common fruits and vegetables (apples cherries apricots andbroccoli to name a few) to exotic foreign dishes such as gado-gado nasi goreng satay and dashi and even junk foods such as doughnuts brownies and candy. Thoroughly revised the second edition boasts 1000 new entries including the word origins of affogato bento cava goji berry jalfrezimocktail rugelach vache qui rit and zigni. In addition Ayto has expanded the coverage of vocabulary from foreign cuisines such as Thai Korean Vietnamese and parts of South America.Throughout Ayto provides fascinating capsule histories of the various foods. He tells us for instance that cantaloupe was introduced into Europe from Armenia and was apparently first cultivated at Cantaluppi a former summer estate of the popes near Rome. We learn the ingredients of haggis andthat the name of the Scandinavian drink aquavit ultimately derives from Latin aqua vitae or water of life. From jambalaya and callaloo to arrowroot and shiitake The Diner's Dictionary is a food-lover's dream filled with information and fascinating lore.
language: English
title: The Diner's Dictionary: Word Origins of Food and Drink
publisher: Oxford University Press