Eating Right in the Renaissance
Publisher: University of California Press
Published: February 1, 2002
Language: eng
Format: Hardcover
Number of pages: 324
ISBN-13: 9780520229471
Subjects: Dietetics & nutrition; European history: c 500 to c 1500; History of ideas, intellectual history; c 1000 CE to c 1500; History - General History; Gastronomy; Science; Science/Mathematics; Europe; Renaissance; Europe - General; Food habits; General; History
First sentence: The urge to categorize foods according to a rational system appears to be at least as old as civilization itself.
Description: "Eating right has been an obsession for longer than we think. Renaissance Europe had its own flourishing tradition of dietary advice. Then, as now, an industry of experts churned out diet books for an eager and concerned public. Providing a cornucopia of information on food and an intriguing account of the differences between the nutritional logic of the past and our own time, this book examines the wide-ranging dietary literature of the Renaissance. Ken Albala ultimately reveals the working of the Renaissance mind from a unique perspective: we come to understand a people through their ideas on food." "Eating Right in the Renaissance takes us through an array of historical sources in a narrative that is witty and spiced with fascinating details. Why did early Renaissance writers recommend the herbs parlsey, arugula, anise, and mint to fortify sexual prowess? Why was there such a strong outcry against melons and cucumbers, even though people continued to eat them in large quantities? Why was wine considered a necessary nutrient? As he explores these and other questions, Albala explains the history behind Renaissance dietary theories; the connections among food, exercise, and sex; the changing relationship between medicine and cuisine; and much more."--BOOK JACKET.