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The Pantropheon.
A grand nineteenth-century history of food and its preparation in the ancient world, roaming across the tables of Greece, Rome, and beyond. Part scholarship, part feast, written with the flourish of a celebrated Victorian chef.
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About this book
Few books treat the kitchen as a window onto whole civilisations, but this one sets out to do exactly that, tracing what the ancient world ate, how it cooked, and what its banquets said about its manners and its gods.
What it's about
The Pantropheon is a history of food and its preparation in ancient times, surveying the ingredients, dishes, customs, and excesses of classical antiquity. It gathers lore about bread and wine, meats and vegetables, feasts and fasts, drawing on classical sources to reconstruct the diet and dining habits of earlier ages.
Themes
The link between cuisine and culture; luxury and restraint at the table; the long continuity between ancient practice and modern cookery. Food here is treated as social history, a lens on religion, class, and daily life.
Why it still matters
Long before food writing became a genre, this volume argued that what people eat is inseparable from who they are. For anyone interested in culinary history or the roots of gastronomy, it remains an entertaining and richly detailed source.
Who it's for
Food historians, curious cooks, and readers who enjoy the byways of the classical world. A splendid companion for anyone who believes a meal tells a story.
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The Pantropheon
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