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Leftovers: A History of Food Waste and Preservation
A topical and richly entertaining history of food preservation and food waste in Britain from the sixteenth-century kitchen to the present day.
In Leftovers, Eleanor Barnett explores the many ingenious ways in which our ancestors sought to extend the life of food through preservation, the culinary reuse of leftovers and the recycling of food scraps. Embracing a broad historical lens, the book spans Tudor household management; the world-changing inventions in food preservation of the Industrial Revolution from the tin can to artificial refrigeration; the growth of public health initiatives and organised food waste collection in the Victorian era; state promotion of thrifty eating during the two World Wars; and the politics of food and packaging waste in the modern era of sustainability.
Opening a window on the everyday experiences of ordinary people in the past, Leftovers reveals how factors such as religious belief, class identities and gender have historically shaped attitudes towards food waste. At a time when a third of the food we produce globally is wasted, Leftovers links its central historical focus to humanitarian and environmental issues of urgent contemporary interest - including climate change, globalisation, scientific advancement, poverty and inequality.
In Leftovers, Eleanor Barnett explores the many ingenious ways in which our ancestors sought to extend the life of food through preservation, the culinary reuse of leftovers and the recycling of food scraps. Embracing a broad historical lens, the book spans Tudor household management; the world-changing inventions in food preservation of the Industrial Revolution from the tin can to artificial refrigeration; the growth of public health initiatives and organised food waste collection in the Victorian era; state promotion of thrifty eating during the two World Wars; and the politics of food and packaging waste in the modern era of sustainability.
Opening a window on the everyday experiences of ordinary people in the past, Leftovers reveals how factors such as religious belief, class identities and gender have historically shaped attitudes towards food waste. At a time when a third of the food we produce globally is wasted, Leftovers links its central historical focus to humanitarian and environmental issues of urgent contemporary interest - including climate change, globalisation, scientific advancement, poverty and inequality.
443 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 14, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 2, 2024
I was really disappointed by this book. I was hoping for a history of the methods of food preservation along with a discussion of the role of food waste. What I got was a surface level history of topics that were only occasionally related to food waste and even less so preservation (the main methods of preservation aren't even thoroughly described, and why they preserve food isn't mentioned).
The second half of the book is a story about food waste in COVID and looking to the future. These pieces aren't really history and are quite repetitive.
The second half of the book is a story about food waste in COVID and looking to the future. These pieces aren't really history and are quite repetitive.
July 22, 2025
I really enjoyed this read! It was highly facts driven but the author told a fantastic story to guide the reader through the history of food preservation and waste. Most of it was set in the UK but it was fascinating to hear about how European countries have shifted their strategies for waste and preservation over the centuries.
Would recommend for anyone interested in sustainability, food waste, and how the heck we can, as individuals, feel a bit better about how we use up our food.
Would recommend for anyone interested in sustainability, food waste, and how the heck we can, as individuals, feel a bit better about how we use up our food.
June 27, 2024
This is a brilliant book to read and while the title sounds like something from decades ago, it is actually very appropriate.
The book looks at how food has been grown and used over the centuries. The author takes the reader back to how inventions have changed how we look and deal with food over the years. Shopping used to be a daily event as there was no way of keeping fresh food fresh, it could be salted and smoked but there was very little that could be done to preserve food and retain the flavour as there is today.
With the emergence of technologies, that were new at the time, the people's understanding of how food storage improved. Understanding that rotten foods can cause illness and death took a step towards how food was sold, prepared and stored. It was not until the realisation of this that ice was used in special cooling boxes would prolong food did things began to change. Along with this was the use of canning foods.
Many discoveries over the decades have improved the quality of foods. It also opened up the UK household to foods that would never have made the journey from other countries and still be edible. This was good for the consumer but it also saw the start of something else. Food waste! With food being stored longer, it meant that the shopper could buy more. Food would be kept chilled, frozen or canned so this meant no more need for a daily shop. This ultimately led to food going past its fresh and nutritious state.
It was noticed that food was spoiling as it was not being used. I know that I have wasted food over the years. From the random lettuce in the back of the salad drawer, the forgotten tin of random beans in the back of the cupboard or the long-forgotten pack of sausages in the back of the freezer. While they were good for consumption at the time of purchase, they had, however, lingered too long and spoiled.
The author tackles these subjects and a whole lot more. Food waste is something that is a more modern event. I can remember the food mountains being mentioned when I was a child. If you think this is a book that looks just at the past then you would be mistaken. The thing I liked about this book was that the author brought things up to date. Not just mentions of plastics and pollution but how new technologies and inventions are not always the best thing.
The author lays this book out in such a good way, that there is plenty to learn and also realise. It will make you look at your shopping habits. I think I am very good as I have very little food waste. I do compost, any mealtime leftovers are either used again for another dish, eaten cold or given to the dog.
The author does not lay blame at anyone's front door as such, but what she does do is look at society over the years, the changes in our lives and developments in other countries. How things from the past gave us answers to problems that would make our lives today very different but also how these also gave us a new set of problems.
This book is a look at food over the centuries, from the early modern age to the present day. At the changes in opinions, way of life, living standards and conditions, society and the environment. It is an incredibly interesting book that has a lot to think about. It opened my eyes to quite a few things that I had not thought about.
Fabulous book, well researched and very readable, with no boring lists of stats but instead a well-thought-out and addictive book. I would definitely recommend this.
The book looks at how food has been grown and used over the centuries. The author takes the reader back to how inventions have changed how we look and deal with food over the years. Shopping used to be a daily event as there was no way of keeping fresh food fresh, it could be salted and smoked but there was very little that could be done to preserve food and retain the flavour as there is today.
With the emergence of technologies, that were new at the time, the people's understanding of how food storage improved. Understanding that rotten foods can cause illness and death took a step towards how food was sold, prepared and stored. It was not until the realisation of this that ice was used in special cooling boxes would prolong food did things began to change. Along with this was the use of canning foods.
Many discoveries over the decades have improved the quality of foods. It also opened up the UK household to foods that would never have made the journey from other countries and still be edible. This was good for the consumer but it also saw the start of something else. Food waste! With food being stored longer, it meant that the shopper could buy more. Food would be kept chilled, frozen or canned so this meant no more need for a daily shop. This ultimately led to food going past its fresh and nutritious state.
It was noticed that food was spoiling as it was not being used. I know that I have wasted food over the years. From the random lettuce in the back of the salad drawer, the forgotten tin of random beans in the back of the cupboard or the long-forgotten pack of sausages in the back of the freezer. While they were good for consumption at the time of purchase, they had, however, lingered too long and spoiled.
The author tackles these subjects and a whole lot more. Food waste is something that is a more modern event. I can remember the food mountains being mentioned when I was a child. If you think this is a book that looks just at the past then you would be mistaken. The thing I liked about this book was that the author brought things up to date. Not just mentions of plastics and pollution but how new technologies and inventions are not always the best thing.
The author lays this book out in such a good way, that there is plenty to learn and also realise. It will make you look at your shopping habits. I think I am very good as I have very little food waste. I do compost, any mealtime leftovers are either used again for another dish, eaten cold or given to the dog.
The author does not lay blame at anyone's front door as such, but what she does do is look at society over the years, the changes in our lives and developments in other countries. How things from the past gave us answers to problems that would make our lives today very different but also how these also gave us a new set of problems.
This book is a look at food over the centuries, from the early modern age to the present day. At the changes in opinions, way of life, living standards and conditions, society and the environment. It is an incredibly interesting book that has a lot to think about. It opened my eyes to quite a few things that I had not thought about.
Fabulous book, well researched and very readable, with no boring lists of stats but instead a well-thought-out and addictive book. I would definitely recommend this.
October 19, 2026
arranged by Gemini
劍橋大學文化史學者 Eleanor Barnett 的著作《剩飯剩菜：食物浪費與保存史》（*Leftovers: A History of Food Waste and Preservation*），以英國為主要視角，橫跨十六世紀都鐸時代至二十一世紀現代社會，爬梳了人類與「剩食」長達數百年的複雜關係。
這本書並非單純的環保警世錄，而是一部透過食物殘渣映照階級、性別、科技與道德演變的社會史。全書核心論點在於：**現代社會所面臨的嚴重食物浪費，並非人類的天性使然，而是近幾十年來工業化生產、冷藏供應鏈、過度包裝與消費者心理共同塑造的「歷史異常現象」。**
以下為本書核心思想的深度拆解，以及橫跨數百年的「今昔全方位對比」。
---
### 第一部分：全書精華脈絡與核心論點
#### 1. 匱乏年代的保存藝術與「零浪費道德」
在工業革命之前，食物的獲取高度依賴季節與天候。對絕大多數階層而言，糧食短缺與飢荒是揮之不去的陰影。在這樣的環境下，「浪費食物」不僅是經濟上的自殺，更被賦予了強烈的宗教與道德罪惡感（基督教傳統中視糧食為上帝的賜福，隨意丟棄等同褻瀆神明）。
當時的人們發展出繁複而精湛的保存技術：鹽漬、煙燻、風乾、發酵、醋醃，以及利用糖或油脂進行封存。家戶中的主婦與廚師是「延長食物生命」的大師。剩肉會被切碎製成派（Pies）、肉餅（Pasty）或肉凍（Brawn）；乾硬的陳麵包會融入布丁、濃湯，或磨成麵包粉；骨頭與蔬菜下腳料則熬成高湯。在缺乏現代冷藏設備的時代，腐敗是恆常的威脅，但「丟棄」始終是最後的不得已手段。
#### 2. 工業化、冷藏技術與感知轉移
十九世紀工業革命後，城市人口暴增，鐵路與蒸汽船開始將遠方的糧食快速運入都市，但真正的典範轉移發生於二十世紀：
* **家庭冷藏庫的普及**：冰箱的誕生原意是「防止腐敗」，卻諷刺地成為現代家庭「延緩丟棄的停屍間」。人們買了過多的食物塞進冰箱底層，直到過期發霉後心安理得地扔掉。
* **感官感知的退化**：過去的人依賴視覺、嗅覺、觸覺甚至微嚐來判斷食物是否可食；現代食品工業則引入了「最佳賞味期限（Best Before）」與「有效日期（Use By）」。消費者將判斷權讓渡給包裝上的印刷數字，引發大量「安全但被丟棄」的浪費。
* **塑膠與包裝的雙面刃**：透明塑膠封膜讓食物看起來乾淨無瑕，卻也切斷了人與食物的自然連結，將農產品轉化為標準化的工業商品。
#### 3. 戰時節約與戰後豐饒的陷阱
兩次世界大戰（尤其是第二次世界大戰時期的英國糧食配給制與「Dig for Victory」運動）是全民動員對抗浪費的高峰。政府透過宣傳手冊指導家庭如何物盡其用、連馬鈴薯皮都不可輕易丟棄。
然而，戰後隨著農業集約化、全球貿易擴張與超級市場的崛起，糧食成本在家庭總支出中的比例急劇下降。食物從「珍貴的生存物資」變成了「廉價且充裕的消耗品」。超級市場為了維持貨架飽滿的視覺豐盛感，對生鮮外觀挑剔至極（彎曲的胡蘿蔔、表皮微瑕的蘋果被直接棄置於農田或垃圾桶），浪費的規模正式從家戶層面擴展至龐大的系統性結構。
---
### 第二部分：食物保存與浪費的「今昔深度對比」
Barnett 在書中將人類與食物的關係劃分出清晰的時代光譜。以下透過六大關鍵維度進行系統化比較：
| 比較維度 | 歷史時期（16世紀－20世紀中葉） | 當代社會（20世紀後期－現代） |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **食物價值感** | **珍貴資產**：糧食佔家庭支出極高比例，象徵生存保障與勞動結晶。 | **廉價商品**：恩格爾係數大幅下降，取得成本低，丟棄心理門檻極低。 |
| **保存核心手段** | **物理與化學轉化**：鹽漬、風乾、發酵、煙燻、醋醃、糖漬、烹煮再製。 | **冷鏈與隔絕**：家庭冰箱、超低溫冷凍庫、真空包裝、人工防腐劑。 |
| **品質判定方式** | **個人感官檢驗**：觀察外觀、觸摸質地、聞氣味、微嚐（身體經驗主導）。 | **印刷日期權威**：高度依賴「有效日期／賞味期限」（制度與法規主導）。 |
| **剩食處理邏輯** | **循環利用到底**：碎肉作派、陳麵包作布丁、骨頭熬湯、殘渣餵豬禽。 | **線性單向拋棄**：剩菜久置冰箱後直接包裝丟入垃圾桶，進入掩埋場焚化。 |
| **美學與規格** | **包容自然不規則**：接受形狀各異、表面斑點與大小不一的農產品。 | **嚴苛外觀標準**：規格化審美，淘汰彎曲、微損、大小不符規範的天然產物。 |
| **浪費的道德意涵** | **罪惡與失德**：浪費被視為對神明的不敬、家政無能與道德缺陷。 | **無感與外部化**：浪費常隱形於垃圾袋內，責任常被推給系統而非個人。 |
---
### 第三部分：深度對比細節剖析
#### 1. 保存思維：主動的「料理鍊金術」 vs 被動的「低溫延遲」
* **昔日**：保存並非讓食物「維持剛採收的模樣」，而是透過發酵、乾燥或糖鹽轉化，賦予食材**第二種生命**與全新的風味。例如：
* **Potted Meats（油封肉罐）**：將熟肉切碎、調味並壓入罐中，表面澆上一層厚厚的融化牛羊油隔絕空氣，可存放數月。
* **Bread Pudding（麵包布丁）**：陳硬麵包吸飽牛奶、蛋液與香料後烤製，化劣勢為甜品佳餚。
* **當代**：現代保存追求的是「凍結時間」，期望食物保持原貌。然而冰箱往往成為剩菜的「轉運站」：剩飯裝盒冰進去，幾天後變質倒掉。保存不再是創造新菜色，而是拖延丟棄的心理緩衝。
#### 2. 判定標準：身體感官的退場與安全焦慮的蔓延
* **昔日**：主婦與廚師具備高度發展的「腐敗敏銳度」。微酸的牛奶會被直接拿去發酵做乳酪或烤鬆餅；表面浮有一層白黴的醃菜，撇去黴層後內部依然完好。人們深知哪些發酵是有益的，哪些異味代表真正的危險。
* **當代**：公眾衛生教育與食品安全法規雖然大幅降低了肉毒桿菌與沙門氏菌等中毒事件，但副作用是引發了普遍的「細菌恐懼症」。食品標籤上的「有效日期」通常具備高度保守的商業與法律考量，大量消費者只要看到日期過了一天，即便食物氣味、質地毫無異常，仍毫不猶豫丟棄。
#### 3. 責任歸屬：家庭道德 vs 供應鏈系統性浪費
* **昔日**：浪費主要受限於微觀層面。若一個家庭發生食物浪費，通常是家計管理不善或遭遇突發天候，鄰里與教會往往投以道德審視。
* **當代**：浪費已被「結構化」。根據統計，現代食物浪費有相當大比例發生在**上架之前**：
* 超市對水果尺寸、弧度的嚴苛美學標準，導致數以萬噸的健康蔬果在產地直接被犁回土裡。
* 「買一送一（BOGO）」等多買促銷策略，人為誘發過量採購，實質上是零售商將潛在的庫存過期風險轉移給消費端承擔。
---
### 第四部分：歷史對未來的啟示
Eleanor Barnett 在書末指出，回顧這段歷史並不是要浪漫化過去貧窮匱乏、飽受糧食不安全威脅的日子，更不是要求現代人拋棄現代冷藏與衛生的便利。
歷史真正的啟示在於**重拾人與食物的親密連結與知覺**：
1. **重新信任感官**：破除對食品日期的絕對盲從，重新學習用嗅覺與視覺判斷真正的腐敗。
2. **重塑剩菜廚藝**：將剩餘食材視為一頓新料理的基礎起點，而非吃不完的負擔。
3. **反思系統與審美**：推動法規修訂（如許多國家逐步取消「最佳賞味期限」標示）、支持接受「醜蔬果」（Ugly Produce），促使零售巨頭承擔起供應鏈源頭的管理責任。
回顧五百年的剩食史，我們才會赫然明白：當前這種「豐饒到隨手可棄」的生活模式並非人類常態。重新找回珍惜食物的古老智慧，不僅是解決現代環境與碳排危機的良方，更是對大地與勞動者的根本敬重。
劍橋大學文化史學者 Eleanor Barnett 的著作《剩飯剩菜：食物浪費與保存史》（*Leftovers: A History of Food Waste and Preservation*），以英國為主要視角，橫跨十六世紀都鐸時代至二十一世紀現代社會，爬梳了人類與「剩食」長達數百年的複雜關係。
這本書並非單純的環保警世錄，而是一部透過食物殘渣映照階級、性別、科技與道德演變的社會史。全書核心論點在於：**現代社會所面臨的嚴重食物浪費，並非人類的天性使然，而是近幾十年來工業化生產、冷藏供應鏈、過度包裝與消費者心理共同塑造的「歷史異常現象」。**
以下為本書核心思想的深度拆解，以及橫跨數百年的「今昔全方位對比」。
---
### 第一部分：全書精華脈絡與核心論點
#### 1. 匱乏年代的保存藝術與「零浪費道德」
在工業革命之前，食物的獲取高度依賴季節與天候。對絕大多數階層而言，糧食短缺與飢荒是揮之不去的陰影。在這樣的環境下，「浪費食物」不僅是經濟上的自殺，更被賦予了強烈的宗教與道德罪惡感（基督教傳統中視糧食為上帝的賜福，隨意丟棄等同褻瀆神明）。
當時的人們發展出繁複而精湛的保存技術：鹽漬、煙燻、風乾、發酵、醋醃，以及利用糖或油脂進行封存。家戶中的主婦與廚師是「延長食物生命」的大師。剩肉會被切碎製成派（Pies）、肉餅（Pasty）或肉凍（Brawn）；乾硬的陳麵包會融入布丁、濃湯，或磨成麵包粉；骨頭與蔬菜下腳料則熬成高湯。在缺乏現代冷藏設備的時代，腐敗是恆常的威脅，但「丟棄」始終是最後的不得已手段。
#### 2. 工業化、冷藏技術與感知轉移
十九世紀工業革命後，城市人口暴增，鐵路與蒸汽船開始將遠方的糧食快速運入都市，但真正的典範轉移發生於二十世紀：
* **家庭冷藏庫的普及**：冰箱的誕生原意是「防止腐敗」，卻諷刺地成為現代家庭「延緩丟棄的停屍間」。人們買了過多的食物塞進冰箱底層，直到過期發霉後心安理得地扔掉。
* **感官感知的退化**：過去的人依賴視覺、嗅覺、觸覺甚至微嚐來判斷食物是否可食；現代食品工業則引入了「最佳賞味期限（Best Before）」與「有效日期（Use By）」。消費者將判斷權讓渡給包裝上的印刷數字，引發大量「安全但被丟棄」的浪費。
* **塑膠與包裝的雙面刃**：透明塑膠封膜讓食物看起來乾淨無瑕，卻也切斷了人與食物的自然連結，將農產品轉化為標準化的工業商品。
#### 3. 戰時節約與戰後豐饒的陷阱
兩次世界大戰（尤其是第二次世界大戰時期的英國糧食配給制與「Dig for Victory」運動）是全民動員對抗浪費的高峰。政府透過宣傳手冊指導家庭如何物盡其用、連馬鈴薯皮都不可輕易丟棄。
然而，戰後隨著農業集約化、全球貿易擴張與超級市場的崛起，糧食成本在家庭總支出中的比例急劇下降。食物從「珍貴的生存物資」變成了「廉價且充裕的消耗品」。超級市場為了維持貨架飽滿的視覺豐盛感，對生鮮外觀挑剔至極（彎曲的胡蘿蔔、表皮微瑕的蘋果被直接棄置於農田或垃圾桶），浪費的規模正式從家戶層面擴展至龐大的系統性結構。
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### 第二部分：食物保存與浪費的「今昔深度對比」
Barnett 在書中將人類與食物的關係劃分出清晰的時代光譜。以下透過六大關鍵維度進行系統化比較：
| 比較維度 | 歷史時期（16世紀－20世紀中葉） | 當代社會（20世紀後期－現代） |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **食物價值感** | **珍貴資產**：糧食佔家庭支出極高比例，象徵生存保障與勞動結晶。 | **廉價商品**：恩格爾係數大幅下降，取得成本低，丟棄心理門檻極低。 |
| **保存核心手段** | **物理與化學轉化**：鹽漬、風乾、發酵、煙燻、醋醃、糖漬、烹煮再製。 | **冷鏈與隔絕**：家庭冰箱、超低溫冷凍庫、真空包裝、人工防腐劑。 |
| **品質判定方式** | **個人感官檢驗**：觀察外觀、觸摸質地、聞氣味、微嚐（身體經驗主導）。 | **印刷日期權威**：高度依賴「有效日期／賞味期限」（制度與法規主導）。 |
| **剩食處理邏輯** | **循環利用到底**：碎肉作派、陳麵包作布丁、骨頭熬湯、殘渣餵豬禽。 | **線性單向拋棄**：剩菜久置冰箱後直接包裝丟入垃圾桶，進入掩埋場焚化。 |
| **美學與規格** | **包容自然不規則**：接受形狀各異、表面斑點與大小不一的農產品。 | **嚴苛外觀標準**：規格化審美，淘汰彎曲、微損、大小不符規範的天然產物。 |
| **浪費的道德意涵** | **罪惡與失德**：浪費被視為對神明的不敬、家政無能與道德缺陷。 | **無感與外部化**：浪費常隱形於垃圾袋內，責任常被推給系統而非個人。 |
---
### 第三部分：深度對比細節剖析
#### 1. 保存思維：主動的「料理鍊金術」 vs 被動的「低溫延遲」
* **昔日**：保存並非讓食物「維持剛採收的模樣」，而是透過發酵、乾燥或糖鹽轉化，賦予食材**第二種生命**與全新的風味。例如：
* **Potted Meats（油封肉罐）**：將熟肉切碎、調味並壓入罐中，表面澆上一層厚厚的融化牛羊油隔絕空氣，可存放數月。
* **Bread Pudding（麵包布丁）**：陳硬麵包吸飽牛奶、蛋液與香料後烤製，化劣勢為甜品佳餚。
* **當代**：現代保存追求的是「凍結時間」，期望食物保持原貌。然而冰箱往往成為剩菜的「轉運站」：剩飯裝盒冰進去，幾天後變質倒掉。保存不再是創造新菜色，而是拖延丟棄的心理緩衝。
#### 2. 判定標準：身體感官的退場與安全焦慮的蔓延
* **昔日**：主婦與廚師具備高度發展的「腐敗敏銳度」。微酸的牛奶會被直接拿去發酵做乳酪或烤鬆餅；表面浮有一層白黴的醃菜，撇去黴層後內部依然完好。人們深知哪些發酵是有益的，哪些異味代表真正的危險。
* **當代**：公眾衛生教育與食品安全法規雖然大幅降低了肉毒桿菌與沙門氏菌等中毒事件，但副作用是引發了普遍的「細菌恐懼症」。食品標籤上的「有效日期」通常具備高度保守的商業與法律考量，大量消費者只要看到日期過了一天，即便食物氣味、質地毫無異常，仍毫不猶豫丟棄。
#### 3. 責任歸屬：家庭道德 vs 供應鏈系統性浪費
* **昔日**：浪費主要受限於微觀層面。若一個家庭發生食物浪費，通常是家計管理不善或遭遇突發天候，鄰里與教會往往投以道德審視。
* **當代**：浪費已被「結構化」。根據統計，現代食物浪費有相當大比例發生在**上架之前**：
* 超市對水果尺寸、弧度的嚴苛美學標準，導致數以萬噸的健康蔬果在產地直接被犁回土裡。
* 「買一送一（BOGO）」等多買促銷策略，人為誘發過量採購，實質上是零售商將潛在的庫存過期風險轉移給消費端承擔。
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### 第四部分：歷史對未來的啟示
Eleanor Barnett 在書末指出，回顧這段歷史並不是要浪漫化過去貧窮匱乏、飽受糧食不安全威脅的日子，更不是要求現代人拋棄現代冷藏與衛生的便利。
歷史真正的啟示在於**重拾人與食物的親密連結與知覺**：
1. **重新信任感官**：破除對食品日期的絕對盲從，重新學習用嗅覺與視覺判斷真正的腐敗。
2. **重塑剩菜廚藝**：將剩餘食材視為一頓新料理的基礎起點，而非吃不完的負擔。
3. **反思系統與審美**：推動法規修訂（如許多國家逐步取消「最佳賞味期限」標示）、支持接受「醜蔬果」（Ugly Produce），促使零售巨頭承擔起供應鏈源頭的管理責任。
回顧五百年的剩食史，我們才會赫然明白：當前這種「豐饒到隨手可棄」的生活模式並非人類常態。重新找回珍惜食物的古老智慧，不僅是解決現代環境與碳排危機的良方，更是對大地與勞動者的根本敬重。
December 31, 2025
Not what I expected from the title but the book captivated me 3/4 of the way through. It is almost a great book but lost it when it got to the pandemic when it turned into an unrelatable and political mess. Note that I'm probably politically aligned with the author but that stuff has nothing to do with the first part of the book, and it even felt like it was written by a different author. Better editing from the publisher might have helped.
It is Great Britain centric so I needed to make adjustments for my home in the US.
Even so, I highly recommend the book and almost put it as a "must read" book. Just skip everything from the pandemic forward.
It is Great Britain centric so I needed to make adjustments for my home in the US.
Even so, I highly recommend the book and almost put it as a "must read" book. Just skip everything from the pandemic forward.
April 3, 2024
Well, what an incredible book! I never thought the history of food leftovers could be such an interesting read. I cannot recommend this book enough, it is informative, witty, and wildly entertaining.
Read
August 7, 2024dnf 💔
May 3, 2024
I received a copy of this book for a free and unbiased opinion.
I couldn’t put this book down. I was hooked from the introduction when the author described the Great Nottingham Cheese riots of 1766- a historical event that was not covered in any detail when I was school.
The book traces the history of food waste and food preservation from ancient times when food was preserved in the summer for the bleak winter months to very little waste to the current time where society is more aware of food waste and the environmental concerns of ever increasing amounts of rubbish.
It was reassuring to read that this isn’t a new problem, the descriptions of the Thames being a waste ground for butchers and the resulting stench that led to protests sounds familiar. As is the campaigns on imaginative and creative ways of substituting ingredients during the world wars- just have a look on blogs on thrift and saving money or the craze for banana bread during lockdown.
I found the history of how canned food came to be ( a result of a competition) and how this led to scandal of sailors being poisoned by contaminated cans. A scandal so bad it was discussed in parliament!
I couldn’t put this book down. I was hooked from the introduction when the author described the Great Nottingham Cheese riots of 1766- a historical event that was not covered in any detail when I was school.
The book traces the history of food waste and food preservation from ancient times when food was preserved in the summer for the bleak winter months to very little waste to the current time where society is more aware of food waste and the environmental concerns of ever increasing amounts of rubbish.
It was reassuring to read that this isn’t a new problem, the descriptions of the Thames being a waste ground for butchers and the resulting stench that led to protests sounds familiar. As is the campaigns on imaginative and creative ways of substituting ingredients during the world wars- just have a look on blogs on thrift and saving money or the craze for banana bread during lockdown.
I found the history of how canned food came to be ( a result of a competition) and how this led to scandal of sailors being poisoned by contaminated cans. A scandal so bad it was discussed in parliament!
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