الفانيليا: تاريخ عالمي

Edible

by Rosa Abreu-Runkel, محمد فؤاد (Translator)

الفانيليا هي زهرة الأوركيد الوحيدة القابلة للأكل، وهي مدهشة وساحرة ومبهجة للحواسِّ، وللفانيليا تاريخٌ غنيٌّ مثل غِنى النكهة التي نعرفها ونحبها، وفي هذا الكتاب تُطلِعنا المؤلفة على قصتها الكاملة والحقيقية، لتلهمنا تقديراً جديداً لهذا التابل الآسِر. تبدأ الرحلة من أمريكا الوسطى القديمة، وتنتهي بالأهمية الثقافية الحاليَّة للفانيليا، والآثار الاجتماعية والاقتصادية لها في حِقبةِ ما بعد الاستعمار. ويستعرض الكتابُ التاريخَ المدهِش للفانيليا، التي طالما حظيَت بتبجيلِ الحُكَّام وكَهَنة المعابد والأطباء، وما زالت إلى اليوم تحظى بتقدير المتخصِّصين مثل صانعي العطور والطُّهاة، لرائحتها الذكية وطعمها اللذيذ. وقد اتَّخذ الكتابُ التاريخَ مرشداً، لعلنا نكتشف في

Genres: Food, Nonfiction, History

180 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 20, 2024

Reviews

[Stella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative history of vanilla up to the modern era, with recipes!

[Madhulika Liddle · Rating 4 out of 5]

After saffron, vanilla is the costliest spice in the world. It is (or so Rosa Abreu-Runkel claims in Vanilla: A Global History), the only edible product from an orchid (I say she claims that, though I beg to differ; the Turkish dondurma ice cream uses salep, the ground root of an orchid, to give it a distinctly elastic mouthfeel). Vanilla is also one of those odd products that (like chocolate or sugar) started off being a luxury, a rare product reserved only for the very wealthy, but has now become so common that—unlike chocolate—it is now equated with ‘boring’ or ‘mundane’.

Abreu-Runkel traces the botany of the vanilla orchid, the growing conditions needed, and the cultivation and production process of the flavouring; she also covers, in the process, the history of this ingredient. From how it was used by the ancient Mayans, Aztecs and other indigenous peoples of Central and Southern America, to how it spread—as part of the Columbian Exchange—to other parts of the world, including its cultivation in other areas. Abreu-Runkel discusses related aspects of vanilla, from its place in popular culture (‘vanilla pop’, etc) to the problems related to the vanilla growing and processing industry. There are, as is usual with the Edible Series books, a bunch of recipes included (good ones, too, some of which I intend to try out), and plenty of photos, reproductions of paintings, advertisements, and so on.

A short book, but an informative and interesting one. This is definitely one of the best Edible Series books I’ve read so far.

[Mirani Litster · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Vanilla has such a complex history, and this was well presented and covered the biology, history and origins in South America and eventual production and export in the Indian Ocean region. I would have liked to have read a little more about the changing significance and meaning of the term ‘vanilla’ (touched on in Chapter Six). I also would have liked to have read a little more about fair trade and ethical sourcing (also touched on, re: Madagascan plantations). Overall a stand out in the edible series! A great introduction to vanilla, and I recommend it for those interested in understanding a little more about this now ‘common’ scent and flavour. I’m also very curious to try the recipe for ‘vanilla scrambled eggs’(!)

[Annie Nardone · Rating 4 out of 5]

An odd book to have in my shelves, but I was doing some research on the origins of the vanilla plant and its contribution to history. I must admit, I didn't know there was SO much history behind this orchid. Did you know that out of 20,000+ orchids in the world, this is the only one that is edible? Did you know that it takes nearly a year from picked vanilla bean stage to market? This little volume is full of interesting factoids, beginning with the culture who first discovered it to its current uses. Lovely photos, interesting bits about extracts, helpful bibliography, and some intriguing recipes. I would guess that any foodie would find this a fun read!

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. Lots of facts, but not a lot of story-telling. This felt disorganized and somewhat like a high school research paper that had to meet a certain page count. A good editor could have helped this author really polish this.

[Rita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting information on vanilla. Could have been flushed out more in the history area. Will keep for reference and some recipes.

[Sesana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty thorough, but there a few subjects that could have been explored in more depth. Even for an Edible book, this is on the short side.

[TheManSG · Rating 3 out of 5]

A normal entry in the edible series. If this is your first book, then it be 4-5 stars, but read the others to see where it can go, (start with Coffee)

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read about the history of one of my favorite flavors. Recipes too!

[dedd]

DNF