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The Seven Culinary Wonders of the World: A History of Honey, Salt, Chile, Pork, Rice, Cacao, and Tomato
A culinary history of the seven food staples that have shaped human history, including 63 original recipes
The Seven Culinary Wonders of the World is a global culinary history told through the stories of seven essential ingredients found in cuisines all over the world: honey, salt, chile, pork, rice, cacao, and tomato. Each of these foundational ingredients has played a long and valuable role in human foodways and culture, and each has its own fascinating history.
This engagingly illustrated book traces the journeys of these foodstuffs as they were transported from their regions of origin to faraway cultures and countries, there to take up starring roles in new cuisines. The Seven Culinary Wonders of the World explores each food in depth, beautifully illustrated by specially commissioned artworks, and views them through a number of prisms--social, cultural, historical, and botanical--to offer readers fresh, informative insights into seemingly everyday foods that reveal themselves as wondrous. The rich and diverse cultural stories of these seven ingredients are also told, from the magical and aphrodisiac powers associated with cacao in Mesoamerican culture to the introduction of tomatoes to Europe by the Spanish conquistadors in the sixteenth century and the earliest cultivation of rice in China's Pearl Valley. Readers can take the seven ingredients into their own kitchens via 63 original recipes for dishes both traditional and innovative.
The Seven Culinary Wonders of the World is a global culinary history told through the stories of seven essential ingredients found in cuisines all over the world: honey, salt, chile, pork, rice, cacao, and tomato. Each of these foundational ingredients has played a long and valuable role in human foodways and culture, and each has its own fascinating history.
This engagingly illustrated book traces the journeys of these foodstuffs as they were transported from their regions of origin to faraway cultures and countries, there to take up starring roles in new cuisines. The Seven Culinary Wonders of the World explores each food in depth, beautifully illustrated by specially commissioned artworks, and views them through a number of prisms--social, cultural, historical, and botanical--to offer readers fresh, informative insights into seemingly everyday foods that reveal themselves as wondrous. The rich and diverse cultural stories of these seven ingredients are also told, from the magical and aphrodisiac powers associated with cacao in Mesoamerican culture to the introduction of tomatoes to Europe by the Spanish conquistadors in the sixteenth century and the earliest cultivation of rice in China's Pearl Valley. Readers can take the seven ingredients into their own kitchens via 63 original recipes for dishes both traditional and innovative.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published October 16, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
November 16, 2018
Each section of the book gives an overview of that "culinary wonder", including its provenance, cultivation, cultural beliefs and mythology surrounding, and how it is used, prepared, and traded.The book includes 63 recipes and amazing illustrations.
Similar to Michael Pollan's The Botany of Desire, the book digs into each of these ingredients, and their various interpretations all over the globe.
My favorite sections were for Honey, Salt, and Chile. I learned several tidbits from this one... Great conversation starters for dinnertime! Recommended if you like food history and enjoy cooking!
Similar to Michael Pollan's The Botany of Desire, the book digs into each of these ingredients, and their various interpretations all over the globe.
My favorite sections were for Honey, Salt, and Chile. I learned several tidbits from this one... Great conversation starters for dinnertime! Recommended if you like food history and enjoy cooking!
January 6, 2019
A microhistory of the foods listed in the title including historical context, recipes, and more. Each food gets its own section where we travel from how it is grown/harvested, what it's used for, its journey to where it is today, recipes from around the world along with art and tidbits of trivia.
Have to agree with negative reviews: the book is a bit underwhelming. It felt like it was trying to be too many things at once: a cookbook, a microhistory, etc. without ever really able to do anything. There are no pictures of the recipes (which isn't necessary but it seemed like there were too many recipes for a book that seemed to be marketed as more of a history book).
The book is also formulaic. Once you read the first section you understand how the rest of the book will be laid out. Which is not necessarily bad but it also became repetitive.
Library borrow was best.
Have to agree with negative reviews: the book is a bit underwhelming. It felt like it was trying to be too many things at once: a cookbook, a microhistory, etc. without ever really able to do anything. There are no pictures of the recipes (which isn't necessary but it seemed like there were too many recipes for a book that seemed to be marketed as more of a history book).
The book is also formulaic. Once you read the first section you understand how the rest of the book will be laid out. Which is not necessarily bad but it also became repetitive.
Library borrow was best.
January 11, 2019
Not the best food history book I've read this month.
It has a neat premise- following 7 essential/broadly-used ingredients through history and cultures and charting how they're used, but there's a point in each chapter where it stops talking about history and starts just... listing different types of sausages, or scientific names of rice species which is very boring.
It also intersperses a ton of recipes throughout. I didn't try any of them because I read this book at work, so I cannot speak to their quality, but it was a nice touch.
Cute artwork.
It has a neat premise- following 7 essential/broadly-used ingredients through history and cultures and charting how they're used, but there's a point in each chapter where it stops talking about history and starts just... listing different types of sausages, or scientific names of rice species which is very boring.
It also intersperses a ton of recipes throughout. I didn't try any of them because I read this book at work, so I cannot speak to their quality, but it was a nice touch.
Cute artwork.
January 7, 2019
A decent short overview of the history and use of seven ingredients used around the world.
If you know anything of culinary history, this book isn't likely to take you to new, uncharted depths. Yes, peppers are a New World food, and salt can come from mines or seawater. The text seems to be well-researched and chock full of facts, but with seven subjects - each covering the history of its introduction around the world, propagation, varieties, culinary uses, and a few token recipes - none are in-depth enough for more than the mildly curious. That said, I did find a few interesting takeaways. A good skim.
One additional note - the endpapers and illustrations by Alice Pattullo are gorgeous. I only wish the text were larger and in black ink.
If you know anything of culinary history, this book isn't likely to take you to new, uncharted depths. Yes, peppers are a New World food, and salt can come from mines or seawater. The text seems to be well-researched and chock full of facts, but with seven subjects - each covering the history of its introduction around the world, propagation, varieties, culinary uses, and a few token recipes - none are in-depth enough for more than the mildly curious. That said, I did find a few interesting takeaways. A good skim.
One additional note - the endpapers and illustrations by Alice Pattullo are gorgeous. I only wish the text were larger and in black ink.
May 22, 2024
This book offers an exploration of seven essential ingredients- blending history, recipes, and trivia. Each section delves into the origins, cultivation, and cultural significance of these ingredients, providing a comprehensive view of how they have shaped cuisines around the globe.
It is heavily illustrated with charming artwork, which enhances the reading experience.
Despite its ambitious scope, I have mixed feelings after reading. I appreciated the well-researched content and found the historical anecdotes and trivia particularly engaging. The inclusion of many recipes, though a nice touch, seemed at odds with the book's historical focus and left me feeling that the text didn't fully delve into any single aspect with enough depth.
I felt that the book struggled to balance its multiple aims- resulting in a somewhat superficial treatment of both the historical and culinary aspects. The structure of the book was formulaic and led to a repetitive reading experience. Additionally, some sections diverted into less engaging territory... like listing out varieties of sausages or scientific names without providing deeper insights. Further, it lacked the engaging storytelling that could have elevated the book from a collection of facts to a more compelling narrative.
In summary, this would be a decent choice for casual culinary history readers, or food enthusiasts just looking for an accessible overview rather than in-depth analysis. The book's definitely strength lies more in its ability to spark curiosity and offered a vibe a step past flipping through a trendy food magazine, which might be a more enjoyable expereience for another reader.
It is heavily illustrated with charming artwork, which enhances the reading experience.
Despite its ambitious scope, I have mixed feelings after reading. I appreciated the well-researched content and found the historical anecdotes and trivia particularly engaging. The inclusion of many recipes, though a nice touch, seemed at odds with the book's historical focus and left me feeling that the text didn't fully delve into any single aspect with enough depth.
I felt that the book struggled to balance its multiple aims- resulting in a somewhat superficial treatment of both the historical and culinary aspects. The structure of the book was formulaic and led to a repetitive reading experience. Additionally, some sections diverted into less engaging territory... like listing out varieties of sausages or scientific names without providing deeper insights. Further, it lacked the engaging storytelling that could have elevated the book from a collection of facts to a more compelling narrative.
In summary, this would be a decent choice for casual culinary history readers, or food enthusiasts just looking for an accessible overview rather than in-depth analysis. The book's definitely strength lies more in its ability to spark curiosity and offered a vibe a step past flipping through a trendy food magazine, which might be a more enjoyable expereience for another reader.
January 29, 2019
Linford provides a cross-cultural historical look at honey, pork, salt, Chile, rice, cocoa and tomato. These foods are selected because they have significance world wide and highlight human curiosity and imagination around food. She looks at how the food was viewed in different cultures and myths and recipes that reflect its diversity. She also explores how the food arrived in different places, like DNA of pigs shows they came to the new world with Christopher Columbus. And, she shares how the food is produced, made, harvested, and its different forms. It’s a fairly thorough, brief overview of each food. Where relevant, she also discusses the health properties like with honey or salt.
The recipes give a perspective of how the same food is prepared across cultures. Recipes are generally simple and showcase the ingredient. They include serving amount and cooking time. Pictures are sketches by Alice Pattullo.
I found the section on culinary uses of ingredients like salt especially useful because it explains how each ingredient works in cooking and eating. For example, she explains what salt does to various foods to improve their use in a recipe like salting garlic when chopping into a paste to help it break down
The recipes give a perspective of how the same food is prepared across cultures. Recipes are generally simple and showcase the ingredient. They include serving amount and cooking time. Pictures are sketches by Alice Pattullo.
I found the section on culinary uses of ingredients like salt especially useful because it explains how each ingredient works in cooking and eating. For example, she explains what salt does to various foods to improve their use in a recipe like salting garlic when chopping into a paste to help it break down
February 28, 2023
This book was filled with wonderful and delicious recipes - plus truly beautiful illustrations and loads of interesting information about each of the seven culinary wonders. While reading this book we traveled around the world through the different foods and how they appear in so many different cuisines.
However, while I really did like this book, I was not so happy with the layout, which was a bit disconcerting. The recipes were kind of thrown in randomly and I didn’t understand the reasoning behind how they were being inserted. Sure, the pork recipes were in the pork section and so on, but you would literally be reading and then a recipe would be placed right in the middle of the text. It was both strange and disruptive to my way of thinking.
But, as I mentioned, there was a lot of really fascinating information about each of these foods plus the really lovely illustration pages that were such a delight to look at - and it was a good book, I just think I personally would have preferred the recipes to be at the end of each section instead of scattered throughout.
However, while I really did like this book, I was not so happy with the layout, which was a bit disconcerting. The recipes were kind of thrown in randomly and I didn’t understand the reasoning behind how they were being inserted. Sure, the pork recipes were in the pork section and so on, but you would literally be reading and then a recipe would be placed right in the middle of the text. It was both strange and disruptive to my way of thinking.
But, as I mentioned, there was a lot of really fascinating information about each of these foods plus the really lovely illustration pages that were such a delight to look at - and it was a good book, I just think I personally would have preferred the recipes to be at the end of each section instead of scattered throughout.
June 11, 2020
Disappointing, it felt like reading Wikipedia summaries rather than giving in depth or even unique insights into beloved ingredients and a lot of the beautiful art work was unfortunately only vaguely related to the text, which I think could have helped make this a better book. Reading descriptions of glassware used for drinking hot chocolate for example would have made more sense with drawings of said glassware.
September 25, 2020
Jenny Linford is a credible food writer and authority; the book is well researched. And I feel unjust making this review, however. I found it kind of like jack of all trades, master of none despite each chapter being heavily detailed. To be honest, it was a dull read and the prose likewise. I will read some more of her specific texts which may change my disposition towards this text (hopefully!).
November 27, 2022
Some very interesting tidbits about food, their history and effects on cultures, and some easy and tasty recipes (60 plus) and I have tried a few already, cool book whether you cook or not. Check it out.
June 13, 2023
I found this book so fascinating! I loved reading about these seven foods and their importance in the history of the world. It's so cool to learn about how people around the world prepare and eat food!
February 25, 2025
A wonderful book about the history of seven widely known and loved foods/spices. I read this aloud to my youngest as part of his Food Technology elective and we both enjoyed the information included in this book. If you are at all interested in the history of food, this book is for you.
March 6, 2019
Rating is based on the recipes tried; I didn’t have a chance to read the text more thoroughly.
March 22, 2019
It was an OK book. I'm taking off a star, tho, because the binding was so terrible that it was hard to even hold the book open.
July 20, 2019
I still need to try a recipe for each "wonder" but the chapters had some fun facts throughout.
June 1, 2020
A nice tour of the culinary world. It was more of an appetizer than in-depth research, which kept me interested and got me to research more on my own. I’ll be trying a few of the recipes.
April 28, 2022
A fascinating read exploring history through food and how it shaped our current culture.
September 6, 2022
While the illustrations made you feel as though you were skimming through a chic cooking magazine, the writing itself was missing a bit more storytelling instead of displaying facts.
May 30, 2023
An enjoyable and interesting read, with a lot of curious info about the food we take for granted. Some chapters were more interesting than others.
November 24, 2024
Fascinar8ng stuff, especially if you're into your food as much as I am. I Don't understand these negative reviews at all
April 16, 2019
The author choose foods, and recipes that circled the globe. I am particularly interested in the New World crops that were distributed via trade routes. In this book that would be chiles (Bolivia), tomato (South America), and cacao. The old world foods spread by exploration, and colonization. Each chapter is approximately 30 pages of alternating history, and recipes; heavily illustrated. The history portions offered interesting encounters, beliefs, and anecdotes about the foods. I very much enjoyed them. As I am uninterested in the recipes, I barely gave them a glance, however, I noted they are only a page long.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews