Unmentionable Cuisine

by Calvin W. Schwabe

An engaging look at "food prejudices," or why we eat what we eat and why we reject other food sources as unpalatable--with recipes! "This is a unique and engrossing work and, to my mind, an important contribution to the annals of gastronomy. It will not, of course, appeal to all palates . . . but neither do snails and sweetbreads, brains and other oddments of animals." --Craig Claiborne "I read from cover to cover with huge enjoyment. . . I can recall no other book that has covered the subject of strange foods with quite his flair and authority, and I consider the book required reading for anyone interested in the lore of food." --James Beard

Genres: Food, Cookbooks, Reference, Food Writing, Nonfiction, Cooking

476 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1979

Reviews

[Sesana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't emphasize enough that this book is not for vegetarians, or the squeamish. It's a cookbook, filled entirely with recipes for animal food sources that Americans don't routinely eat. That doesn't mean just edible animals that aren't part of the regular diet, but specific animal parts that aren't normally eaten, mostly offal.

The author seems to sincerely believe that eating more offal is the answer to all manner of hunger-related problems. I'm not really qualified to argue with him, other than to point out that he completely ignores vegetarians and is awfully contemptuous towards those with a religiously prescribed diet. I was hoping for some sociological analysis of why these foods are avoided, but there's basically none, just repeated assertions that people don't eat this, but they should.

This was originally published in 1979, so there are a few places that the information is dated. There are recipes for turtles and sharks in here, for example. (The author said in the introduction that he was avoiding threatened animals in the book.) Also, my experience suggests that people are way less reluctant to eat venison, for example, than he states. But some things are timeless, such as the fact that if somebody told me that the taco I'd just finished contained brains (as the author suggests), we would have some very heated words.

One last thing. Several times, the author discusses an invasive animal species as a potential food source. Presumably, eating them would control their population. This seemed kind of dubious to me. Wouldn't making them yummy food encourage population growth?

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do love leaving this book out on the counter, particularly when I'm having a dinner party.

[Joan]

I can't say that I will actually try many of the recipes in this book. The recipes are divided by type of food: Meat, Fowl, Fish, Shellfish(including insects), Nonflesh Foods of Animal Origin.

You will find your prejudices challenged, since you will probably discover in here something you like that someone else considers "unmentionable". I, for instance, am not likely to need even one of the many recipes for different animals' testicles (especially one that tells you to "express the organ from its membranes by squeezing it as one would peel a Concord grape"!). However, I admit to a fondness for snails.

In addition to the recipes, Schwabe discusses which cultures avoid certain foods, and the origins of various food aversions, all of which is fascinating.

[Chuck Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great "food" for thought!

[Gallagher · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a cookbook and I read it all the way through. It's got an interesting tone -- in some places the writing is deliberately and genuinely funny, but the real purpose isn't to entertain it's just to get information across like how to eat gonads boiled in milk or whatever, and it's a purpose that's approached with an academic seriousness that's pleasantly at odds with the jokes.

It's also interesting to read a book where the thesis is that human desire for animal protein is a growing problem and because of that we should eat a larger variety of meat rather than just cut meat consumption and look elsewhere for protein. There are some very optimistic ideas about how many Moray eels or sharks can be responsibly harvested, and I'm a little embarrassed to own a book that includes a bunch of recipes for sea turtle, but it's a fun, sincere, and adventurous book, however unsound it might be ecologically. Five stars!

[Lillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting book, though not a fantastic read. The author's stated purpose is to draw attention to the fact that there are many meat foods and that we avoid as a nations...for no good reason. They worry about upcoming food shortages and suggest that if we were to use our meat more efficiently, we would be much better off (or better able to adapt). There are interesting tidbits about the history of some of the dishes described, amusing personal reactions, and vague but useful "recipes" and dish descriptions. This isn't so much a cookbook as a way to re-think...well beef mostly.

Check it out when you need to curb (or weirdly stimulate) your appetite.

[AJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written in 1976 but perhaps more timely than ever before as food sources dwindle and world population grows. I didn't find any of the foods disgusting so much as challenging. Some call this a cook book but it contains more descriptions of how dishes are prepared rather than detailed recipes. This is easy for a professional cook who is used to preparing foods from descriptions but much more difficult for the home cook. I have tried a few myself to great success. The most inspiring book on food I have read on par with Harold McGee's On Food and Cooking. Don't be squeamish, expand your horizons.

[Josephine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not sure if this'll ever make it to anyone's Top Ten Most Used Cookbook, although it definitely needs to receive more attention; some of the recipes actually look interesting...though you may not want to tell more squeamish diners what they're really eating. (not that I'm recommending pulling a fast one on unsuspecting diners, but frankly there are a lot of tasty things out there languishing because too many people retain prejudices of childhood)

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read although very dated in a some aspects. Especially regarding the warnings about Trichinella (worms) in pork which is all but non-existent now in the U. S. thanks to all the anti-biotics that everyone complains about. Also some of these foods, and though still far from mainstream, are more accepted in the U. S. now.

But I think it will be a long time before it is even considered acceptable for Americans to eat dog, cat, horse, and guinea pigs.

[Meaghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book certainly opened my eyes to how little we Westerners eat, in terms of meat products, and how much there is out there. I didn't feel tempted to try out of any of the recipes, though. To begin with I'm an extremely picky eater. Also, you generally had to seek out and kill the animals yourself, and this I could not do.

[Yorkshiresoul · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this might delve into some more unusual protein sources, but it was a bit dull, the recipes are not very well put together and all you learn is the contianual rote of 'this item has more protein than a t-bone' and 'Americans don't like eating this.'

Still, any book that recommends cooking cats isn't all bad.