Archestratus: Fragments from the Life of Luxury

by Archestratus, Shaun Hill (Editor)

Archestratus’ description of the foods, particularly fish, available, how they should be cooked and where found in the best condition is testimony of the strength of the Mediterranean tradition. His cooking contrasts piquantly with the strongly flavoured dishes of Apicius. The Greek verse has been translated into prose and set in context in the introduction. Archestratus has been the subject of a major new edition by Olsen & Sens. However, its price is prohibitive and it is less accessible to people interested in the history of food rather than Greek prosody.

Genres: Cookbooks

104 pages, Paperback

Published October 5, 2011

Reviews

[Maya · Rating 4 out of 5]

4th Century BC Cook Book by the 'Daedalus of tasty dishes'! Collection of fragments quotes by another writer, Athenaeus, and full of many obscure fish dishes which somehow still made me ravenous on my commute home (sadly a tin of tuna from the cupboard had to suffice). Begins: 'I offer an exhibition of my investigations to the whole of Greece' in the style of Herodotus in his Histories. Enjoyed all the epic and comedic turns of phrase as well. Bought this copy at the Hellenic Bookstore in London.