Cheese, Pears and History in a Proverb

Erscheinungsjahr 2012
ISBN: 978-0-231-15251-8
Verlag: Columbia University Press

Buch, Englisch, 128 Seiten, Print PDF, Format (B × H): 130 mm x 203 mm, Gewicht: 179 g

Reihe: Arts and Traditions of the Table: Perspectives on Culinary History

"Do not let the peasant know how good cheese is with pears" goes the old saying. Intrigued by these words and their portent, Massimo Montanari unravels their origin and utility. Perusing archival cookbooks, agricultural and dietary treatises, literary works, and anthologies of beloved sayings, he finds in the nobility's demanding palates and delicate stomachs a compelling recipe for social conduct.

At first, cheese and its visceral, earthy pleasures were treated as the food of Polyphemus, the uncivilized man-beast. The pear, on the other hand, became the symbol of ephemeral, luxuriant pleasure-an indulgence of the social elite. Joined together, cheese and pears adopted an exclusive savoir faire, especially as the "natural phenomenon" of taste evolved into a cultural attitude. Montanari's delectable history straddles written and oral traditions, economic and social relations, and thrills in the power of mental representation. His ultimate discovery shows that the enduring proverb, so wrapped up in history, operates not only as a repository of shared wisdom but also as a rich locus of social conflict.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Montanari, Massimo

Weitere Mitwirkende

Brombert, Beth Archer

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Weltgeschichte & Geschichte einzelner Länder und Gebietsräume Europäische Geschichte
• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Geschichtliche Themen Kultur- und Ideengeschichte
• Interdisziplinäres Wissenschaften Wissenschaften Interdisziplinär Ökotrophologie (Ernährungs- und Haushaltswissenschaften)
• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Geschichtliche Themen Mentalitäts- und Sozialgeschichte

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Series Editor's Preface by Albert SonnenfeldAcknowledgments1. A Proverb to Decipher2. A Wedding Announcement3. Peasant Fare4. When Rustic Food Becomes the Fashion5. A Hard Road to Ennoblement6. The Ideology of Difference and Strategies of Appropriation7. A High-Born Fruit8. When Desire Conflicts with Health9. Peasants and Knights10. To Savor (To Know) / Taste (Good Taste)11. How a Proverb Is Born12. "Do Not Share Pears with Your Master": The Proverb as the Site of Class ConflictReferencesIndex

Über Autor(innen)

Brombert, Beth Archer
Beth Archer Brombert is the author of the widely acclaimed biographies, Edouard Manet: Rebel in a Frock Coat and Cristina: Portraits of a Princess. She has also translated extensively from French and Italian.

Montanari, Massimo
Massimo Montanari is professor of medieval history and the history of food at the Institute of Paleography and Medieval Studies, University of Bologna. He has authored and coauthored more than a dozen books, including Let the Meatballs Rest: And Other Stories About Food and Culture, Food Is Culture; Italian Cuisine: A Cultural History; Food: A Culinary History; and Famine and Plenty: The History of Food in Europe.

Massimo Montanari is professor of medieval history and the history of food at the Institute of Paleography and Medieval Studies, University of Bologna. He has authored and coauthored more than a dozen books, including Let the Meatballs Rest: And Other Stories About Food and Culture, Food Is Culture; Italian Cuisine: A Cultural History; Food: A Culinary History; and Famine and Plenty: The History of Food in Europe.

Beth Archer Brombert is the author of the widely acclaimed biographies, Edouard Manet: Rebel in a Frock Coat and Cristina: Portraits of a Princess. She has also translated extensively from French and Italian.