A HISTORY OF THE WORLD IN FIVE MENUS

About the Book

This book investigates five menus, from England, France, Germany, Italy and Spain. These dishes may seem truly national, or even regional, but the reality is very different. Few of the ingredients used originated in Europe, and many have travelled half way around the world. Tracing the history of the dishes opens up the whole of human history. We can see the importance of food in the ancient migrations and struggles to survive of our earliest ancestors, in the development of farming, trade and technology, and in the European exploration and colonisation of the world. This is truly delicious history, where the food we love takes centre stage and kings and politicians become supporting actors.

About the Author

Howard Belton earned an MA in Modern History from the University of Oxford. His business career with Unilever took him all around the world, to twelve European countries and to the United States, Brazil, Japan and the Philippines and back to the family farm in the beautiful Weald of Kent. He has written extensively about business, about his experiences and, returning in retirement to his first love, about the history of food.