Cheese, Pears, and History in a Proverb |
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| Author:
| Montanari, Massimo |
| Translator:
| Brombert, Beth Archer |
| Series title: | Arts and Traditions of the Table: Perspectives on Culinary History Ser. |
| ISBN: | 978-0-231-15251-8 |
| Publication Date: | Jul 2012 |
| Publisher: | Columbia University Press
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| Book Format: | Paperback |
| List Price: | USD $25.00 |
Book Description:
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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,...
More Description
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.