Beans: A HistoryWinner of The 2008 Jane Grigson Award, issued by the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP). Winner of the 2008 Cordon d' Or Culinary Literature - History Culinary Academy Award. This is the story of the bean, the staple food cultivated by humans for over 10,000 years. From the lentil to the soybean, every civilization on the planet has cultivated its own species of bean. The humble bean has always attracted attention - from Pythagoras' notion that the bean hosted a human soul to St. Jerome's indictment against bean-eating in convents (because they "tickle the genitals"), to current research into the deadly toxins contained in the most commonly eaten beans. Over time, the bean has been both scorned as "poor man's meat" and praised as health-giving, even patriotic. Attitudes to this most basic of foodstuffs have always revealed a great deal about a society. Beans: A History takes the reader on a fascinating journey across cuisines and cultures. |
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Africa agriculture American ancient appear bacon baked beans bean dishes bean recipes bean soup black-eyed peas boiled bread broth butter called century chickpeas claim cookbooks cooked beans cookery corn crops cuisine culinary culture dhal diet domesticated dried beans eat beans eaten Europe fabada asturiana fagioli fava beans fermented Fertile Crescent flatulence flavor flour fodder fresh fried Ful medames garden garlic grains Greek green beans growing grown haricot India ingredients kidney beans legumes lentils lima beans lowly lupines meal means meat medieval mentioned milk miso modern moth bean native nonetheless O’odham ofthe original peasant pepper perhaps Phaseolus plant pods poor pork potatoes pound protein rice salt sauce season seeds served simmer soaking soy sauce soybeans species spices stigma sweet taste Tepary Bean tofu traditional variety vegetables vegetarian vetches Vigna vinegar wheat wild word World beans