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Al Dente

A History of Food in Italy
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( 19 ratings, 1 reviews)
Brief Description
Italy is a mecca for food lovers. The home of pasta and pizza, it also boasts a dazzling array of wines, cheeses, breads, vegetables, and meats. Globally, Michelin-starred Italian restaurants and TV chefs celebrate Italian cuisine for its freshness and health benefits. Now in paperback, Al... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$6900

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Al Dente Al Dente provides the multilayered background to what is arguably the world's favourite cuisine.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Italy is a mecca for food lovers. The home of pasta and pizza, it also boasts a dazzling array of wines, cheeses, breads, vegetables, and meats. Globally, Michelin-starred Italian restaurants and TV chefs celebrate Italian cuisine for its freshness and health benefits.

Now in paperback, Al Dente takes readers on a journey through Italy's regions and food history, exploring how its cuisine evolved. Including historical recipes, Al Dente is a captivating history of perhaps the world's most beloved cuisine.

'Dense with passion and expertise, written exquisitely... infinitely enjoyable... destined for classic status.' Huffington Post

'Parasecoli's knowledge of his subject is encyclopedic... the sheer volume of information packed into Al Dente makes it a valuable contribution to the field.' TLS

'This cool analysis of the geopolitical background to the delights of Italian gastronomy is a welcome addition.' Gillian Riley, author of The Oxford Companion to Italian Food

Series: Foods and Nations

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    Italy is a mecca for food lovers. The home of pasta and pizza, it also boasts a dazzling array of wines, cheeses, breads, vegetables, and meats. Globally, Michelin-starred Italian restaurants and TV chefs celebrate Italian cuisine for its freshness and health benefits. Now in paperback, Al Dente takes readers on a journey through Italy's regions and food history, exploring how...
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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781836390800

Publisher: Reaktion Books

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 14 July 2025

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Reaktion Books

Illustration: 109 illustrations, 57 in colour

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 156.0mm

Height: 234.0mm

Weight: 600g

Pages: 336

About the Author

Fabio Parasecoli is Associate Professor and Coordinator of the Food Studies Program, The New School, New York, the author of Bite Me! Food in Popular Culture (2008) and co-editor of the six-volume Cultural History of Food (2012).

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