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A Short History of Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce

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( 447 ratings, 80 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
A Short History of Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce by Massimo Montanari explores the fascinating history and cultural significance of a beloved dish. The author takes the reader on a journey through time, examining the evolution of spaghetti and the tomato sauce that typically accompanies it. This work delves into the complex interplay between food, culture, and history, providing insights into how this iconic combination came to be a staple in global cuisine.
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Format: Hardback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're fascinated by the cultural and historical evolution of food, particularly how a seemingly simple dish can reflect broader historical and social trends. With a focus on the transformative journey of a classic culinary staple, it offers rich insights for anyone interested in understanding the intertwining of cuisine and heritage.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

From legend to history - the myths surrounding the world's favourite dish, debunked.

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

Pasta is an iconic symbol of Italy and its cuisine. Hundreds of shapes and thousands of recipes give expression to the culture and products of the country's regions. But spaghetti with tomato sauce remains Italy's identity dish par excellence.

A Short History of Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce by Massimo Montanari goes in search of the dish's true origins, tracing its history along the multiple, intricate routes taken by its raw ingredients to merge and become the distinctive element of a whole culinary tradition.

Did medieval explorer Marco Polo bring pasta back from China, or is that a myth? How did the Neapolitan "macharoni" turn into the ubiquitous spaghetti? And is it even an Italian dish? In the kitchen, the blending of practices and traditions is as necessary as seasoning.

It took almost two thousand years and input from the Far East, the Arabic world, and the Americas for spaghetti with tomato sauce to take centre stage. Its development is the result of chance encounters, unplanned exchanges, and unpredictable intersections. The deeper we dig in search of the dish's origins, the more we find its strands wrap right around the world.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

A Short History of Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce by Massimo Montanari is widely praised for its engaging exploration of the cultural and historical significance of this iconic dish. The book is noted for its rich ideas and is said to provide a fascinating, if compact, overview of the history and identity interwoven with spaghetti and tomato sauce. Reviews highlight its balance of scholarly analysis and entertaining storytelling, making it delightful for both food enthusiasts and those with a keen interest in culinary history.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781787703285

Publisher: Europa Editions (UK) Ltd

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 23 September 2021

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Europa Compass

Contributors:

  • Translated by Gregory Conti
  • Translated by Gregory Conti

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 135.0mm

Height: 210.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 128

About the Author

Massimo Montanari, currently Professor of Medieval History at Bologna University, is a scholar in Food studies. He has been invited as visiting professor to a number of leading universities in Europe, Japan, the United States, Mexico and Canada, and is one of the founders of the international review Food & History.

Gregory Conti teaches English at the University of Perugia and is a regular contributor to Raritan. His most recent translations are "Seven Poems" by Elisa Biagini and The Fault Line by Paolo Rumiz (Rizzoli USA, 2015).

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