Food historian Emma Kay tells the story of our centuries-old relationship with herbs. From herbalists of old to contemporary cooking, this book reveals the magical and medicinal properties of your favourite plants in colorful, compelling detail. At one time, every village in Britain had a herbalist. A History of Herbalism investigates the lives of women and men who used herbs to administer treatment and knew the benefit of each. Meet Dr Richard Shephard of Preston, who cultivated angelica ...

A cultural and social history of Britain's breads, cakes, and pastries through the ages, from the author of Dining with the Victorians.The Great British Baking Show and its spinoffs are a modern-day phenomenon, but the British, of course, have been baking for centuries—and here, for the first time, is a comprehensive account of how Britain's relationship with this much-loved art has changed, evolved, and progressed over time.Renowned food ...

A Dark History of Chocolate looks at our long relationship with this ancient 'food of the Gods'. The book examines the impact of the cocoa bean trade on the economies of Britain and the rest of Europe, as well as its influence on health, cultural and social trends over the centuries. Renowned food historian Emma Kay takes a look behind the façade of chocolate – first as a hot drink and then as a sweet – delving into the murky and mysterious aspects of its phenomenal global growth, from a m...

The name Mrs Beeton has endured for well over a century, synonymous with all things reassuringly culinary, while her contemporary Agnes Bertha Marshall remains somewhat of an enigma. Both Isabella Beeton and Agnes Bertha Marshall lived within a short distance of each other in Pinner, worked in London, wrote about, and shared a passion for food, all just a couple of decades apart. While Isabella Beeton compiled one successful book of collected recipes, Agnes built a cookery empire, includin...

The Terrible Truth About the Truth is an all-in-one dramatic, romantic, horrific true story, not without some humour. As a Tutsi who experienced a number of close calls during the Tutsi genocide conducted by extremists Hutus, Emma identifies herself as a Tutsi and a genocide survivor, but many of her compatriots question that reality.Throughout this book, Emma shares her story about a challenged relationship with her Hutu partner, their search for inclusion in their own community, ...

The book is an entertaining historical account of Anglo-Saxon cooking, covering the centuries from 400 to 1066 CE.The author gives us evidence based information from historical artefacts and plants, showing what our early ancestors had at their disposal.

Food was as important a part of daily life in the Middle Ages, as it is today. In Wortes and All: Medieval Cooking food historian Emma Kay examines what people were eating and drinking in England from the Norman Conquest in 1066 to the 1500s. We not only discover what people were cooking and how they cooked it, but also the influences on their cuisine and sources of food, home and abroad, as society changed in this period. Alongside the history of various types of food and drink throughout...

In a society seemingly so obsessed with food – the preparing, eating, sharing and sheer enjoyment of what and how we all eat – the humble kitchen utensil and its evolution is an often overlooked aspect of Britain’s heritage. Yet antique and vintage kitchenalia can tell us so much about Britain’s culinary, scientific and innovative past. Cooking evolved from a fire in the middle of the homestead, with a crude container used to boil up every meal. Now there are shiny, gadget- and accessory-d...

Worcestershire is one of the smallest counties in England, but has many claims to fame, not least as the birthplace of Worcestershire sauce. Despite this famous piquant accolade, little has been written about the broader narrative of the county’s rich culinary heritage. This book will explore centuries of a variety of food production, revealing a cultural identity steeped in food and drink consumption. Worcestershire has a vast and varied tradition of growing, manufacturing and trading in ...

Gloucestershire is a large county, rich in food and drink heritage. Famous for Double Gloucester cheese and the cheese rolling event, Old Spot pigs, cider and the birthplace of prominent tea merchant Thomas Twining, Gloucestershire’s culinary history is both colourful and diverse. Nutcrack Sunday and Puppy Dog Pie (don’t worry, it hasn’t always been made from cute canines), ancient markets and progressive agriculturists represent just a few of the many interesting stories that contribute t...

From traditional seaside holiday treats like candy floss, ice cream and fish ‘n’ chips, to the British fascination for cooking and baking, the Victorian era has shaped British culinary heritage. Victoria’s austere attitude after an age of Regency indulgence generated enormous cultural change. Excess and gluttony were replaced with rigid tradition and morally upright values, and Victoria’s large family became the centre of the cultural imagination, with the power to begin new traditions. If...

A cup of coffee and a slice of cake, a glossy book in hand to cook for friends, Sunday lunch with the family at the local pub – most of us take these simple everyday pleasures for granted. But how did we learn to cook and what inspired us to get better at it? Today’s food-obsessed culture has its roots in the Georgian period. Kay explores how, as a consequence of wider trade and travel, people living in Georgian Britain witnessed the emergence of new and exotic ingredients. They learnt abo...