Andrew Dalby

This book is a delight to read. Dalby is not only knowledgeable, but a wonderful writer. I couldn't put it down and I even find myself rereading it, because the information is presented in an entertaining way.

Besides describing the history of spices, Dalby quotes from many ancient sources, showing what people believed in the old days about spices: how they came to be, where they grew, how they were harvested. Some tales are truly astonishing, but that's no surprise, since for many centuries, show more spice merchants kept the true sources a closely held secret.

While not comprehensive, "Dangerous Tastes" covers all the major spices and many more unusual ones. I recommend this book to anyone interested in the history of spices and the spice trade. show less

unputdownable, 20 April 2011

This review is from: Dictionary of Languages (Hardcover)
Fascinating book to browse, with a couple of pages given over to each of 400+ languages. With examples of different scripts, comparisons of related languages printed side by side and numerals, anyone with an interest in the subject can peruse the 700 pages for hours. Dalby includes extinct languages; from the section on Sogdian (extinct language of Uzbekistan) for example, you can compare their numerals with show more those of some modern languages spoken in the Pamirs and see the strong similarity. It doesnt go into any one area in depth but it gives you basic information to study further if you wish show less

This seems to be mostly interested in providing material for creating ancient meals for groups. It suffers from the usual questions about whether or not the assumptions made are reasonable. In this case the double translation from Greek or Latin to English and then to German makes checking harder than usual.

Very often the recipes call for 'Poleiminze' (pennyroyal). I couldn't find any note that pennyroyal is poisonous. This obviously depends on the dosage, but it is irresponsible to put it show more in food without a warning that it can cause abortions, vomiting, and liver damage. show less

This was excellent. I have not tried any of the recipes yet, or I would have scored it higher. It reads very well as a history book on Anicent food history as well as a cook book. The chapter introductions along with the recipe introductions paints a vivid picture of the foods eaten. Many of the recipes are accompanied by quotes from ancient texts and cookbooks which half the entertainment.

If you are interested in ancient everyday history or a reenactor I think this is well worth your time.
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