Beans: A History
by Ken Albala
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Description
"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 show more time, the bean has been both scorned as "poor man's meat" and praised as health-giving, even patriotic. Attitudes toward this most basic of foodstuffs reveal a great deal about the society that consumes them."--Jacket. show lessTags
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Signed. IACP Award winner.
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Author Information
34+ Works 1,168 Members
Ken Albala is Professor of History and Director of Food Studies at the University of the Pacific, USA. He is the author of The Food History Reader and A Cultural History of Food in the Renaissance, both published by Bloomsbury.
Awards and Honors
Common Knowledge
- Original publication date
- 2007
- First words
- When I first proposed a history of beans, little did I suspect what I was getting myself into.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)And I hope in some small way, whatever happens, that I have contributed to their survival.
- Blurbers
- Palmer, Charlie; Blanc, Raymond; Goldstein, Darra; Smith, Andrew F.; Fussell, Betty
Classifications
- Genres
- Nonfiction, History, Food & Cooking, General Nonfiction, Anthropology, Science & Nature
- DDC/MDS
- 641.3 — Applied science & technology Home economics & family management Food, Cooking & Recipes / Meals, Picnics Food
- LCC
- QK495 .L52 .A567 — Science Botany Botany Spermatophyta. Phanerogams Angiosperms
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 185
- Popularity
- 176,848
- Reviews
- 1
- Rating
- (3.53)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 8
- ASINs
- 4
