An excellent history of food and cooking

it has been a treat to listen to a person with such knowledge and passion talk about a subject which is fundamental to us all. Lots of entertaining little surprises in this history as well as connections to broad waves of history that are also surprising and illuminating. I like that he includes value judgments about the present. It's great to learn from history, as he suggests.

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Nice summary of historical & regional cuisine

I was hoping this course would go into how dishes and food culture developed differently around the world and be a kind of evolutionary history of food (how different dishes arise, spread and change). Largely speaking, this is what it did. I liked the lecturer, and really enjoyed the course. My biggest criticism is that it was sightly (but not fully) geared towards Eurocentrism and to more recent centuries, but this was probably due to limitations in what is known, and some attempts were made to make it broader. Some interesting speculation about the future in the final lecture.

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I struggled finishing this

This is not a bad book perse but perhaps drawn out too much. The lecturer is very passionate about the subject which is good. Sadly forgotten most of what he said since I started listening about 3 months ago.

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Fascinating & Engaging - A Must Listen!

Wow, what a fascinating lecture series. Who knew that food is such an excellent narrative for history in general, which makes sense given that we always have, and always will, need to eat! I really wish I had learnt this kind of thing in school. This lecture series is packed full of interesting facts, like the origins of individual food ingredients, the spice trade, the evolution of recipes and diets, the role that religion & migration has played in what we eat and all the way up to fast food, foodie movements etc.

It's also very interesting - and relevant - to understand how the industrialisation of the food industry has been a significant vehicle in boosting capitalism & political agendas, often at the expense of environmental & health concerns.

I think everyone needs to understand this subject matter in order to make better sense of the world today, and also simply to appreciate what we eat even more. I highly recommend listening to this series.

Ken Albala is also possibly the most engaging lecturer I've come across and has set the bar high now for the next Great Courses I have downloaded!

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Enchanting

This was lovely and informative. I highly recommend it to any foodie and avid seeker of informations about how and why we came to eat what we are eating today.

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Made me appreciate the food more

these lectures are written and presented with obvious zest and joy. the only change I would love to see - have an actual audience listening to it so we get human reaction to the lecture, not canned applause.

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Entertaining

It was nice to learn about the history of our developments in the culinary world.

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History through the lens of gastronomy

This erudite and detailed history of culture and food both inspired and enlightened me! I cannot recommend this highly enough. I chpse this book (or lecture series as it turned out) on a whim but I have savoured the content at my leisure. It is a perfect journey companion, relax or even whilst you cook. I was delighted by the untelligent tone and range of topics. It is anthropology, science, psychology, sociology, creativity and more. Take the chance and try it...

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2 people found this helpful

Very insightful.

This is such a great book! An overview into most food cultures ancient to modern day.

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Fascinating and enjoyable!

Wanted to try out audible lectures and hit jackpot immediately! Absolutely love these lectures! Ken Albala is fascinating to listen to, enthusiastic and thorough and fun!
Sincerely recommend to anyone who has interest for food history, world culture or history overall.

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