Pilsners, blonde ales, India pale ales, lagers, porters, stouts: the varieties and styles of beer are endless. But as diverse as the drink is, its appeal is universal--beer is the most-consumed alcoholic beverage in the world. From ballparks to restaurants, bars to brewpubs, this multihued beverage has made itself a dietary staple around the globe. Celebrating the heritage of these popular libations in this entertaining tome, Gavin D. Smith traces beer from its earliest days to its contemporary consumption.

While exploring the evolution of brewing technology and how it mirrors...

From almonds and pecans to pistachios, cashews, and macadamias, nuts are as basic as food getsjust pop them out of the shell and into your mouth. The original health food, the vitamin-packed nut is now used industrially, in confectionary, and in all sorts of cooking. The first book to tell the full story of how nuts came to be in almost everything, Nutstakes readers on a gastronomic, botanical, and cultural tour of the world.
Tracking these fruits and seeds through cultivation, harvesting, processing, and consumptionor non-consumption, in the case of those with nut...

Made from distilled wine, brandy has a long, noble tradition of refined consumption, but it has also recently experienced a surge in popularity thanks to new cocktail trends. Brandy chronicles the history of this very popular spirit, traveling from medieval alchemists to present-day drink mixologists and exploring brandy s production and consumption from the Middle Ages to today.
Delving into brandy s fascinating story, Becky Sue Epstein reveals that many cultures have contributed to the history of the beverage, from the Dutch calling the drink burnt wine to the Spanish colonials...

Lusciously sweet and with a complex texture, figs are both a nutritious culinary delicacy and an important symbol in religion and culture. Associated with Christmas since the time of Charles Dickensnot to mention Dionysus or the Garden of Edenthe fig is steeped in history. In this account of the festive fruit, David C. Sutton places the fig in its historical context, examining its peculiar origins and the importance it has garnered in so many countries.
Sutton begins by describing the fig s strange biologybotanically, it is not a fruit, but rather a cluster of ingrowing flowersthen...

From jambalaya to risotto, curry to nasi kandar, few foods are as ubiquitous in our meals as rice. A dietary staple and indispensable agricultural product from Asia to the Americas, the grain can be found in Michelin restaurants and family kitchens alike. In this engaging culinary history, Renee Marton explores the role rice has played in society and the food economy as it journeyed from its beginnings in Asia and West Africa to global prominence.

Examining the early years of rice's burgeoning popularity, Marton shows that trade of the grain was driven by profit from both high status...

It s no surprise that sugar has been on our minds for millennia. First cultivated in New Guinea around 8,000 B.C.E., this addictive sweetener has since come to dominate our appetites whether in candy, desserts, soft drinks, or even pasta sauces for better and for worse. In this book, Andrew F. Smith offers a fascinating history of this simultaneously beloved and reviled ingredient, holding its incredible value as a global commodity up against its darker legacies of slavery and widespread obesity.
As Smith demonstrates, sugar s past is chockfull of determined adventurers: relentless sugar...

With its unique aroma and heady buzzthe perfect accompaniment to even the spiciest tacostequila has won its way into drinkers hearts worldwide. There are few places on earth besides Mexico that have the climate and terrain to evolve the agave plant that makes tequilaand there are even fewer people who have the patience to wait the seven years or more that it takes the tree of marvels to grow. In this book, Ian Williams presents a lively history of this potent and popular drink. Beginning with pulque, the drink fermented by the Mayans, Olmecs, and Aztecs and reserved for pregnant women...