Why read The Oxford Companion to Food?

Book cover of The Oxford Companion to Food

Book description

the best food reference work ever to appear in the English language ... read it and be dazzled'
Bee Wilson, New Statesman

First published in 1999, the ground-breaking Oxford Companion to Food was an immediate success and won prizes and accolades around the world. Its blend of serious food history,…

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Cooking

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Cookbooks

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Why read it?

1 author picked The Oxford Companion to Food as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Jenny Linford

Author

With entries on foods from Aardvark to Zucchini, this wonderful, wide-ranging reference book has a place of honour by my desk. The idea of a global guide to foodstuffs was conceived of by Alan Davidson in 1976 – before the digital age – and first published in 1999. Davidson, who edited it, brought his intellectual curiosity, knowledge, and humour to the project. The result is a seminal reference book which instead of being dull or stodgy is lively, engaging, and interesting. A book that I never tire of using, as always come across something that catches my attention in the…

From Jenny's list on The best food history books that help us explore the world.