I might have mentioned this before, but I’m harnessing my current momentum/desire to read books about or inspired by the history of the UK to make a dent in my TBR list and A History of English Food was one of these books. (I have this very bad habit where I’ll put a book on my TBR list and then when I see it a second time, think “oh this still looks great but I’m not in the mood for it”)

As the title mentions, A History of English Food is about the history of British food starting from the medieval period and going all the way to modern Britain. The book provides a general overview of what the British people, both rich and poor, ate and how their diets were changed by various influences. It’s packed with information and a lot of theories (the author will state when it’s just a pet theory, which makes it easier to discern fact and hypothesis), but interesting things I learnt included:

• People used to rub their bodies with goose grease and sew themselves into their long johns to endure the winter cold
• Medieval England really enjoyed spices, something which seems to have been influenced by the Crusades
• Medieval England also really enjoyed sweet and sour dishes
• Eels and rabbits would also have been part of the medieval larder and were even intentionally farmed for their meat.
• Overboiling vegetables is a pretty recent thing.

There’s a lot more, but probably the main takeaway I got is that what we think of British food not only has changed greatly through the centuries but has also been greatly influenced by countries in Europe, the Middle East, and even Far East (tea, anyone?). It’s a good reminder that the world has always been globalised and the influence of cultures on each other actually helps to enrich a country’s own identity.

The tone of the book is very chatty and informal, as though the author is talking to you directly. And even though each chapter is pretty long, they didn’t feel as though they were very long. The chatty nature of the book also helps the author’s own reminiscences (particularly as the book heads towards modern British cuisine) and opinions about the foods that she’s tried feel like a natural part of the book.

Scattered throughout the book (and then collected into an appendix) are recipes from the various periods of English history. I appreciated all the passages from contemporary sources that she quoted and it definitely helped me visualise the type of foods they ate. If you’re into recipes and want to try your hand at something new, you could consider a few of these – some of them sound pretty good.

Overall, this was a fun read about the history of English food. If you’re completely unfamiliar with the topic, I think this would be right up your alley. And even if you’re not a foodie, you should read this if you’re planning to read more historical novels and nonfiction books – it’s definitely going to help me appreciate the finer details when I come across them.