|
 |
|
|
The Origins of Fruit & Vegetablesby Jonathan Roberts Hardcover - 192 pages (January 2002) Universe Pub ISBN: 0789306565 Dimensions (in inches): 0.93 x 8.58 x 8.15 Check price @ amazon.com , amazon.ca , amazon.co.uk From Publishers Weekly Botanical engravings, Dutch still lifes, paintings by Renaissance and modernist masters and 16th-century altar cloths illustrate this beautifully designed investigation of the provenance of our produce. Jonathan Roberts, a former Scotland trout farmer, economically and elegantly details how kiwifruit hailed from China (its Chinese name was "monkey-peach"); how preserved "garlands of celery" decorate 3,000 year-old Egyptian mummies; and how the eggplant is the sole edible member of the nightshade family (which includes tomatoes) originating outside the New World. The Origins of Fruit & Vegetables is as lush as a summer garden, and as hard to resist. Book Description Cherry trees, well known in America from the George Washington legend, actually originated in China, but were not domestically cultivated until the first century b.c. in Greece, and are closely related to peaches, plums, and almonds. Fava beans, or broad beans, have been cultivated since at least biblical times. In classical Greece, funerals ended in bean feasts, and beans were used to exorcise haunted houses. Roman high priests were forbidden from eating or even mentioning beans because they... Customer Reviews Reviewer: Roger McEvilly BSc (Hons) from Sydney, NSW Australia This book is an excellent overview of the natural history of fruit and vegetables-where they originated, how they have changed and developed over time, and how they have influenced history. The first part details various aspects of our most common fruits (as least 29 main types are discussed), the second part that of vegetables (at least 25). It is interesting to trace the place of origin of our most cherished delicicies. Tomatoes (western South America), potatoes (western South America), strawberries (the modern is a hybrid from a Chilean variety and a Virginian variety), banana (SE Asia), apple (South East Asia and Eurasia), orange (SE Asia), cracked black peppercorns (Southern India), carrots (Eurasia-probably Afghanistan), maize/corn (America-possibly the Andes originally), fermented grapes (Eurasia-possibly even fermented by homo erectus), watermelon (Africa), cucumber (India), pumpkin (Americas), leek (Central Asia), onion (Central Asia), avocardo (modern types come from Central Amercia), lemons (Eastern Himalaya), kiwifruit (Southern China) and many others. Beetroot grows wild near the sea in the Mediterranean. A tomato native to the Galapagos Islands has evolved resistance to seawater, but the seeds must be digested and 'voided' by tortoises-giant ones-before they will germinate. Charles Darwin would have been impressed. Readers might be interested to know that the Romans and Greeks, for example, would have never even heard of such delights as tomatoes, potatoes, and corn, as these were all native to the Americas. Oranges, which are a cross between a pumello and a mandarin, didn't reach Europe until the Dark Ages, and neither did our modern apple. With increase in trade and exploration over time many subspecies were crossed and produced vigorous hybrids, which in conjunction wih selective breeding and vagaries of taste over time, has produced many of the modern forms we see today. It is interesting to note here that not all modern forms are necassarily the best -the Jonathan apple for example, became very popular simply because it is bright red and looks good in the supermarket-but it is not the best eating apple. Another interesting aspect is the carrying of many original types from the east by Islamic ventures, and to the east by Christians and various explorers. Cross-fertilisation thus eventuated by accident. Subsequently, many species were further cross-fertilised with North and South American types after the expansion into the Americas by Europeans after 1492. Not all fruit and veges stand the test of time. The ancestor of the bean appears to have gone extinct, and some apple varieties seem to be going that way, crowded out by the Golden Delicious, and the ever-red Jonathan. Others took a long time to get going-such as the tomatoe. For long its association with the poisonous Mandrake stifled its development in the European Middle Ages. Today it is one of the most versatile and most widespread fruits grown. (It is actually a fruit or berry, rather than a vegetable, as is commonly believed). This book is more than just an excursion into delectable dishes. The nature and origin of fruit and vegetables has profoundly affected culture and history. The potato famine of Europe and Ireland in the 1840s is described, (with at least 1.5 milion deaths in Ireland alone, out of a population of 8 millon). The development of agriculture in humans thousands of years ago was facilitated by mutant strains of such things as almonds, wheat, peas, and bananas (one of the oldest harvested fruit). Magnificent, and pass me the pepper! Don't underestimate the power of food on primates. Nations have risen and fallen on the vagaries of corn, potatoes, fermented grapes, grain and the like, and their resistance to disease, peoples taste and historical oddities. There are some beautiful paintings, inscriptions, and archealogical illustrations throughout, inspired by some of history's greatest artists and cultures. Highly recommended for the lover of food and dining. Reviewer: A reader from United Kingdom Mr Roberts's talent in explaining foods' beginnings make this elegant 228-page volume a real page turner. The Origins of Fruit & Vegetables by Jonathan Roberts Hardcover - 192 pages (January 2002) Universe Pub ISBN: 0789306565 The Organic Manual: Natural Gardening for the 21st Century by Howard Garrett, Malcolm Beck Paperback - 208 pages (February 2002) Tapestry Press ISBN: 1930819161 Organic Gardening for Dummies (For Dummies) by Ann Whitman Paperback - 360 pages (February 2001) Hungry Minds, Inc ISBN: 0764553208 Rodale Organic Gardening Solutions : Over 500 Answers to Real Life Questions from Backyard Gardeners by Cheryl Long, Organic Gardening Magazine (Editor) Paperback - 256 pages (July 2000) Rodale Press ISBN: 087596852X Ann Lovejoy's Organic Garden Design School : A Guide to Creating Your Own Beautiful, Easy-Care Garden (Rodale Organic Gardening Book) by Ann Lovejoy Hardcover - 288 pages (March 2001) Rodale Press ISBN: 0875968368 Burpee : The Complete Vegetable & Herb Gardener : A Guide to Growing Your Garden Organically by Karan Davis Cutler (Editor), Cavagnarok David (Photographer), Barbara W. Ellis (Editor), David Cavagnaro (Photographer) Hardcover - 416 pages (November 10, 1997) Hungry Minds, Inc ISBN: 0028620054 Extreme Gardening : How to Grow Organic in the Hostile Deserts by David Owens Paperback - 256 pages 1st edition (November 1, 2000) Poco Verde Landscape ISBN: 0970501609 Four-Season Harvest : Organic Vegetables from Your Home Garden All Year Long by Eliot Coleman, Kathy Bray (Illustrator), Barbara Damrosch Paperback - 212 pages (October 1999) Chelsea Green Pub Co ISBN: 1890132276 Maria Rodale's Organic Gardening (Your Seasonal Companion to Creating a Beautiful and Delicious Organic Garden) by Maria Rodale Hardcover - 352 pages (November 1998) Rodale Press ISBN: 087596799X The Flower Farmer : An Organic Grower's Guide to Raising and Selling Cut Flowers (Gardener's Supply Books) by Lynn Byczynski, Robin Wimbiscus (Illustrator), Lynn Bycznski Paperback - 208 pages (June 1997) Chelsea Green Pub Co ISBN: 0930031946 This Organic Life : Confessions of a Suburban Homesteader by Joan Dye Gussow Hardcover - 240 pages (June 2001) Chelsea Green Pub Co ISBN: 1890132942 |
|
|
|
|
Copyright © 2017, Garden Network |