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Cheese, Pears, & History in a Proverb
✍️ Montanari, Massimo
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📝 Description: Cheese, Pears, & History in a Proverb
At first, cheese and its visceral, earthy pleasures were treated as the food of Polyphemus, the uncivilized man-beast. The pear, on the other hand, became the symbol of ephemeral, luxuriant pleasure--an indulgence of the social elite. Joined together, cheese and pears adopted an exclusive savoir faire, especially as the "natural phenomenon" of taste evolved into a cultural attitude. Montanari's delectable history straddles written and oral traditions, economic and social relations, and thrills in the power of mental representation. His ultimate discovery shows that the enduring proverb, so wrapped up in history, operates not only as a repository of shared wisdom but also as a rich locus of social conflict.
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⭐ Reader reviews
The starting rating comes from the team Eatbook Family —
Reader rating
4.4
Based on 1 reviews
E
Eatbook Family editorial team
This title is a dense academic exploration rather than a practical guide or light reading. It straddles oral and written traditions to analyze taste as a cultural attitude, making it unsuitable for casual cooks seeking recipes or straightforward historical narratives. The tone is analytical and theoretical, focusing on mental representation and economic relations. Readers looking for culinary instruction or simple food anecdotes will likely find this sparse in actionable content and overly abstract. It is best suited for those willing to engage with complex sociological arguments about the power of proverbs and the evolution of elite savoir faire.
