Nuts: A Global History

Nuts are perhaps the original health food, the main source of nutrition for many animals, and as apparently basic as food gets. Taking us on a gastronomic, botanical, and cultural tour of nuts around the world, "Nuts" is the first book of its kind about this foodstuff, crammed with surprising and little-known facts. As allergy sufferers will know, nuts get almost everywhere, being used industrially, in confectionary and in all sorts of cooking"Nuts" gives us the full story, through cultivation, harvesting, processing, and consumption. Ken Albala, author of many books on food, immerses us in the modern-day uses of the nut, providing a comprehensive account of how it has been cooked, prepared, and exploited around the globe, while simultaneously discussing the social and cultural meaning of nuts during various periods in history. No stone is left unturned in this spirited account of the oldest and most natural food on earth. "