Series in Salsa & Garnishes
Books in Salsa & Garnishes
Pickles
Pickles are a global food: from the fiery, fermented kimchi of Korea and Japan’s salty tsukemono , to the ceviche and escabeche of Latin America, Europe’s sauerkraut and America’s dill pickles. They are also a modern food. Growing interest in naturally fermented vegetables – pickles by another name – means that today, in the early twenty-first century, we are seeing a renaissance in the making and consumption of pickles. Across continents and throughout history, pickling has been relied upon to preserve foods and add to their flavour; and in these health-conscious times they have acquired a new significance. Traditionally fermented pickles are probiotic and possess anti-aging and anti-cancer properties; while pickle juice cures hangovers, prevents muscle cramps in athletes and reduces sugar spikes in diabetics. In Pickles , Jan Davison explores the cultural and gastronomic importance of pickles from the earliest civilisations to the present day. Discover the art of pickling mastered by the ancient Chinese, find out why Korean astronaut Yi So-yeon took fermented cabbage into space, learn how the Japanese pickle the deadly pufferfish, and uncover the pickling provenance of that most popular of condiments, tomato ketchup. In this globe-trotting book, Davison discovers how pickles have been omnipresent in our common quest, not only to conserve, but to create foods with relish.
Sauces
Sauces have the ability to transform any food from dull to delectable; they are food enhancers that define national cuisines. They can be savoury or sweet, simple or complex, served as a side dish or presented as the main event. Sauces: A Global History takes readers on a journey from fermented sauces in fifth-century China to present-day cuisine, where sauces that are barely recognizable as such – foams, ices, smokes – are found in the increasingly popular world of molecular gastronomy. This book examines sauce as a globe-crossing phenomenon, a culinary concept that followed trade routes from East to West and helped seafaring explorers add flavour to their monotonous rations. Tracing the evolution of food technology through the centuries, Sauces explores the development of this gastronomic art, from the use of simple bread thickeners to the smooth sauces we know today. It examines the controversies that sauces have created over the years, including debates about salsa overtaking ketchup in popularity and disputes over the Indian roots of British ‘Worcestershire’ sauce. It also relates the history of American ketchup and Tabasco sauce, which remain globally popular today. For sauce experts and novices alike, this book will encourage readers to take part in the debate over the definition of sauce, and to give sauce its due as an essential part of our eating habits.