Cheese, pears, & peasants

Cheese, pears, & peasants: in a proverb

by Montanari, Massimo

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Do not let the peasant know how good cheese is with pears goes the old saying. Intrigued by these words and their portent, Massimo Montanari unravels their origin and utility. Perusing archival cookbooks, agricultural and dietary treatises, literary works, and anthologies of beloved sayings, he finds in the nobility's demanding palettes and delicate stomachs a compelling recipe for social conduct. At first, cheese and its visceral, earthy pleasures were treated as the food of Polyphemus, the un…

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Title Statements

  • Full title :Cheese, pears, & peasants : in a proverb / Massimo Montanari ; translated by Beth Archer Brombert

Summary

Do not let the peasant know how good cheese is with pears goes the old saying. Intrigued by these words and their portent, Massimo Montanari unravels their origin and utility. Perusing archival cookbooks, agricultural and dietary treatises, literary works, and anthologies of beloved sayings, he finds in the nobility's demanding palettes and delicate stomachs a compelling recipe for social conduct. 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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Edition Statements

  • Publication Date:2010

Publication Statements

Notes

Originaltitel: Il formaggio con le pere

The Physical Object

  • Description:viii, 116 s

Edition Identifiers

  • ISBN:9780231152501, 0231152507
  • oclc:ocn761364529
  • LC Classification:GT2855
  • Dewey Decimal:394.1 2

Subjects

Criticism, interpretation, etc Food habits Food habits -- History Habitudes alimentaires -- Histoire History Proverbs, Italian Proverbs, Italian -- History and critic…

Writers

Montanari, Massimo

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