Delicioso

María José Sevilla's previous books include Life and Food in the Basque Country (1989), Spain on a Plate (1992) and Mediterranean Flavours (1995). She lives in London, UK, and the Sierra de Aracena in Andalusia, Spain.

• Introductionone A Land at the Edge of the Unknowntwo Moors, Jews and Christiansthree Life in the Castlefour A Golden Agefive Madrid, Versailles, Naples and, Best of All, Chocolatesix Politics at the Tableseven Hunger, Hope and Successeight The Cocinas of SpainReferencesSelect BibliographyAcknowledgementsPhoto AcknowledgementsIndex

"Take a deep dive into Spanish cuisine from prehistory to Ferran Adrià . . . [this] illustrated book is a dense, scholarly survey that starts with prehistory some 80,000 years ago. It traces the contributions to the Spanish table by ancient Rome; Moorish, Christian and Jewish cultures; European royalty; and foods of the New World. The effects of social and political change, years of war and the rise of the influential Spanish chefs of today are covered, as are ingredients like olives, anchovies and chocolate; markets; dishes like cocido; and time-honored utensils. There’s a quick survey of food across Spain, region by region." - Florence Fabricant, The New York Times"Like other works of art, dishes document culture. María José Sevilla shows us that the best way to enjoy Spanish history is by eating Spanish food, and that the best way to enjoy the food is by reading her account of the history. ¡Buen provecho!" - Felipe Fernández-Armesto, author of Food: A History"Sevilla’s history of Spain and surrounding islands through edibles incorporates cooking into an exacting cultural overview . . . A prize for the culinary section of public, high school, or college libraries. Highly recommended." - Choice 'review of the week'"An epic and very readable history of Spanish food culture from Palaeolithic times to the present day. Very interesting." - Dr Lara Anderson, Convenor of Spanish and Latin American Studies, University of Melbourne