Description: "First published in 2003 in Great Britian as by Prospect Books"--Title page verso.
Brief description: Andrew Dalby is a historian and linguist. Languages in his repertoire include Sanskrit, Pali, French, Latin, Greek, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, German, and Burmese. He is the author of several books, including The Classical Cookbook (1996), Dangerous Tastes: the Story of Spices (2000), Language in Danger: The Loss of Linguistic Diversity and the Threat to Our Future (2003) and Bacchus: A Biography (2003). He studied classics and linguistics at St John's College, Cambridge, and gained a PhD from London University.
Review Quotes:
"A fascinating read, with its descriptions of the glittering centre of an empire. Along with his portrait of Byzantines feasting on spiced wine and sugary sweets, Dalby includes many colourful observations." --Charles Perry, Cornucopia
"A delightful book... offers a novel and humane approach to the Byzantines and their culture, and one that should appeal to Byzantinists as well as general readers." --The Bryn Mawr Classical Review "This pioneering book... is an enthusiastic compilation of fascinating facts about what people in Constantinople ate during the eleven centuries of the Byzantine Empire." --Peter Clark, Asian Affairs Journal "The only book in English concerning the history of the very elusive cuisine of Byzantium. Dalby - classicist, historian, and aficionado of linguistics - brings impressive credentials to this pioneering study... Tastes of Byzantium bubbles and roils with tales, anecdotes, and just plain gore." --Culinary Historians of New York