Filthy Food
Efforts by the German scientist Friedrich Accum brought about widespread awareness of the dangers of food adulteration, paving the way for legislation that protects what we eat today.
Food & Drink
Under the Influence
Alcohol was part of daily life in the colonial Maghreb. In 1913 the French banned alcohol in Tunisia, revealing a deep distrust of local drinks and their Jewish and Muslim makers.
Crossing Oceans
Cloves, grown in Indonesia, crossed the globe in the Middle Ages, showing how interconnected the medieval world was.
In Good Spirits
Alcohol was an integral part of diplomacy in early modern Russia.
Through a Glass Darkly
The real history of wine can be a dry – even bitter – beverage.
The Politics of Pancakes
In England, Shrove Tuesday has not just symbolised feasting, fasting and family, but riot and rebellion, too.
The Culinary Enlightenment
The belief that you are what you eat emerged in 19th-century France, where the pleasures of the table were sautéed with philosophy and medicine.
The Rules of Drinking
The long history of drinking games – and how to win them.
Public and Private Pleasures
Coffeehouses and coffee were not as closely related as one might think.
Policing the Ploughs
As Britain faced the prospect of food shortages in 1917, panic mounted. One solution was to redeploy policemen to plough the land.