Acquired Tastes

James Chatto is one of Canada’s best-known writers on food and drink. He has authored and co-authored seven books including, The Seducer’s Cookbook and A Matter of Taste, and is an award-winning journalist, editor, and restaurant columnist .W.L. Martin studied art history and Near Eastern history and has worked as a teacher and school administrator. Martin has published A Kitchen in Corfu, a socio-culinary study of the island, and has several articles and books in the works.A historian of the early modern Baltic, Joseph Sproule completed his PhD at the University of Toronto and has taught there for over a decade. He has authored numerous articles in his field and pursued research or academic studies in nine countries.

“A splendid compilation of historical tidbits, recipes, and fascinating characters, Acquired Tastes offers a fresh take on some of the world’s most beloved foods and beverages. Authors James Chatto, W.L. Martin, and Joseph Sproule explore how these dishes and their creators were shaped by local, national, and global influences. Compellingly written, Acquired Tastes is an important and insightful addition to the scholarship on food and drink history.” - Rebecca Beausaert, Francis and Ruth Redelmeier Professor in Rural History, University of Guelph “Acquired Tastes is a delightful collection of stories featuring a food, beverage, or dish and the personality behind it propelling it to fame. Part history, part biography, the stories – complete with recipes and beautiful visuals – will entertain and enlighten readers.” - Amy Bentley, Professor of Food Studies, New York University “When three writers par excellence collaborate, the result is a fascinating compilation of eight diverse historical stories spanning countries and centuries: from a royal figure of Thai origins who immortalized Portuguese-inspired desserts to a Polish musician who created a dessert fit – and named! – for a royal, and from an Indian freedom fighter who finessed curry in Japan to how a Cuban-created cocktail was brought to the US and then the rest of the world.” - Hemant Bhagwani, Chef, Restaurateur, and Mentor “This intriguing book brings the reader on a journey through different centuries and continents to tell the stories of several characters (including a queen, a pianist, a slave-trader, a merchant, an admiral, and a freedom fighter) who have, through the fickle nature of history, become better known for their culinary associations than for their more significant accomplishments. The authors debunk some ‘fakelore’ myths and demonstrate how the real truth can often be stranger than fiction. A fascinating read, and a real tour de force!” - Máirtín Mac Con Iomaire, Senior Lecturer of Culinary Arts and Food Technology, Technological University Dublin

• IntroductionMaria Guyomare de Pinha, 1664-1728: Golden ThreadsBona Sforza, 1494-1557: LazankiChen Zhenlong, 1542-1619: Sweet Potato Rice PorridgeWillian Heyward Trapier, 1805-1872: The Mint JulepBenjamin Jones Jordan Wenberg, 1833-1885: Lobster à la NewbergRear Admiral Lucius Warren Johnson, MC, USN, 1882-1968: The DaiquiriRash Behari Bose, 1886-1945: “Indo Karii”Jan Smeterlin, 1892-1967: Queen Mother’s CakeNotesIndex