Ben Gazur
Unbound
19 November 2024
256
eBook - PDF
Non-Fiction/History
ARC via Edelweiss
Folklorist Ben Gazur guides you through the dark alleys of British history to uncover how our food habits have been passed down through generations of folklore.
Who was the first person to throw salt over their shoulder? Why do we think carrots can help us see in the dark? When did we start holding village fairs to honour gigantic apple pies? Or start hurling ourselves down hills in pursuit of a wheel of cheese? Gazur investigates the origins of famous food superstitions as well as much more bizarre and lesser-known tales too, from what day the devil urinates on blackberries to how to stop witches using eggshells as escape boats.
Hilarious and fascinating, A Feast of Folklore will introduce you to the gloriously eccentric folk who aren’t often noticed by historians. Here lies a smorgasbord of their dark remedies and deadly delicacies, waiting to be discovered.
A Feast of Folklore was a fun and informative read. I enjoyed the way the book was organised into different food types and there were plenty of stories and anecdotes in each section. Some of the folklore references I already knew, but others were new to me or presented in more detail than I'd heard before. I'm not sure I'd want to try most of the folk remedies and spells mentioned, but it was certainly entertaining to read about them. This book is a delightful reference work for those interested in both folklore and food. I am giving it four stars.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
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