This richly illustrated book is the first to apply the discoveries of the new generation of food historians to the pleasures of dining and the culinary accomplishments of diverse civilizations, past and present. Editor Paul Freedman has gathered essays by French, German, Belgian, American, and British historians to present a comprehensive, chronological history of taste from prehistory to the present day. The authors explore the early repertoire of sweet tastes; the distinctive contributions made by classical antiquity and China; the subtle, sophisticated, and varied group of food customs created by the Islamic civilizations of Iberia, the Arabian desert, Persia, and Byzantium; the magnificent cuisine of the Middle Ages, influenced by Rome and adapted from Islamic Spain, Africa, and the Middle East; the decisive break with highly spiced food traditions after the Renaissance and the new focus on primary ingredients and products from the New World; French cuisine's rise to dominance in Europe and America; the evolution of modern restaurant dining, modern agriculture, and technological developments; and today's tastes, which employ few rules and exhibit a glorious eclecticism. The result is the enthralling story not only of what sustains us but also of what makes us feel alive.

保罗·弗里德曼（Paul Freedman），耶鲁大学历史学Chester D. Tripp教授，历史系前主席。主要研究领域包括中世纪社会史、西班牙史、农民史、奢侈品贸易史、食物历史等。他的著作《中世纪农民的图像》（Images of the Medieval Peasant）荣获2002年美国中世纪研究院哈金斯奖章。几十年来他一直致力于在许多国家寻找和发现精致美食及其发展历程。