食材的演化和烹饪、我们的肠道微生物和微生物、鸡和蛋,都经过了一段演化史才会让我们吃进去的食物变得这么好吃。《与达尔文的晚餐》揭示了,我们的购物清单、食谱和餐厅的菜单内容比我们一直以来认为的还要有意义,可不单单只是随性而定。这些清单讲述的是一个迷人的故事,是物竞天择的结果,这样的结果影响了我们的盘中物也影响了我们的舌头。作者Silvertown这一餐更进一步带我们进入基改与混种食物的世界,并一探我们的感官与食物和烹调互动时的科学:我们在厨房和饭厅里所看见、闻见与尝到的体验。作者Silvertown就像大厨一样,一道一道的上菜,让我们慢慢品尝(了解)所有味道(知识)。
人类的饮食史从人类穴居的时候就开始了,《与达尔文的晚餐》用一种前所谓见的见解,全面并超越时间的方式检视这其中的科学。这场结合了汤、科学和人类社会的盛宴值得细细品味。Silvertown的机智就像一瓶好的黑皮诺,他在演化史方面的知识之大,就像是一个挑嘴鉴赏家的酒窖,他挑起了我们的味蕾,让我们对食物(知识)的渴求变得更大。
本书好评
“From the opening course of oysters to the final swill of wine, Silvertown’s account of the evolution of our diet is a sumptuous experience. Dinner with Darwin combines natural history, biography, archaeology, and biology into food stories that will enlighten any meal.”
(Richard Wrangham, author of "Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human")
“In a nutshell, I will never look at seeds the same way again, whether teeny poppy seeds or mammoth coconuts. . . . [A] delicious little book.”
(Australian, on Silvertown's "An Orchard Invisible")
“As pleasurable to read as it is informative.”
(Library Journal, on Silvertown's "An Orchard Invisible")
“A gem. . . . Read it as a gardener, scientist, food aficionado, historian, botanist, or naturalist, and you’ll not be disappointed.”
(Times Higher Education, on Silvertown's "An Orchard Invisible")
“Deserves a spot on any natural history lover’s bedside bookstand. . . . It is simply a delight to read.”
(Natural History, on Silvertown's "An Orchard Invisible")
“[A] fascinating celebration of the green world upon which all human life depends.”
(New Scientist, Best Books of the Year, on Silvertown's "An Orchard Invisible")
关于作者
Jonathan Silvertown 是爱丁堡大学演化生物所的教授。他写过许多和生物学及演化学有关的书,最近的作品是The Long and the Short of It: The Science of Life Span and Aging。
目录
1. An Invitation to Dinner { 1 }
2. A Cooking Animal { 11 }
3. Shellfish—Beachcombing { 29 }
4. Bread—Domestication { 35 }
5. Soup—Taste { 54 }
6. Fish—Flavor { 68 }
7. Meat—Carnivory { 78 }
8. Vegetables—Variety { 99 }
9. Herbs and Spices—Piquancy { 116 }
10. Desserts—Indulgence { 127 }
11. Cheese—Dairying { 141 }
12. Wine and Beer—Intoxication
13. Feasting—Society { 170 }
14. Future Food { 184 }
