Imprint: Bodley Head
Published: 29/10/2020
ISBN: 9781847926128
Length: 320 Pages
Dimensions: 200mm x 32mm x 163mm
Weight: 579g
RRP: £18.99
'Fascinating' - Prue Leith
Bourbons. Custard Creams. Rich Tea. Jammie Dodgers. Chocolate Digestives. Shortbread. Ginger snaps. Which is your favourite?
British people eat more biscuits than any other nation; they are as embedded in our culture as fish and chips or the Sunday roast. But biscuits are not only tasty treats to go with a cup of tea, the sustenance they afford is often emotional, evoking nostalgic memories of childhood.
Lizzie Collingham begins in Roman times when biscuits - literally, 'twice-baked' bread - became the staple of the poor; she takes us to the Middle East, where the addition of sugar to the dough created the art of confectionery. Yet it was in Britain that bakers experimented to create the huge variety of biscuits which populate our world today. And when the Industrial Revolution led to their mass production, biscuits became integral to the British diet.
We follow the humble biscuit's transformation from durable staple for sailors, explorers and colonists to sweet luxury for the middling classes to comfort food for an entire nation. Like an assorted tin of biscuits, this charming and beautifully illustrated book has something to offer for everyone, combining recipes for hardtack and macaroons, Shrewsbury biscuits and Garibaldis, with entertaining and eye-opening vignettes of social history.
Imprint: Bodley Head
Published: 29/10/2020
ISBN: 9781847926128
Length: 320 Pages
Dimensions: 200mm x 32mm x 163mm
Weight: 579g
RRP: £18.99
Fascinating
A jam-packed book about our favourite teatime nibble
An incredible journey
Fascinating... Collingham has pulled it off again
[A] fascinating book... Collingham is a wonderful researcher, combining academic rigour with an eye for the captivating details that make the world more interesting
Fascinating ... ranks up there with Salt and Cod by Mark Kurlansky ... Collingham has pulled it off again
Like an assorted tin of biscuits, this charming and beautifully illustrated book has something for everyone, combining recipes with entertaining vignettes of social history
Enjoy tucking into this well-researched cultural history
An incredible journey
Full of fascinating social insights and delicious recipes, it's an irresistible read