Synopses & Reviews
A journey into the heart of sweetness.
Humans are all, secretly or openly, obsessed with sweet things-and we always have been. The Aztecs mixed chocolate with blood in sweet libations to their gods; Saladin entertained Richard the Lionheart with exotic sherbets and sugared jellies; Victorian sweets magnates built the towns of Bournville and Hersheyville from fortunes made through successful candies; and today the manufacture of sweets is shrouded in a level of secrecy that would make Willy Wonka proud.
In Sweets, Tim Richardson takes us on a magical confectionery tour through time and space, letting his personal passion fuel the narrative of candy's rich and unusual history. Beginning with a description of the biology of sweetness itself, Richardson navigates the ancient history of sweets, the incredible range and diversity of candies around the world, the bizarre figures and practices of the confectionery industry, and the connection between sweets and sex. He goes on to explore the role of sweets in myth and folklore, and finally, a personal philosophical justification for continual sweet-eating based on the writings of Epicurus.
A delicious blend of anecdote, history, and investigative reporting, Sweets is the perfect gift for everyone with a sweet tooth.
Review
"Sweets is an informative, entertaining grab-bag of personal opinion, anecdote and culinary history." Los Angeles Times
Review
"For anyone with a sweet tooth, Sweets is manna...This history of candy is full of delights." New York Times Book Review
Synopsis
In
Sweets, Tim Richardson takes us on a magical confectionery tour, letting his personal passion fuel the narrative of candy's rich and unusual history. Beginning with a description of the biology of sweetness itself, Richardson navigates the ancient history of sweets, the incredible range and diversity of candies worldwide, the bizarre figures and practices of the confectionery industry, and the connection between food and sex. He goes on to explore the role of sweets in myth and folklore and, finally, offers a personal philosophy of continual sweet-eating based on the writings of Epicurus.
A delicious blend of anecdote, history, and investigative reporting, Sweets is the perfect gift for anyone who loves candy.
About the Author
Tim Richardson's grandfather worked for a fudge company; his father was a dentist. A contributing editor to
Wallpaper* magazine and a regular contributor to the
Daily Telegraph and the
Sunday Times, he lives in London, where he is in the process of refining his own candy invention.
Table of Contents
1.Chocolate money --Lucky dip : Turkish delight --2.Heart of sweetness --Lucky dip : liquorice --3. Thefirst sweets in the world --Lucky dip : rock --4.Juicy fruits and spicy centres --Lucky dip : marzipan -5.From Araby to subtlety --Lucky dip : baklava --6.Purely for medicinal reasons --Lucky dip : rhubarb and custards --7.Enslaved by sweetness --Lucky dip : marshmallows --8.What is it about chocolate --Lucky dip : manna --9.Real Willy Wonkas --Lucky dip : chewing gum --10.Bad candy --Lucky dip : my top ten sweets --11. TheHimalayan gobstopper.