First published 2023
The New York Times bestselling author of Cod and Salt turns his attention to the humble onion, tracing its remarkable journey across civilizations and cuisines. Kurlansky begins with the science behind this sulfuric acid producing plant, then examines its twenty varieties and the cultures that embraced them. He moves from ancient medicines and folklore into modern kitchens, celebrating onions in every form from raw to pickled. The book features over one hundred recipes from around the globe, including Parisian chef Alain Senderens's hangover-curing onion soup, Hemingway's unusual raw onion and peanut butter sandwich, and the sophisticated Gibson cocktail with its pickled onion garnish. Enhanced by historical images and the author's own pen and ink drawings, this culinary exploration reveals how one vegetable became indispensable to cooking, culture, and civilization itself.
Genres: non-fiction, cooking, 21st-century, food-and-drink, food-history
Vibes: informative, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: historical, informative
Setting: New York, Paris
Period: Ancient, Modern
240 pages · Hardcover · Bloomsbury Publishing