Borough Market: Edible Histories
Epic Tales of Everyday Ingredients
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Borough Market: Edible Histories
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Narrated by:
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Rich Keeble
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By:
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Mark Riddaway
About this listen
A short history of Britain's favourite food and drink; from strawberries to spaghetti, tomatoes to tea, and how we have enjoyed them over the centuries.
As a nation of food-lovers we have been munching on fruit and veg, drinking tea and coffee, and using oils and spices for generations, but have you ever stopped to think how our most beloved foods came to be the way they are now?
In Borough Market: Edible Histories, award-winning food writer, Mark Riddaway, takes us on a culinary journey through the most fascinating, surprising and downright bizarre stories behind Britain's favourite tipples and nibbles.
For example; the variety of strawberry that became Britain's favourite fruit had its roots in a clandestine trip to South America taken by an 18th century French spy whose surname happened to be Strawberry and the speed of Britain's rush to embrace tea as its national drink was disguised by the fact that in the late 18th century around three-quarters of the country's intake was imported by smugglers and sold on the black market, much to the delight of violent criminal tea gangs.
From the humble apple that has donned our dishes for centuries, to exotic ingredients like sugar that have travelled from across the world to finesse our food, discover the charming stories behind every last morsel.
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Overall really interesting and informative
- By Amazon Customer on 01-01-21
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The Taste of Conquest
- The Rise and Fall of the Three Great Cities of Spice
- By: Michael Krondl
- Narrated by: Todd McLaren
- Length: 10 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 119
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 76
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 74
In this engaging, anecdotal history of food, world conquest, and desire, a chef-turned-journalist tells the story of three legendary cities, Venice, Lisbon, and Amsterdam, that transformed the globe in the quest for spice.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Not that bad.
- By EmperorTab on 10-19-08
By: Michael Krondl
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Sweetness and Power
- The Place of Sugar in Modern History
- By: Sidney W. Mintz
- Narrated by: Tom Perkins
- Length: 10 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 54
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 45
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 46
In this eye-opening study, Sidney W. Mintz shows how Europeans and Americans transformed sugar from a rare foreign luxury to a commonplace necessity of modern life and how it changed the history of capitalism and industry. He discusses the production and consumption of sugar and reveals how closely interwoven sugar's origins are as a "slave" crop grown in Europe's tropical colonies, with its use first as an extravagant luxury for the aristocracy, then as a staple of the diet of the new industrial proletariat.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Dated but still worthwhile
- By Acteon on 11-14-19
By: Sidney W. Mintz
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Chop Suey
- A Cultural History of Chinese Food in the United States
- By: Andrew Coe
- Narrated by: Eric Martin
- Length: 8 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 55
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 49
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Story4 out of 5 stars 49
In 1784, passengers on the ship Empress of China became the first Americans to land in China and the first to eat Chinese food. Today there are over 40,000 Chinese restaurants across the United States - by far the most plentiful among all our ethnic eateries. Now, in Chop Suey, Andrew Coe provides the authoritative history of the American infatuation with Chinese food, telling its fascinating story for the first time.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Wanted to like this
- By Irene on 02-13-21
By: Andrew Coe
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Sugar
- The World Corrupted from Slavery to Obesity
- By: James Walvin
- Narrated by: Roger Davis
- Length: 10 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 49
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 39
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Story4 out of 5 stars 40
How did a simple commodity, once the prized monopoly of kings and princes, become an essential ingredient in the lives of millions, before mutating yet again into the cause of a global health epidemic? Prior to 1600, sugar was a costly luxury, the domain of the rich. But with the rise of the sugar colonies in the New World over the following century, sugar became cheap, ubiquitous, and an everyday necessity. Less than 50 years ago, few people suggested that sugar posed a global health problem.
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2 out of 5 stars
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I should have listened to the other reviews
- By L. Bergman on 12-31-18
By: James Walvin
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High on the Hog
- A Culinary Journey from Africa to America
- By: Jessica B. Harris
- Narrated by: Jessica Harris
- Length: 8 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 236
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 208
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Story5 out of 5 stars 207
Acclaimed cookbook author Jessica B. Harris weaves an utterly engaging history of African American cuisine, taking the listener on a harrowing journey from Africa across the Atlantic to America, and tracking the trials that the people and the food have undergone along the way. From chitlins and ham hocks to fried chicken and vegan soul, Harris celebrates the delicious and restorative foods of the African American experience and details how each came to form an important part of African American culture, history, and identity.
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3 out of 5 stars
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more of a history lesson than a culinary book
- By Scott Johnson on 09-02-15
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Rice, Noodle, Fish
- Deep Travels Through Japan's Food Culture (Roads & Kingdoms Presents, Book 1)
- By: Matt Goulding
- Narrated by: Will Damron
- Length: 7 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 57
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 45
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Story5 out of 5 stars 45
An innovative new take on the travel guide, Rice, Noodle, Fish decodes Japan's extraordinary food culture through a mix of in-depth narrative and insider advice. In this 5,000-mile journey through the noodle shops, tempura temples, and teahouses of Japan, Matt Goulding, cocreator of the enormously popular Eat This, Not That! book series, navigates the intersection between food, history, and culture, creating one of the most ambitious and complete books ever written about Japanese culinary culture from the Western perspective.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Starts strong tapers off
- By Craig Bryan on 01-02-21
By: Matt Goulding
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Eight Flavors
- The Untold Story of American Cuisine
- By: Sarah Lohman
- Narrated by: Sarah Lohman
- Length: 8 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 88
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 79
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 78
The United States boasts a culturally and ethnically diverse population which makes for a continually changing culinary landscape. But a young historical gastronomist named Sarah Lohman discovered that American food is united by eight flavors: black pepper, vanilla, curry powder, chili powder, soy sauce, garlic, MSG, and Sriracha. In Eight Flavors, Lohman sets out to explore how these influential ingredients made their way to the American table.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Great read... Terrible accents
- By S. Macklin on 12-14-18
By: Sarah Lohman
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Short Course in Beer
- An Introduction to Tasting and Talking About the World's Most Civilized Beverage
- By: Lynn Hoffman
- Narrated by: Adam Verner
- Length: 6 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 87
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 77
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Story3.5 out of 5 stars 77
Straightforward and opinionated, Short Course in Beer is designed to turn the novice beer lover into an expert imbiber and the casual drinker into an enthusiast. Readers will come to understand the beauty of beer and the sources of its flavor, as well as learn which beers are worth our time and which are not. With tongue in cheek, the author examines beer's historical connections to the Crusades, the Hundred Years' War, and modern-day soccer riots. He talks frankly (and joyfully) about the effects of alcohol on the body and brain, he defends beer from its enemies, and ushers it out of the frat house and into the dining room.
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3 out of 5 stars
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An Ok Beer Book
- By AppleCedAR on 10-21-13
By: Lynn Hoffman
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The Drunken Botanist
- The Plants That Create the World's Great Drinks
- By: Amy Stewart
- Narrated by: Coleen Marlo
- Length: 10 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 943
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 823
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Story4 out of 5 stars 814
Every great drink starts with a plant. Sake began with a grain of rice. Scotch emerged from barley. Gin was born from a conifer shrub when medieval physicians boiled juniper berries with wine to treat stomach pain. The Drunken Botanist uncovers the surprising botanical history and fascinating science and chemistry of over 150 plants, flowers, trees, and fruits (and even a few fungi).
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4 out of 5 stars
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No more cheap tequila!
- By Cynthia on 03-23-13
By: Amy Stewart
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The Way We Eat Now
- How the Food Revolution Has Transformed Our Lives, Our Bodies, and Our World
- By: Bee Wilson
- Narrated by: Bee Wilson
- Length: 12 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 106
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 94
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 92
Food is one of life's great joys. So why has eating become such a source of anxiety and confusion? Bee Wilson shows that in two generations the world has undergone a massive shift from traditional, limited diets to more globalized ways of eating, from bubble tea to quinoa, from Soylent to meal kits. Paradoxically, our diets are getting healthier and less healthy at the same time. For some, there has never been a happier food era than today: a time of unusual herbs, farmers' markets, and internet recipe swaps.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Slow, doesn't get to the point-20% info, 80% fluff
- By DrSarah on 11-13-19
By: Bee Wilson
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Consider the Fork
- A History of How We Cook and Eat
- By: Bee Wilson
- Narrated by: Alison Larkin
- Length: 11 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,396
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,217
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,212
Since prehistory, humans have braved the business ends of knives, scrapers, and mashers, all in the name of creating something delicious - or at least edible. In Consider the Fork, award-winning food writer and historian Bee Wilson traces the ancient lineage of our modern culinary tools, revealing the startling history of objects we often take for granted. Charting the evolution of technologies from the knife and fork to the gas range and the sous-vide cooker, Wilson offers unprecedented insights.
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5 out of 5 stars
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For the foodie/science geek/history buff in you
- By Nothing really matters on 08-30-14
By: Bee Wilson
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The Brewer's Tale
- A History of the World According to Beer
- By: William Bostwick
- Narrated by: Christopher Sutton
- Length: 8 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 337
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 295
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 295
The Brewer's Tale is a beer-filled journey into the past: the story of brewers gone by and one brave writer's quest to bring them - and their ancient, forgotten beers - back to life, one taste at a time. This is the story of the world according to beer, a toast to flavors born of necessity and place - in Belgian monasteries, rundown farmhouses, and the basement nanobrewery next door. So pull up a barstool and raise a glass to 5,000 years of fermented magic.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Good insights!
- By Michael on 03-08-16
By: William Bostwick
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A History of the World in 6 Glasses
- By: Tom Standage
- Narrated by: Sean Runnette
- Length: 7 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 4,574
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 3,945
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,957
Throughout human history, certain drinks have done much more than just quench thirst. As Tom Standage relates with authority and charm, six of them have had a surprisingly pervasive influence on the course of history, becoming the defining drink during a pivotal historical period. A History of the World in 6 Glasses tells the story of humanity from the Stone Age to the 21st century through the lens of beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and cola.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Fun and Informative
- By Stoker on 09-09-11
By: Tom Standage
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Unprocessed
- My City-Dwelling Year of Reclaiming Real Food
- By: Megan Kimble
- Narrated by: Sarah Mollo-Christensen
- Length: 12 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 34
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 29
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Story5 out of 5 stars 29
In January of 2012, Megan Kimble was a 26-year-old living in a small apartment without even a garden plot to her name. But she cared about where food came from, how it was made, and what it did to her body: so she decided to go an entire year without eating processed foods. Unprocessed is the narrative of Megan's extraordinary year, in which she milled wheat, extracted salt from the sea, milked a goat, slaughtered a sheep, and more - all while earning an income that fell well below the federal poverty line.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Very insightful
- By Anonymous User on 01-10-21
By: Megan Kimble
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Super Sushi Ramen Express
- One Family's Journey Through the Belly of Japan
- By: Michael Booth
- Narrated by: Ralph Lister
- Length: 10 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 83
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 70
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 70
Japan is arguably the preeminent food nation on earth, a Mecca for the world's greatest chefs, with more Michelin stars than any other country. The Japanese go to extraordinary lengths and expense to eat food that is marked both by its exquisite preparation and exotic content. Their creativity, dedication, and courage in the face of dishes such as cod sperm and octopus ice cream is only now beginning to be fully appreciated in the sushi and ramen-saturated West.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Interesting material that's well-narrated
- By John S. on 11-09-16
By: Michael Booth
What listeners say about Borough Market: Edible Histories
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Jennifer
- 12-25-20
Good narrator, bland story
The narrator’s voice was clear and without fault. The story itself was... bland? For a place as rich in history, smell, and taste, I expected more from a book titled “Borough Market.”
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Zoe
- 12-15-20
Interesting somewhat more somewhat less
It was slightly boring I think the narrator was not very excited.
Strangely enough there was nothing about sugar but I enjoyed the part about tea and coffee.
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