Cornucopia: A Gastronomic Tour of Britain Book

Historically speaking, British food has been noted for its sophistication a great deal longer than for its mediocrity. Medieval recipes were complex, often involving the pounding of almost a dozen different herbs into a paste before meat and vegetables were even considered. Somewhere along the way, Britain's culinary reputation got lost: before Paul Richardson began to sample British food, his French, Spanish and Italian friends offered him their condolences. But with cookery now occupying record space on our television screens, the tables seem to have turned. Good food is once again on Britain's menu.Although optimistic, Richardson approached his subject with scepticism, not wishing to be misled by media hype. During the 18-month tour that would become Cornucopia, he talked to both chefs and shoppers, visited cheesemakers, bakers, smokehouses and coffee-houses, and sampled everything from deep-fried Mars Bars in Newcastle to udder in Accrington. The book opens with Richardson leaving Normandy for Sussex--the start of a tour that would take him through England, Wales and Scotland--finishing up in London, a city now citing itself as the "food capital of the world". Richardson interpolates his narrative with fascinating snippets of culinary history, identifying, for example, the obscure food category of "traditional foods produced in village post offices". The book also includes a handful of recipes, including Burnt Cream and Trout With Bacon. Richardson tells his tale with wry humour, employing the occasional food-related metaphor (cities are described as "fried eggs, with a discernible neat logic of centre and outside"). In attempting to assess the state of Britain's national cuisine, Cornucopia comes close to achieving an impossible task. --Daren KingRead More