The Kingdom of Rye: A Brief History of Russian Food

by Darra Goldstein

Overview

Celebrated food scholar Darra Goldstein takes readers on a vivid tour of history and culture through Russian cuisine.
 
The Kingdom of Rye unearths the foods and flavors of the Russian land. Preeminent food studies scholar Darra Goldstein offers readers a concise, engaging, and gorgeously crafted story of Russian cuisine and culture. This story demonstrates how national identity is revealed through food—and how people know who they are by what they eat together. The Kingdom of Rye examines the Russians' ingenuity in overcoming hunger, a difficult climate, and a history of political hardship while deciphering Russia's social structures from within. This is a domestic history of Russian food that serves up a deeper history, demonstrating that the wooden spoon is mightier than the scepter.
 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780520383890
Publisher:	University of California Press
Publication date:	05/24/2022
Series:	California Studies in Food and Culture , #77
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	200
Sales rank:	1,162,937
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.30(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Darra Goldstein is the Willcox B. and Harriet M. Adsit Professor of Russian, Emerita, at Williams College and founding editor of Gastronomica. She is author of six award-winning cookbooks, including Beyond the North Wind: Russia in Recipes and Lore.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations xi

Preface xv

Introduction 1

1 The Land and Its Flavors 9

2 Hardship and Hunger 63

3 Hospitality and Excess 95

Coda: Post-Soviet Russia 124

Acknowledgments 151

Suggestions for Further Reading 153

Index 157

Editorial Reviews

"This concise, information-dense, yet delightful book provides a window into the nature and history of Russian national cuisine. . . .Goldstein’s book…can be recommended to almost any reader."

Economic Botanist

"A lyrical tribute to the author's decades-long relationship, both professional and personal, with Russian food. . . . If readers want to grasp the sensory and emotional importance of certain well-loved foods and dishes in Russia, they could do no better."

The Russian Review

"This concise, information-dense, yet delightful book provides a window into the nature and history of Russian national cuisine. . . . Goldstein’s book…can be recommended to almost any reader."

Economic Botany

"Brief, but enlightening. . . . Deeply appreciative of Russian cuisine . . .  and the ability of Russian cooks to take whatever was available and turn it into something edible and memorable."

Food Politics

"Replete not only with life and enthusiasm, but also with a deep wellspring of knowledge. . . . A wonderful, rich and thought-provoking book."

The TLS