Did you know that aristocrats used to pour their coffees on a little plate before drinking it? And that there were a long list of etiquette rules if you wanted to hand somebody a snuff-box?
Fun, well written, full of trivia. I read it for one of my University lessons, but I would read it again!
Spice and stimulants must flow: 鈥渢he great voyages of exploration, the discovery of the New World, the beginning of the modern age, were all closely linked to the European hunger for pepper.鈥� The 鈥渨ine of Islam,鈥� coffee, 鈥渁wakened a drowsing humanity from its alcoholic stupor to middle-class common sense and industry.鈥� Coffeehouses became places of commerce, news and conversation for bourgeois life. While the Protestant Ethic was being lubricated by coffee, fasting monks and the aristocracy of the Catholic world took their liquid cocoa leisurely lying down. Smoking or 鈥渄rinking tobacco鈥� was condemned as the 鈥渄ry drunkenness,鈥� a 鈥渇eeling of activity in leisure and one of leisure in the midst of activity鈥� and 鈥渁n ersatz act which absorbs the increasing nervousness of civilized man.鈥� Socialists debated the scourge of the new industrial sped-up 鈥渟pirits鈥� versus solidarity-creating beer-drinking in taverns. While Europe sped up with its stimulants, opium rendered China docile to colonialism.
the research is here is solid, and this book is jam-packed with cool historical images of the stimulants and intoxicants described. But the great interest of this book lies in the more broad-reaching comments the author provides on the changing roles drugs play within a range of European cultures over time. These can be quite thought-provoking and insightful such as the contrast Schivelbusch provides between the place of coffee as a Protestant drug and chocolate as a Catholic drug. The connection between Protestantism and coffee is nothing really new, and not very radical to make, but the contrast the author establishes between coffee and the role of chocolate in Catholic cultures was, at least for me, a new perspective that i found quite interesting to entertain. One good example of the importance of chocolate for Catholic countries lies in the nutritional richness that chocolate provides whilst still being consumed as a liquid. As such it allowed Catholic communities to imbibe without breaking their religiously ordained fasting periods, such as Lent. Fascinating.
Keyif veren maddelerin k眉lt眉rel, tarihsel ve felsefi yolculu臒una 谋艧谋k tutan hem bilgilendirici hem de son derece keyifli bir kitap. Wolfgang Schivelbusch kahveden t眉t眉ne, 莽ikolatadan alkole uzanan geni艧 bir yelpazeyi ele al谋rken, bu maddelerin tarih boyunca nas谋l toplumsal anlamlar kazand谋臒谋n谋, nas谋l de臒i艧imler ya艧ad谋臒谋n谋 ustal谋kla anlat谋yor. Akademik bir titizlikle yaz谋lm谋艧 olmas谋na ra臒men hi莽 a臒谋rla艧mayan dili sayesinde zevkle okunuyor.
**This review has been adapted from a reflective essay I wrote for my Modern World Civilization class**
Spices and stimulants that are commonplace to twenty-first century Westerners were considered luxury items in medieval times and the early modern era: pepper, chocolate, tea, coffee, tobacco, and opium. I was surprised to read in Tastes of Paradise about the various controversies surrounding most of these items- who would have thought that chocolate and coffee had negative connotations and superstitions surrounding them? Even politics and the overall culture of a country played a part in who was able to enjoy these delicious bits of happiness. Spices were used in medieval times in medicinal preparations and as social clues to denote a household鈥檚 rank in the social hierarchy: 鈥淭he higher the rank of a household, the greater its use of spices鈥� (4). In addition to being consumed in great quantities, spices were given as gifts between members of the nobility and sometimes used in lieu of cash payments (7). The long journey from India to Europe increased spices鈥� monetary value and added to spices鈥� allure as 鈥渆missaries from a fabled world鈥� (6), especially in a time where very few Europeans traveled outside of their native homeland. The nobility and elite of Europe also used spices as a way to separate themselves from their common subjects- the poor souls who could not afford the expense of spices and whose status in the social hierarchy could not be 鈥渢asted鈥� or shown to others (7). The use of spices by the European elite paralleled the elite鈥檚 new focus on 鈥渟tyle鈥�- clothes, home furnishings, etc.- all of which were supplied through Arabic traders throughout the Orient. The author compares the early modern era dependence on Arabic spice trading with the modern Western world鈥檚 dependence on Arab oil in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries (9)- which brought to my mind the quote: 鈥渢he more things change, the more they stay the same. Eventually the middle class in Europe expanded along with the demand for spices as the expanding middle class tried to emulate their wealthier contemporaries (10-11). High demand, high tariffs, and high prices along with increased understanding of sailing technology prompted European explorers (and their wealthy investors) to search for a direct sea route to India (10-11). By cutting out the Arabic traders/middlemen, Europeans hoped to decrease the prices of spices while keeping up with demand on the Continent: 鈥淲hoever controlled pepper would essentially control the purse-strings of a continent鈥� (11-12). Views on alcohol in Europe swung from one extreme to the other from medieval time to the age of encounter. In medieval times alcohol, especially beer, was consumed daily 鈥渁s the main source of nourishment for most central European and northern Europeans (22). Daily consumption started with beer soup for breakfast and continued throughout the day. Alcoholic beverages were also heavily consumed during special occasions and holidays. The common consumption of alcohol mixed with obligatory social drinking rites meant that intoxication was rampant. Intoxication was considered normalized behavior until the Protestant Reformation redefined man鈥檚 relationship with God and, by extension, alcohol (31). While Protestant attitudes towards alcohol were changing, coffee was becoming readily available as a substitute for alcohol. While alcohol numbed one to the miseries of life, the caffeine in coffee encouraged sobriety (35), increased efficiency and energy (39), and was believed to curb sexual libido (37): 鈥淚t marked the start of the working day, formally putting an end to the night鈥檚 rest, and making its drinkers alert and cheerful for the day ahead鈥� (63). Energy and efficiency were core virtues of the Protestant work ethic, thus, coffee became a popular non-alcoholic beverage in the Protestant-dominant countries of England and Germany. While chocolate is a beloved ingredient around the world now, chocolate was imported from the New World into predominantly Catholic countries such as Italy and Spain. Chocolate was originally used by the Spanish clergy as a 鈥渇asting drink鈥� (91) during religious holidays but it soon became a status symbol of the aristocracy (91). When chocolate entered the world of the aristocracy it was a rich, sumptuous breakfast beverage that 鈥渃reated an intermediary state between lying down and sitting up鈥� (91). Chocolate was the antithesis to coffee: it relaxed the body, was high in calories, and believed to be an aphrodisiac (perhaps that is why chocolate is a traditional Valentine鈥檚 Day gift?) (92). The status of chocolate declined in the nineteenth century as its popularity rose among the middle class: 鈥淭he former status drink of the ancient r茅gime had sunk to world of women and children. What formerly symbolized power and glory was now in the hands of those excluded from power and responsibility in middle-class society鈥� (93). The Columbian exchange brought tobacco and its new way of consumption (smoking) to Europe during the Era of Encounter. Originally tobacco use was referred to as 鈥渄rinking smoke鈥� or 鈥渄rinking tobacco鈥� since European cultures had no point of reference or name for this new recreational habit: 鈥淭he analogy with drinking was thus first a conceptual aid for grasping an otherwise bewildering novelty鈥� (97). The medical view of tobacco was similar to that of alcohol: it dulled the senses, thought to be an anti-erotic agent, and first-time use could be an unpleasant experience. Since smoking calmed the nerves, the rituals around smoking tobacco focused on preparing one鈥檚 mental activity and concentration. As each smoking process (pipe, cigar, cigarette, etc.) grew in popularity, the actual time spent on smoking and its accompanying rituals decreased (111). Schivelbusch theorizes that the modes and amount of smoking in a society reveal that society鈥檚 鈥渟tandards of tranquility and concentration鈥� (115) and 鈥渄emonstrates to what depth the culture is permeated by nervousness鈥� (129). I thought this was an intriguing correlation. Often attributed to world events, social factors, or personality traits, anxiety seems to be at an all-time high in American society. What if American anxiety levels are so high because Americans are smoking less? If this is true, it is a terrible trade-off though- smoke now and be calm, die of lung cancer later. Opium was a commonly prescribed painkiller in the nineteenth century and used for a variety of mild or easily treatable medical conditions. Opium was the drug of choice of for poets, artists, and writers since it infused their artwork and writings with a dreamlike quality. Society viewed the lone wolf tendencies and mindsets of these artists and writers as dangerous: 鈥淚t was the asocial significance attributed by poets to opium and hashish which first caused them to lose their identity as ordinary household remedies鈥� (210). Awareness of the negative consequences of addiction due to the post-war morphine addicts of the various nineteenth century wars stripped away the glamor and appeal of opium. Another habit that was frowned upon by the upper and middle classes was the excessive consumption of distilled spirits (hard liquor). Of course, the definition of excessive consumption is subjective; what the upper and middle classes thought of as distasteful was the source of bonding among members of the lower working classes: 鈥淒rink and drunkenness carried no social stigma; on the contrary, they were almost a symbol of class identity鈥� (149). The working classes consumed their alcohol in loud, public places while middle class drinking subscribed to a more moderate mindset: 鈥淭he middle-class citizen drank moderately, and he drank in a private circle鈥� (148). Excessive drinking was also a form of escapism for the lower working classes- industrialization increased the physical and mental energy expected of workers without an appropriate increase in pay or rest. Many urban workers had migrated from the countryside for economic opportunity only to find themselves living in squalid living conditions and without the financial and emotional support of their extended family network. Like spices, liquor was originally used in medicinal preparations but it was also used in the military as part of a soldier鈥檚 rations before finding its way into civilian life during the Industrial Revolution. 鈥淟iquor鈥� created new qualities of alcoholic inebriation, just as coffee created new qualities of sobriety. The polarity of these effects was reflected in the polarity of the two classes that adopted these drinks鈥� (152). Liquor sped up the inebriation process which Schivelbusch parallels to the 鈥減rocesses of acceleration of the modern age鈥� (153). Wine and beer were looked upon more favorably (by the upper classes) as acceptable forms of alcohol for the lower classes- these drinks kept the social and political bonds alive for the working masses without the constant and debilitating drunkenness (165). After reading this book it is my opinion that coffee had the most positive effect on Europe and world history (personally, I am a chocoholic so this was hard to admit). Coffee consumption increases a person鈥檚 physical energy level and mental prowess (temporarily). Increased physical and mental energy was needed in the Industrial Revolution to increase efficiency, production, and consumption. Coffee also contributed to the field of journalism, discourse, and free thought- coffeehouses were the precursors to newspapers and were available to the common man, although, unfortunately, not to the common woman (57). Although coffee consumption eventually moved to the domestic sphere, newspapers, literature, and journalism stayed in the public sphere and contributed to the Western ideals of free speech and free thought.
Kitab谋n ad谋 keyif verici maddelerin avrupadaki tarihi olsaym谋艧 daha uygun olurmu艧. Daha geni艧 bir co臒rafya ya da daha ayr谋nt谋l谋 bilgi arayanlar i莽in hayal k谋r谋kl谋臒谋 olabilir. Bunun d谋艧谋nda okumas谋 kolay yer yer ilgin莽 bilgiler olan bir eser.
A remarkably erudite and entertaining book tracing the impact of stimulants on civilization through the ages. The book alternates between anecdote and bigger picture themes while navigating the history of coffee, chocolate, tobacco and (briefly) drugs. There are also chapters on drinking places and eating rituals that seem rather off-topic but are nonetheless interesting.
The author's delight in the small and mundane is infectious. He has also collected an impressive set of historic illustrations, comic strips, ads and artifacts to accompany his story.
The only downside might be that the translation seems a little choppy at times but otherwise this is a charming book.
Kendini okutan g眉zel bir pop眉ler tarih kitab谋 ya da asl谋nda 艧i艧irilmi艧 bir bro艧眉r. 脟eviri iyiydi ama K谋rm谋z谋 Kedi yay谋nlar谋n谋n bask谋s谋 bir felaket. K枚t眉 mizanpaj, 枚zensizce yerle艧tirilmi艧 g枚rseller.
Yazar kahve, 莽ay, kakao, bira, lik枚r, afyon gibi maddelerin 17. y眉zy谋ldan ba艧layarak Avrupa鈥檇aki t眉ketilme tarzlar谋n谋, bu tarzlar谋n s谋n谋fsal anlam谋n谋 g眉zel anekdotlarla a莽谋kl谋yor.
This terrifically enjoyable little history of what its author calls Genussmittel 鈥� 鈥渁rticles of pleasure鈥� 鈥� was given to me as a gift years ago, but I never got around to it until earlier this year. (Sorry, Heather!) It was absolutely worth the wait; while slight at 237 pages, it鈥檚 also richly illustrated with period art that actually enhances the text nicely, and it鈥檚 got a surprisingly rich depth of research and sourcing. Essentially, it examines the social, cultural, and political impact that spices, coffee, drinking chocolate, tobacco, alcohol, and other quasi-vices had on their arrival in Europe. It鈥檚 one of the most enjoyable such social histories I鈥檝e read in ages, and I can see why it鈥檚 stayed in print for so long.
Tastes of Paradise was written in 1980 by German social scientist Wolfgang Schivelbusch, and updated in 1992, at which time the growing moral panic over drug abuse puts its chapter on opium and other narcotics into a fascinating new light. Schivelbusch isn鈥檛 a traditional historian, but rather a social scientist who focuses on an approach known as 鈥渉istory of mentalities鈥�, which traces what people thought and how they categorized things at the time. Thus we learn not a dry recitation of the social changes wrought by these imports from Asia, but how ordinary people treated them within the context of the period.
While not a Marxist ideologue, Schivelbusch is at least a European intellectual, meaning that he doesn鈥檛 shy away from discussing the class implications of the subject, nor is he shy about using the word 鈥渃apitalism鈥� both correctly and with judgment. For example, he makes a tremendously convincing argument about how coffee was an instrument of bourgeoisification, acting as a non-intoxicating stimulant that perfectly matched the desire increased productivity, and there鈥檚 an entire chapter on the struggles among early socialist thinkers over whether or not the working class should be allowed to consume alcohol.
The book was written too soon to make certain comparisons, but reading it from the vantage point of 2022, some of them seem inescapable. One common aspect of all these imports is that they were initially luxuries: They cost a lot of money and effort to import, they came with their own peripheral industries (such as the making of costly serving implements for coffee), and they provided a means of conspicuous consumption for elites as the wealth gap between them and the working class grew ever greater. It鈥檚 hard to read this today and not think of other frivolous expenditures today, such as cryptocurrency.
Well-written, slyly funny, full of solid history and strong class analysis, Tastes of Paradise is a book I鈥檇 highly recommend. It鈥檚 also incredibly engaging just for the curious revelations the reader will discover, from the status of beer as both a drink and a food to the gendered nature of coffee and cigarettes to how hard liquor literally and figuratively lubricated the industrial revolution. But I won鈥檛 deprive you of the pleasure of learning all this for yourself 鈥� pick up this delightful history and be amazed.
Nerdeyse hepimizin hayat谋nda en az biri etkili olan 莽ay,莽ikolata,kahve,t眉t眉n gibi keyif verici maddelerin tarihini,t眉ketim k眉lt眉r眉n眉 ve s谋n谋flar谋n ideolojik taleplerine olan cevab谋n谋 okumak,anlamaya 莽al谋艧mak inan谋lmaz ufuk a莽谋c谋 bir deneyimdi . Kitapta kullan谋lan tablolar , grav眉rler ve reklam afi艧leri de anlat谋y谋 olduk莽a zenginle艧tirmi艧ti. Herkese tavsiye ederim .
The history of spices and intoxicants intersects many social and economic histories. As their source was mainly through trade and colonisation, the absorption of many of the intoxicants and spices mentioned in this book point to global economic change, and widened experience.
New products often have early rituals associated with them and communal aspects, and it is interesting to consider how this ritualistic aspect diminishes as a product becomes more of a technology or commodity. The importance of picking the right pipe, the ritual of preparing the tobacco, for instance, gave way to the listless ease of cigarettes. Beer drinking, a distinctive group experience, led to hard liquor, stuff that is often a solitary experience, achieving the state of drunkenness faster.
We can see this progress with many products (social media for instance has lost much of its communal feeling as it has become commoditised. Except for 欧宝娱乐 of course. Long may it run.
This a short book and the reader often wants more depth. Entire avenues one can want to read about are lightly touched upon. Also the wonderful artwork deserved colour plates, but with the internet one can find them.
An excellent book, that leads one to wonder if books with some more depth exist.
Genel olarak gayet ak谋c谋 ve bilgilendirici. 3 y谋ld谋z vermenin sebebi, 莽ay, kahve, 莽ikolata, t眉t眉n, bira ve distile i莽eceklerin d谋艧谋nda ba艧ka keyif verici maddeleri yazmam谋艧 olmas谋. Beklentim kitab谋n uyu艧turucular谋n tarihini anlatmas谋yd谋 ancak bunlar 眉zerine neredeyse hi莽 bir 艧ey yok.
Daha 枚nce okudu臒um 6 Bardakta D眉nya Tarihi, bu manada daha geni艧 ve bilgilendiriciydi. Ayr谋ca keyif verici maddelerin sadece Avrupadaki durumunun i艧lenmi艧 olmas谋 kitab谋n g眉莽l眉 yan谋 m谋 zay谋f yan谋 m谋 emin olamad谋m.