How did the Magnum take over the corner shop freezer? Who was the first food critic? And why on Earth does Essex have so many Wimpys? These, and more, are the questions asked and answered by Ruby Tandoh’s excellent All Consuming.
Part history book, part cultural explainer, All Consuming tackles almost every aspect of the ways we eat and how we got that way, from how we use (and don’t use) cookbooks to why bubble tea has consumed Britain’s national psyche.
The book is split into broad sections, with smaller chapters within. First she assesses recipes, from their modern marketing to the early internet Wild West of allrecipes.com. Then critics, influencers, and hype restaurants draw her attention, before she turns to how cookbooks and magazines sell the fantasy of domestic life. The retail world is next, starting with supermarkets and ending with the current blight of wellness drinks, before Tandoh assesses why we fell so fast for fast food.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Braise to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.