Edibles

1. “The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell”, by Mark Kurlansky, 2006

Follows the history of the oyster beds in the Hudson River estuary, and by extension tracks the history of the city of New York. Starting from the earliest evidence of Lenape oyster beds (indicators that Native Americans enjoyed oysters as a delicacy), this moves through the Dutch arrival, quickly followed by the appearance of the oyster-mad British. Charming aspects of this book include letters written from the New World back to England, regaling friends with stories about foot-long oysters and the copious amounts of oysters consumed; 19th century shucking contests in which in just two hours, 23 minutes and 39 and three-fourths seconds, one shucker opened 2,500 oysters; and the unique opportunity that oyster-restaurants provided for freed slaves in New York.

2. “Caviar: The Strange History and Uncertain Future of the World's Most Coveted Luxury”, by Inga Saffron, 2003

Traces the history of caviar (Beluga, Osetra, Sevruga and Farmed); once a lowly substitute in Russia for meat during religious fasts and now an icon of luxury. Explores the history of the caviar industry from its humble beginnings to the rise of an early industry in which divers would take shots of vodka in order to give them courage while diving deep to lay nets for sturgeon in the Volga. This also recounts the successes and conflicts in caviar’s history – including early discoveries about preservation of the fish roe; cartels in the mid-1980s; and the present threat of extinction.

3. “Champagne: How the World’s Most Glamorous Wine Triumphed Over War and Hard Times”, by Don and Petie Kladstrup, 2005

The story of the wine and of the region: this recounts the bloody history of the Champagne area, and the men and women credited with the invention of champagne, many of whose names are still linked to today’s great champagne houses. Includes a mini-biography of Dom Perignon and interesting trivia, including that Louis XIV, the Sun King, made champagne popular as he rarely drank anything else; Tsar Nicholas regularly went to bed with six bottles of champagne; Madame de Pompadour, after her first taste of champagne said, “champagne is the only wine that lets a woman remain beautiful after she has drunk it.” The Kladstrups’ account of the resistance in Champagne (and protection of their bottles) during World War I is quite moving.


Commentary: “The Big Oyster”, “Caviar”, and “Champagne” all provide access to three edible luxuries – anecdotal about their consumption while tracing their paths to iconic status. Each contains information about either eating or drinking their consumable of choice. Each also allows access to the history of a region – New York, Russia and its environs, and both the Champagne region and the French court. Finally, all three edibles go well together!