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In the tradition of Cod and Olives: a fascinating journey into the hidden history, culture, and commerce of caviar.Once merely a substitute for meat during religious fasts, today caviar is an icon of luxury and wealth. In Caviar, Inga Saffron tells, for the first time, the story of how the virgin eggs of the prehistoric-looking, bottom-feeding sturgeon were transformed from a humble peasant food into a czar's delicacy--and ultimately a coveted status symbol for a rising middle class. She explores how the glistening black eggs became the epitome of culinary extravagance, while taking us on a revealing excursion into the murky world of caviar on the banks of the Volga River and Caspian Sea in Russia, the Elbe in Europe, and the Hudson and Delaware Rivers in the United States. At the same time, Saffron describes the complex industry caviar has spawned, illustrating the unfortunate consequences of mass marketing such a rare commodity.The story of caviar has long been one of conflict, crisis, extravagant claims, and colorful characters, such as the Greek sea captain who first discovered the secret method of transporting the perishable delicacy to Europe, the canny German businessmen who encountered a wealth of untapped sturgeon in American waters, the Russian Communists who created a sophisticated cartel to market caviar to an affluent Western clientele, the dirt-poor poachers who eked out a living from sturgeon in the aftermath of the Soviet collapse and the "caviar Mafia" that has risen in their wake, and the committed scientists who sacrificed their careers to keep caviar on our tables. Filled with lore and intrigue, Caviar is a captivating work of culinary, natural, and cultural history.From the Hardcover edition.
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History, Nonfiction, New York Times reviewedShowing 4 featured editions. View all 4 editions?
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1
Caviar: The Strange History and Uncertain Future of the World's Most Coveted Delicacy
October 14, 2003, Broadway
Paperback
in English
0767906241 9780767906241
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3
Caviar: The Strange History And Uncertain Future of the World's Most Coveted Delicacy
August 30, 2002, Diane Pub Co
Hardcover
in English
0756783550 9780756783556
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4
Caviar: The Strange History and Uncertain Future of the World's Most Coveted Delicacy
October 8, 2002, Broadway
Hardcover
in English
- 1st edition
0767906233 9780767906234
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August 11, 2011 | Edited by ImportBot | add ia_box_id to scanned books |
May 26, 2011 | Edited by ImportBot | Added new cover |
May 26, 2011 | Edited by ImportBot | Found a matching record from Internet Archive . |
August 6, 2010 | Edited by IdentifierBot | added LibraryThing ID |
April 29, 2008 | Created by an anonymous user | Imported from amazon.com record. |