Spanning centuries and continents, Acquired Tastes explores the extraordinary journeys of specific recipes as they moved from one culture to another – carried and transmitted by eight remarkable individuals. Their stories unfold against the social and culinary backdrop of their time, revealing the unique – and often serendipitous – journeys these dishes and drinks have taken.
Drawing on decades of immersion in food culture and historical research, James Chatto, W.L. Martin, and Joseph Sproule share the intimate biographies of their subjects and the evolution of their recipes. The wide-ranging collection includes Queen Bona Sforza’s introduction of Renaissance Italian lasagne into Poland, Fujianese merchant Chen Zhenlong’s smuggling of the sweet potato from Manila to China, the international ovation for concert pianist Jan Smeterlin’s flourless chocolate cake, and U.S. Navy doctor Lucius W. Johnson’s role in popularizing the Cuban Daiquiri, among others. In telling these lively stories and including all the recipes, the authors uncover motivations for culinary exchange at the personal level, ranging from exhibitionism to famine relief, and from anti-colonial propaganda to the simple and generous impulse to share something delicious.