Exotic Brew

"Vivid, energetic and mouth-watering ... a major contribution to the surge of interest in the history of food and the body." Roy Porter, Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine

"This book is written in a light and entertaining manner appropriate to the spirit of the age it seeks to capture." Journal of the Historical Association

"Replete with quotations from the champions as well as the critics of the Enlightenment's new art of living, this book is written in a light and entertaining manner appropriate to the spirit of the age it seeks to capture." History

"In this intriguing and amusing book, Camporesi guides the reader through the dining rooms of the European elite, painting an intricate picture of the cuisine and 'savoire vivre' of the period. The strongest feature of this work is its wealth of curious details which grant insight into a vivacious and seemingly frivolous society, obsessed with its quest for the exotic and the unorthodox. This highly evocative book is most entertaining and vividly brings to life the distinctive and bizarre lifestyles which were born of Europe's intellectual awakening." Chartist

'Camporesi is ... a beautiful writer who imbues much of the elegance of the Enlightenment era in his composition.' Limina