Oxford Companion to Food
Encyclopedia
The Oxford Companion to Food is an encyclopedia
about food
. It was edited by Alan Davidson
and published by Oxford University Press
in 1999. It was also issued in softcover under the name The Penguin Companion to Food. A second edition was edited by Tom Jaine and published in 2006.
The book, Davidson's magnum opus
with "more than a million words, mostly his own", covers the nature and history of foodstuffs worldwide, starting from aardvark
and ending with zuppa inglese
. It is compiled with especially strong coverage of European
and in particular British cookery
and contains no recipe
s. It was an "outgrowth" of the annual Oxford Symposium on Food and Cookery
.
The entry for this work in WorldCat
includes the following abstract:
Major articles are signed and include bibliographic references, and there is a comprehensive overall bibliography. Much of the material in it was previously published in Davidson's Petits Propos Culinaires
.
called the book "a masterly work with a variety of voices, from the straightforward, almost dry, to the quirky and the witty" and a work "dense with extremely thorough and well-written entries, enhanced by cross-references and indexes and larded with anecdotes and strong opinions."
The American Library Association
recognized The Oxford Companion to Food with an Honorable Mention in the Dartmouth Medal
competition for 2000, as well as inclusion as one of its Outstanding reference sources 2000 by the Reference Sources Committee of the Reference and User Services Association (RULA). In May 2000, it received a James Beard Foundation Award
as best reference work.
Encyclopedia
An encyclopedia is a type of reference work, a compendium holding a summary of information from either all branches of knowledge or a particular branch of knowledge....
about food
Food
Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals...
. It was edited by Alan Davidson
Alan Davidson (food writer)
Alan Eaton Davidson was a British diplomat and historian best known for his writing and editing on food and gastronomy. He was the author of the 900-page, encyclopedic The Oxford Companion to Food .The son of a Scottish tax inspector, Davidson was born in Londonderry, Northern Ireland...
and published by Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press is the largest university press in the world. It is a department of the University of Oxford and is governed by a group of 15 academics appointed by the Vice-Chancellor known as the Delegates of the Press. They are headed by the Secretary to the Delegates, who serves as...
in 1999. It was also issued in softcover under the name The Penguin Companion to Food. A second edition was edited by Tom Jaine and published in 2006.
The book, Davidson's magnum opus
Magnum opus
Magnum opus , from the Latin meaning "great work", refers to the largest, and perhaps the best, greatest, most popular, or most renowned achievement of a writer, artist, or composer.-Related terms:Sometimes the term magnum opus is used to refer to simply "a great work" rather than "the...
with "more than a million words, mostly his own", covers the nature and history of foodstuffs worldwide, starting from aardvark
Aardvark
The aardvark is a medium-sized, burrowing, nocturnal mammal native to Africa...
and ending with zuppa inglese
Zuppa Inglese
Zuppa Inglese is an Italian custard-based dessert.-History:Recipes for this sweet first appeared in the towns of Parma, Bologna, Forlì, Ferrara and Reggio Emilia, all in the Emilia-Romagna region, in the late 19th century...
. It is compiled with especially strong coverage of European
European cuisine
European cuisine, or alternatively Western cuisine, is a generalised term collectively referring to the cuisines of Europe and other Western countries...
and in particular British cookery
British cuisine
English cuisine encompasses the cooking styles, traditions and recipes associated with England. It has distinctive attributes of its own, but also shares much with wider British cuisine, largely due to the importation of ingredients and ideas from places such as North America, China, and India...
and contains no recipe
Recipe
A recipe is a set of instructions that describe how to prepare or make something, especially a culinary dish.-Components:Modern culinary recipes normally consist of several components*The name of the dish...
s. It was an "outgrowth" of the annual Oxford Symposium on Food and Cookery
Oxford Symposium on Food and Cookery
The Oxford Symposium on Food & Cookery meets annually, currently at St Catherine's College, Oxford, to discuss issues of concern to those, academics and non-academics alike, whose principal professional concern or interest is food history, taken in its broadest sense.The Oxford Symposium is the...
.
The entry for this work in WorldCat
WorldCat
WorldCat is a union catalog which itemizes the collections of 72,000 libraries in 170 countries and territories which participate in the Online Computer Library Center global cooperative...
includes the following abstract:
- The 2,650 alphabetical entries in this compendium represent 20 years of Davidson's work. They include information on specific foods, cooking terms, culinary tools, countries, traditions, and biographies of chefs and cookbook authors. The entries for countries cover foods, habits, and holidays with special foods. The entries about traditions cover religious laws that deal with food and/or fasting, such as RamadanRamadanRamadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts 29 or 30 days. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and...
and kosher laws. There are 39 longer articles about staple foods such as rice and apples. A comprehensive bibliography provides access to further information. The book does not contain recipes, but it is an excellent companion for sources such as the Larousse GastronomiqueLarousse GastronomiqueLarousse Gastronomique is an encyclopedia of gastronomy. The majority of the book is about French cuisine, and contains recipes for French dishes and cooking techniques...
.
Major articles are signed and include bibliographic references, and there is a comprehensive overall bibliography. Much of the material in it was previously published in Davidson's Petits Propos Culinaires
Petits Propos Culinaires
Petits Propos Culinaires is a journal of the history of food and cookery. Founded by Alan Davidson in 1979, it is now edited by Tom Jaine and is published by Prospect Books. The frequency of publication, three times a year, has not varied; nor has the format...
.
Reception
The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
called the book "a masterly work with a variety of voices, from the straightforward, almost dry, to the quirky and the witty" and a work "dense with extremely thorough and well-written entries, enhanced by cross-references and indexes and larded with anecdotes and strong opinions."
The American Library Association
American Library Association
The American Library Association is a non-profit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 62,000 members....
recognized The Oxford Companion to Food with an Honorable Mention in the Dartmouth Medal
Dartmouth Medal
The Dartmouth Medal of the American Library Association is awarded annually to a reference work of outstanding quality and significance, published during the previous calendar year.-History:...
competition for 2000, as well as inclusion as one of its Outstanding reference sources 2000 by the Reference Sources Committee of the Reference and User Services Association (RULA). In May 2000, it received a James Beard Foundation Award
James Beard Foundation Award
The James Beard Foundation Awards were established in 1990 and are often called "The Oscars of Food." Held on the first weekend in May, the Awards honor the finest chefs, restaurants, wine professionals, journalists, cookbook authors, restaurant designers, and other food professionals in the...
as best reference work.