A Distant Feast: A History Of New Zealand's Cuisine

By Wheldon Curzon-Hobson

Potatoes sit in fruit shops and supermarkets without making any fuss. They appear as a common offering, surrounded by the bright greens and yellows and reds of other fruit and vegetables. Some have been subjected to the tortuous experience of being cleaned, others are displayed hidden beneath layers of dirt.

However, they have a deep sense of pride, knowing that they are the most widely cultivated vegetable in the world. They are by no means the dull creation that merely fills the stomach, lacking in nutritional value. They provide vitamins including niacin, riboflavin, thiamin, and vitamin C. They also contain minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and sulfur.

Moreover, they have an illustrious, exotic history. They were born in the Andean Mountains of South America, and records show they were cultivated at least 7,000 years ago. The Incas used potatoes to divine the truth and predict weather, they actually worshipped them and buried them with their dead.

The Spanish conquistadores returned home from Peru triumphant, potatoes being offloaded from the same boats as gold. They were an important part of the Spanish fleet because potatoes are high in vitamin C and the sailors who ate them did not suffer from scurvy. Potatoes became a staple crop of Europe, and when the potato failed, millions died. Scientists mistakenly believed potatoes were fattening in the 1950s, but now this most important of vegetables has resumed its important place as a nutritious and delicious source of food for much of the world's population.

Such is the illustrious history of the potato, seemingly inconspicuous and common, as it sits naked at the market. And such is the importance of food. It plays an intrinsic role in the social history of the world's cultures. The availability and affordability of quality food is essential to understanding the function or disfunction of society.

Tony Simpson's revised book captures this in an intelligent and attractive way. The layout is quite simply gorgeous, with wonderful photographs and paintings that capture the preparation of food and the social setting in which it was consumed. The social history is written clearly, and succinctly outlines the history of the food that is consumed in New Zealand, and how it came to be eaten and prepared. Furthermore, there are dozens of recipes laid out alongside the text.

If you ever wondered where the food came from that we eat in New Zealand, how it was prepared in the past, why we eat what we eat, and what social factors influence these choices, then this book is a wonderfully interesting read.

A Distant Feast: A History Of New Zealand's Cuisine
Tony Simpson
Published by Random House NZ/Imprint: Godwit

Wheldon Curzon-Hobson is an e-Learning consultant who loves to review literature written by New Zealanders. See more of Wheldon's work at wheldonreviews.blogspot.com.

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