Culinary History

Brillat-Savarin, Jean Anthelme. Physiologie du Gout, ou Meditations de Gastronomie Transcendante...Paris: Sautelet et Cie, 1826.

Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1755-1826) was a French lawyer and politician who achieved fame through a book, Physiologie du Gout. This work on gastronomy has been described as the "finest book of its kind in the Western world." Numerous translations have appeared in English under such titles as "Gastronomy as a Fine Art," "The Science of Good Living," "The Handbook of Dining," and "The Physiology of Taste or Meditations on Transcendental Gastronomy." Written with sparkling wit and charm, the book reflects the author's cultured background and his keen interest in food.