Commerce, Food, and Identity explores not only the culinary landscapes of England and France but also the origins of enduring cultural myths that have shaped popular perceptions of English and French ways of eating and drinking. The book challenges simplistic narratives surrounding food practices and cultural identification, presenting a more nuanced and complex story. Its central thesis focuses on the pivotal role of commerce in transmitting ideas, particularly by examining the intricate relationship between food and identity. By employing an economic history lens, the author explores both commercial and cultural exchange within the trading networks of England and France.
The questions posed by the author address the impact of global trade on the definition of French and English cultures. The book investigates how the influx of new and exotic food items influenced the cultural identity of these nations and contributed to the emergence of the concept of “national taste” (19). Additionally, the economic policies of seventeenth-century nation states are analyzed in the context of citizens’ food and drink choices, revealing a reciprocal relationship between gastronomic preferences and economic decisions.
The culinary traditions of France and Britain symbolize their divergent trade and political approaches. In the seventeenth century, France, facing challenges in competing for tropical spices, shifted its focus inward. This led to the creation of domestic alternatives that replaced imported spices with local ingredients and the refinement of culinary techniques. Crucial to the narration is La Varenne's Le Cuisinier francois (1651), a cookbook that marked a significant break with previous traditions of formal cookery. La Varenne's work was the first to set down in writing the considerable culinary innovations that had been achieved in France in the seventeenth century. The extensive dissemination of cookbooks that followed Le Cuisinier francois signaled a significant departure by French chefs from homogenous court cuisine. In contrast, English cooking persisted in using exotic spices, defying the prevailing trend of French culinary sophistication.
The exploration of specific ingredients and comestibles such as sparkling champagne, coffee, spices, and sugar adds a tangible and sensory dimension to Van Dyk's book. These elements, now entrenched as enduring symbols of national identity, are traced back to their seventeenth-century roots. The book takes a critical look at how these ingredients, once novel and exotic, became integral to the cultural fabric of Britain and France, shaping the collective identity of each nation.
Van Dyk's work is skillfully written and well documented, incorporating a diverse range of references, including poetry, novels, letters, and more. However, there are instances where the narration becomes excessively prolonged, as seen in the poule au pot or champagne story. To enhance the clarity of the author's discussion on the limited number of families controlling England's largest estates, it would be beneficial to explain that this situation arose from the law of primogeniture, resulting in the concentration of land in the hands of a few (see K. B. McFarlane, The Nobility of Later Medieval England [1973], 61–63). The author occasionally presents misconceptions, such as the belief in abstaining from drinking water. It is inaccurate to definitively assert that water was not consumed in the early modern period due to pollution. While water sources were susceptible to contamination, people still consumed water, relying on local sources like rivers, streams, wells, and springs; boiling water for tea during this period served as a method to eliminate microorganisms.
The author, when quoting Schivelbusch (Tastes of Paradise [1992], 98), repeats a common mistake made by historians when presenting data related to food and drink consumption. He estimates an average English family's consumption of home-brewed ale at three liters per day, including children. However, calculating the consumption of an individual person is far from being an exact science, as it is not possible for us to know how many other people shared in this amount. Furthermore, factors such as spillage, theft (by servants), and discarding of an item that went bad were not taken into account.
Van Dyk's book emerges as a comprehensive exploration of the interplay between commerce, food, and cultural identity. By untangling the intricate web of economic history, global trade, and culinary choices, the book invites readers to reevaluate the origins of what is commonly perceived as English or French in the realm of gastronomy, providing a deeper understanding of the complex dynamics that defined these cultures during the early modern period.
