Love and Gold: A Comparative History of the Tomato in Britain and Italy, 1500-1900

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

My project examines the history of the tomato in early modern Britain and Italy (known respectively aslove-apples and pomi d'ori/golden-apples), in order to advance our understanding of the introduction anddissemination of New World foods in Europe. Following from previous scholarship, this project seeks tounderstand the processes through which foods did or did not become naturalised into European diets.While the uptake of tomatoes in British diets came quite late, this project seeks to show that this delaysheds as much light on these processes as their rapid acceptance elsewhere. Comparing the similaritiesand differences between their history in Britain and Italy - where tomatoes were adopted earlier - willallow me to explore which elements most influenced this reception, thereby shedding light on thebroader dissemination of new commodities. This allows us to explore the beliefs and concerns related tofood more generally, and how individuals understood their bodies and diets in relation to the worldaround them. I will draw on printed and manuscript material, including herbals and recipe collections,travel writing and letters, and financial records and accounts.