A History of the World in Six Glasses by Tom Standage [book review]

I read most of our Kitchen Reader books on my Kindle. When I finish, I write my reviews by looking back over my highlights--usually about twenty passages that struck me while reading. I mark them so I can remember them later. While reading A History of the World in Six Glasses by Tom Standage I highlighted 78 passages! (And I still have two chapters out of twelve left to read!) This is a hugely informative book that I found fascinating. The main idea is that world history can be charted with the history of the six drinks that have been consumed by humans the most: beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and cola.

In some cases, the history of these six drinks is a reflection of what was going on in human history in different periods. But in other ways, I have come to learn, history was made by these drinks. Many more world events than I realised were tied up with these six beverages.

I feel a little unequal to the task of summarising what I have read, thanks to those 78 highlights. So let me just try to say one or two things about each drink.

Beer, first consumed by ancient Middle Eastern peoples, made water safe to drink and also was a way of preserving grain. It rose to popularity with organised agriculture.

Wine was made by ancient Greeks and Italians and it played a key role in their rational ideas of civilised society and learning.

Dirty Chai Tea Latte

Speaking of novel food pairings, how about tea and coffee together? It sounds ridiculous. Enter the "dirty chai tea latte".

This is an idea from the New York cafe Dean and Deluca. We have a branch in Singapore and "dirty chai tea latte" is on the menu. The first time I went to eat there, I learned that it was a chai tea with a shot of espresso added. Ingenious! But was it tasty? I ordered one and they said the menu boards were being updated and they actually no longer sold it. So I didn't taste it until I recreated it at home.

Weekend Links #34

Weekend Links is a way of sharing all the engrossing things I see around the internet. I publish Weekend Links approximately every two weeks. As usual, I welcome your ideas and feedback.

It's a drinks-themed set of links this time, with tea, coffee, and ginger-ade featured. I love me a mug of tasty stuff to sip.

food reading links:
--A good discussion on The Kitchn centred around meal planning and allowing inspiration to strike. One reader plans "improv night" on the day of grocery shopping so she can cook whatever sparked her interest at the shops. Also, I love that someone has a spreadsheet for recipes.
--Yippee, several huge studies show that coffee helps you live longer (from Authority Nutrition). But obviously, adding sugar would kind of defeat any idea of healthiness.
--The science and psychology of a diet cheat day (from Q by Equinox).

Weekend Links #31

Weekend Links is a way of sharing all the engrossing things I see around the internet. I publish Weekend Links approximately every two weeks. As usual, I welcome your ideas and feedback.

food reading links:
--How poetry can help you become a better food writer. Fascinating (from Monica Bhide).

recipe links:
--Burger buns made from spiralized sweet potatoes and eggs, formed in ramekins (a guest post on Paleo OMG from Inspiralized).
--How to use up a half cup or so of pumpkin puree (from Kitchen Stewardship). What a great problem to have!
--These espresso martinis sound killer - in a good way, of course (from A Beautiful Mess).
--Easy preserving if you have too many radishes (from Adventures in Local Food). Huh, has this ever happened to you?
--How to make a simple steamed bok choy salad (from A Veggie Venture). A simple entry to Asian greens if you are new to them.
--Simple and delicious pumpkin roasted with rosemary and onions (from BakingNCooking). This is just the kind of simple dish that makes cooking worthwhile.