In the past two decades, the reputation of Spanish food on the world’s culinary stage has skyrocketed, with chefs like Ferran Adrià, the Roca brothers, the Arzaks and José Andrés in the lead. But as “Delicioso,” a new history of Spanish food explains, it is not a sudden phenomenon. The illustrated book is a dense, scholarly survey that starts with prehistory some 80,000 years ago. It traces the contributions to the Spanish table by ancient Rome; Moorish, Christian and Jewish cultures; European royalty; and foods of the New World. The effects of social and political change, years of war and the rise of the influential Spanish chefs of today are covered, as are ingredients like olives, anchovies and chocolate; markets; dishes like cocido; and time-honored utensils. There’s a quick survey of food across Spain, region by region.
“Delicioso: A History of Food in Spain” by María José Sevilla (Reaktion Books Ltd., $39).
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