The Physiology of Taste by Brillat Savarin (bearly read books txt) 📖
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foreign lands.
The Romans sent to Athens a deputation charged to bring back the
laws of Solon. They also sent them thither to study belles lettres
and philosophy. While their manners became polished they became
aware of the attractions of festivals. And poets, philosophers,
orators, etc., all came to Rome at once.
As time advanced, and as the series of events attracted to Rome
almost all the riches of the world, the luxury of the table became
incredible.
Every thing was eaten—the grass-hopper and the ostrich, the
squirrel and the wild-boar—all imaginable vegetables were put in
requisition.
Armies and travellers put all the world in requisition. The most
distinguished Roman citizens took pleasure, not only in the
cultivation of fruits once known, such as pears, apples, etc., but
sought out things Lucullus never dreamed of. These importations
which naturally had a great influence, prove at least that the
impulse was general, that each one sought to contribute to the
enjoyment of those around him.
Our drinks were not the object of less attention, nor of less
attentive cares. The Romans were delighted with the wines of
Italy, Greece, and Sicily. As they estimated their value from the
year in which they were made, we may understand Cicero’s much
abused line,
Oh tortuna tam, natura, me consule Roman.
This was not all. In consequence of an instinct hitherto referred
to, an effort was made to make them more highly perfumed, and
flowers, aromatics, etc., were infused. Such things which the
Romans called condita, must have had a very bad effect on the
stomach.
Thus the Romans came to dream of alcohol, which was not discovered
until long after they were born.
RESURRECTION OF LUCULLUS.
The glorious days of old might arise again, and nothing but a
Lucullus is needed, to bring this about. Let us fancy that any
man, known to be rich, should wish to celebrate any great act, and
give in this manner an occasion for a famous entertainment.
Let us suppose that he appeals to every one to adorn his
entertainment, and orders every possible resource to be prepared.
Let him make every imaginable preparation and Lucullus would be as
nothing compared with the civilized world as it is.
Both the Romans and the Athenians had beds to eat on. They
achieved the purpose but indirectly.
At first they used beds only for the sacred festivals offered to
the gods. The magistrates and principal men, adopted the custom,
and ere long, it became general and was preserved until in the
beginning of the fourth century.
These couches were at first, only boxes filled with straw, and
covered with skins. Gradually, however, they became more
luxurious, and were made of the most precious woods, inlaid with
ivory, and sometimes with gems. Their cushions were soft and their
covers magnificently embroidered.
People only laid down on the left elbow. Three usually slept
together.
This the Romans called lectisternium. It is not a very bad name.
In a physical point of view incubitation demands a certain
exhibition of power to preserve equlibrium, and is not without a
degree of pain; the elbow supporting an undue proportion of the
weight of the body.
In a physiological point of view, something also is to be said.
Imbuccation (swallowing) is effected in a less natural manner. The
food is passed with more difficulty into the stomach.
The ingestion of liquids, or drinking, is yet more difficult. It
required particular attention not to spill the wine from the large
cups on the tables of the great. Thence came the proverb:
“Between the cup and lip,
There is often time a slip.”
None could eat comfortably when reclining, especially when we
remember that many of the guests had long beards, and that
fingers, or at least only knives were used. Forks are an invention
of modern times, for none were found at Herculaeneum.
Some violations of modesty must also have occurred at repasts
which frequently exceeded the bounds of temperance, and where the
two sexes have fallen asleep, and were mingled together. A poet
says:
“Nam pransus, jaceo, et satur supinus,
Pertimdo tunicamque, palliumque.”
When Christianity had acquired some power, its priests lifted up
their voices against intemperance. They declaimed against the
length of meals which violated all prudence by surrounding persons
by every species of voluptuousness. Devoted by choice to an
austere regimen, they placed gourmandise in the list of capital
sins, and rigidly commented on the mingling of sexes and the use
of beds, a habit which they said produced the luxury they
deplored.
Their menacing voice was heard; couches disappeared, and the old
habit of eating sitting, was restored. Fortunately this did not
violate the demands of pleasure.
POETRY.
Convivial poetry then underwent a new modification, and in the
mouths of Horace and Tibullus assumed a languor the Greeks were
ignorant of.
Dulce ridentem Lalagem amabo,
Dulce luquentem.
HOR.
Quaeris quot mihi batiationes
Tuae, Lesbia, sint satis superque.
CAT.
Pande, puella, pande capillulos
Mavos, lucentus ut aurum nitidum.
Pande, puella, collum candidum
Productum bene candidis humeris.
GALLUS.
IRRUPTION OF THE BARBARIANS.
The five or six centuries we shall run over in a few pages, were
glorious days for the cuisine; the irruption however of northern
men overturned and destroyed everything.
When the strangers appeared, alimentary art made its appearance,
as did the others that are its companions. The greater portion of
the cooks were massacred in the palaces they served. The
foreigners came and they were able to eat as much in an hour as
civilized people did in a week.
Although that which is excessive is not durable—conquerors are
always cruel. They united themselves with the victors, who
received some tints of civilization, and began to know the
pleasures of civilized life.
*
About the seventeenth century, the Dutch imported coffee into
Europe. Solyman Agu, a Turk, whom our great, great grandfathers
well remember, sold the first cups in 1760. An American sold it in
1670, and dealt it out from a marble bar, as we see now.
The use of coffee then dates from the eighteenth century.
Distillation, introduced by the crusades, remained arcana, with
few adepts. About the commencement of the reign of Louis XIV,
alambics became more common, but not until the time of Louis XV.,
did the drink become really popular.
About the same time the use of tobacco was introduced. So that
sugar, coffee and tobacco, the three most important articles of
luxury in Europe, are scarcely two centuries old.
[The translator here omits a whole Meditation. It would now be
scarcely pleasant.]
MEDITATION XXVIII.
RESTAURATEURS.
A restaurateur is one, the business of whom is to offer a dinner
always ready, and with prices to suit those that consume them.
Of all those who frequent restaurants, few persons cannot
understand that a restorateur is not necessarily a man of genius.
We shall follow out the affiliation of ideas which has led to the
present state of affairs.
ESTABLISHMENT.
About 1770, after the glorious days of Louis XIV., and the frolics
and tranquility of the regency of Cardinal Fleury, foreigners had
few means of good cheer.
They were forced to have recourse to inn-keepers, the cookery of
whom was generally very bad. A few hotels kept a table d’hote
which generally contained only what was very necessary, and which
was always ready at an appointed hour.
The people we speak of only ordered whole joints, or dishes, and
consequently such an order of things could not last.
At last a man of sense arose, who thought that an active cause
must have its effect. That as the same want sent people every day
to his house, consumers would come whenever they were satisfied
that they would be served. They saw that if a wing was cut from a
fowl for one person, some one would be sure to taste the thigh.
The separation of one limb would not injure the flavor of the rest
of the animal. More pay the least attention to the increase of
prices, when one considers the prompt service of what was served.
This man thought of many things, which we may now easily devise.
The one who did so was the first restaurateur and the inventor of
a business which is a fortune to all who exercise it promptly and
honorably.
[The translator here omits a whole chapter.]
From the examination of the bills of fare of different
restaurants, any one who sets down at the table, has the choice of
the following dishes:—
12 soups.
24 side dishes.
15 or 20 preparations of beef.
20 of mutton.
30 of fowl or game.
16 or 20 of veal.
12 of pastry.
24 of fish.
15 roasts.
50 side dishes.
50 desserts.
Besides the fortunate gastronomer has thirty kinds of wine to
select from, passing over the whole scale from Burgundy to Tokay,
and Constantia, and twenty various kinds of essences, without
taking into consideration such mixed drinks as punch, negus,
sillabubs and the like.
Of the various parts of a good dinner, many are indigenous, such
as butcher’s meat, fowl and fruits. Others for instance, the beef-stake, Welch rare-bit, punch, etc., were invented in England.
Germany, Spain, Italy, Holland, all contribute, as does India,
Persia, Arabia, and each pay their quota, in sour-krout, raisins,
parmera, bolognas, curacao, rice, sago, soy, potatoes, etc. The
consequence is, that a Parisian dinner is perfectly cosmopolitan.
[The translator here omits two Meditations, which refer
exclusively to Paris is 1825. Few Frenchmen NOW would understand
them, and none but a Frenchman could.]
PHYSIOLOGY OF TASTE
PART SECOND.
TRANSITION.
If I have been read with the attention I wished, all must have
seen that I had a double purpose in view. The first was to
establish the theoretical basis of Gastronomy, so as to place it
among sciences where it should doubtless be. The second was to
define gourmandise, and to separate this social character, as free
from gluttony and intemperance, with which it is often confounded.
This equivoque has been introduced by intolerant moralists, who,
deceived by too much zeal, saw excesses where there was only
innocent enjoyment. The treasures of creation were not made to be
trodden under the feet. It was afterwards propagated by
grammarians who defined it as blind men do, and who swore in verba
magistri.
It is time that such an error should cease, for now all the world
understand each other. This is true, for there never was a person
who would not confess to some tincture of gourmandise, and even
would not boast of it, none however would not look on gluttony as
an insult, just as they do on intemperance and voracity.
About these two cardinal points, it seems that what I have
described should satisfy all those who do not refuse conviction. I
might then lay down my pen and look on the task I have imposed on
myself as finished. As however, I approached those subjects which
belong to every thing, I remembered many things which it did not
seem to me fit to write, such as anecdotes, bon mots, recipes, and
other odd things.
Had they been put in the theoretical portion of the book they
would have taken the connection; place them all together, they
will not be disadvantageous because they contain some experimental
truths and useful explanations.
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