Sweet Tooth
The Bittersweet History of Candy
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- USD 11.99
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- USD 11.99
Descripción editorial
A cultural history of candy-how it evolved from medicine and a luxury to today's Kit Kat bars and M&M's
Told through the Kate Hopkins' travels in Europe and the U.S., Sweet Tooth is a first-hand account of her obsession with candy and a detailed look at its history and development. The sugary treats we enjoy today have a prominent past entertaining kings, curing the ill, and later developing into a billion-dollar industry. The dark side of this history is that the confectionery industry has helped create an environment of unhealthy overindulgence, has quelled any small business competition that was deemed to be a risk to any large company's bottom line, and was largely responsible for the slave trade that evolved during the era of colonization.
Candy's history is vast and complex and plays a distinct part in the growth of the Western world. Thanks to the ubiquity of these treats which allows us to take them for granted, that history has been hidden or forgotten. Until now. Filled with Hopkins' trademark humor and accompanied by her Candy Grab Bag tasting notes, Sweet Tooth is a must-read for everybody who considers themselves a candy freak.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this semisweet volume, Hopkins best known for her book, 99 Drams of Whiskey, and her food blog, The Accidental Hedonist unwraps candy by exploring its history and detailing her trips to a few sweetmeats meccas. Hopkins jets to Palermo, Italy, where she uncovers a brief history of the torrone (which dates back to a wedding in 1441); Pontefract, England, "home to all things licorice;" and Hershey, Penn., land of the ubiquitous chocolatier. Though Hopkins was once a stand-up comic, her shtick gets old pretty quick the bulk of her travels is spent wandering around, finding candy, and heading home to chow down. Balancing out her quest for confections are investigations into the bitter side of the industry Hopkins discusses the candy complex's role in the slave trade, shutting out small businesses, child trafficking, and other social ills. Interspersed throughout are bitesized bits of wit and trivia from "Kate's Candy Bag:" "candy corn was created in the late 1800s as a means to disappoint future generations of children as they went door to door trick or treating;" M&M's were invented for the troops of WWII. Though occasionally fun and informative, Hopkin's pop history like candy corn is ultimately disappointing.