The Pleasures of the Table (Penguin Great Food) - Tapa blanda

Epicure and gourmand Brillat-Savarin was one of the most influential food writers of all time. His 1825 book The Physiology of Taste defined our notions of French gastronomy, and his insistence that food be a civilizing pleasure for all has inspired the slow food movement and guided chefs worldwide.

From discourses on the erotic properties of truffles and the origins of chocolate, to a defence of gourmandism and why 'a dessert without cheese is like a pretty woman with only one eye', the delightful writings in this selection are a hymn to the art of eating well.

Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1755-1826) was a French lawyer and politician, whose book, The Physiology of Taste, published in 1825, is still inspiring chefs and food enthusiasts alike, particularly through his essay 'On Gourmandism'. It contains some of the most famous dinner table witticisms and aphorisms in history, including 'Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are.'

Anne Drayton translated and introduced The Physiology of Taste by Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin for Penguin Classics.