Food Britannia

the long version

Andrew Webb travels the country to bring together a treasury of regional and heroic local producers. He investigates the history of saffron farming in the UK, tastes the first whisky to be produced in Wales for 100 years, and tracks down the New Forest's foremost expert on wild mushrooms. And along the way, he uncovers some historical surprises--for example, that the method for making clotted cream, that stalwart of the cream tea, was probably introduced from the Middle East; and that fish and chips may have started life as a Jewish-Portuguese dish. The result is a rich and kaleidoscopic survey of a remarkably vibrant food scene, steeped in history but full of fresh ideas for the future.--From publisher description.