Eating in Eighteenth-century Provence - The Evolution of a Tradition

'We have two cuisines in France, that of the north and that of the south', boldly stated the first cookbook directly concerned with southern French cuisine in 1830. This book investigates the reasons for and background to these differences, specifically in Provence. In the absence of cookbooks for the region in the 18th century, it uses innovative methodologies relying on a range of hitherto unexplored primary resources, ranging from household accounts and manuscript recipes to local newspapers and gardening manuals that focus on the actuality of the 18th century Provencal table. The sources emphasise the essentially seasonal and local nature of eating in Provence at this time. In many ways eating habits echoed generalised French patterns, according to class, but at the same time the use of particular foods and culinary practices testified to a distinctive Proven- food culture, partly related to geographic and climatic differences but also to cultural influences. This food culture repr