A Twist in the Tail takes readers on a tantalising voyage through European and American gastronomic history, following the trail of a small but mighty fish: the anchovy. Whether in ubiquitous Roman garum, convenient British condiments, elaborate French haute cuisine or modern Spanish tapas, anchovies have been enhancing the flavour of many dishes for thousands of years. Yet, depending upon the time and place – and who was eating them – they have also been disdained as a worthless little fish, deemed too small, bony and inconsequential for popular or elite consumption. From Western Europe to the USA, Christopher Beckman shows how the evolving and ambiguous status of anchovies provides surprising insights into the relationship between food, class and status throughout history.
