The Book of Marmalade

Book excerpt: Here is everything you need to know about marmalade. C. Anne Wilson, Britain's foremost historian of food, traces the history of this most British of preserves from its Roman and medieval antecedents, through its adoption in Tudor England, its development in Stuart and Georgian Britain, and its fortunes up to the present day. She tells how the Portuguese learned from the Moors to eat quince marmalade, and how its characteristic Arab flavorings enhanced its appeal to the Europeans. Marmalade's varied roles—as a gift, as a sweetmeat, as a medicine, and as an aphrodisiac-are all discussed in The Book of Marmalade. The book concludes with dozens of recipes, new and traditional, in which marmalade is the star ingredient.