The Physiology of Taste (8 page)

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Authors: Anthelme Jean Brillat-Savarin

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ABOUT THE TRANSLATOR

MARY FRANCES KENNEDY FISHER
(1908–92) was one of the great culinary writers of the twentieth century. Raised in California, she spent the early 1930s in France. Her works, which span many decades, include
Serve it Forth, Consider the Oyster, The Art of Eating
and
The Cooking of Provincial France
.

ABOUT THE INTRODUCER

BILL BUFORD
is a staff writer for
The New Yorker
, where he was the fiction editor for eight years. He was the founding editor of
Granta
magazine and was also the publisher of Granta Books. He is the author of
Among the Thugs
and
Heat: An Amateur’s Adventures as Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Pasta-Maker, and Apprentice to a Dante-Quoting Butcher in Tuscany
.

A TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART I

APHORISMS OF THE PROFESSOR

THE TRANSLATOR’S GLOSSES

DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE AUTHOR AND HIS FRIEND

THE TRANSLATOR’S GLOSSES

A BIOGRAPHY OF DR. RICHERAND

THE TRANSLATOR’S GLOSSES

THE AUTHOR’S PREFACE

THE TRANSLATOR’S GLOSSES

MEDITATION 1: ON THE SENSES

 1.
Number of Senses

 2.
The Use of the Senses

 3.
The Improvement of the Senses

 4.
The Power of Taste

 5.
Reasons for the Action of the Senses

MEDITATION 2:
ON TASTE

 6.
Definition of Taste

 7.
The Operation of Taste

 8.
The Sensation of Taste

 9.
The Tastes

 10.
Influence of Smell on Taste

 11.
Analysis of the Sensation of Tasting

 12.
Order of the Various Impressions of Taste

 13.
Pleasures Caused by Taste

 14.
The Supremacy of Man

 15.
Plan Adopted by the Author

 
      
THE TRANSLATOR’S GLOSSES

MEDITATION 3:
ON GASTRONOMY

 16.
The Origin of Sciences

 17.
Origin of Gastronomy

 18.
Definition of Gastronomy

 19.
Various Concerns of Gastronomy

 20.
Advantages of Gastronomical Knowledge

 21.
Influence of Gastronomy on Business

 22.
An Academy of Gastronomers

 
      
THE TRANSLATOR’S GLOSSES

MEDITATION 4:
ON APPETITE

 23.
Definition of Appetite

 24.
Anecdote

 25.
Mighty Appetites

 
      
THE TRANSLATOR’S GLOSSES

MEDITATION 5:
ON FOOD IN GENERAL

 26.
Definitions

 27.
Analytical Process

 28.
Osmazome

       
Elements of Food

 29.
Vegetable World

 30.
Difference Between Fasting and Feasting

       
Specific Instance

 
      
THE TRANSLATOR’S GLOSSES

MEDITATION 6:
ON FOOD IN GENERAL

 31.
Special Foods

 32.
Pot-au-feu, Soup, etc.

 33.
Bouilli

 34.
Poultry

 35.
Turkeys

 36.
Turkey Lovers

 37.
Financial Influence of the Turkey

 38.
Exploit of the Professor

 39.
Game

 40.
Fish

       
Anecdote

 41.
Muria—Garum

 42.
Philosophical Reflection

 43.
Truffles

 44.
The Erotic Properties of Truffles

       
Are Truffles Indigestible?

 45.
Sugar

       
Indigenous Sugar

       
Various Uses of Sugar

 46.
Origin of Coffee

       
Different Ways of Making Coffee

       
Effects of Coffee

 47.
Chocolate and Its Origins

       
Properties of Chocolate

       
Difficulties in Making Good Chocolate

       
Official Way of Making Chocolate

       
THE TRANSLATOR’S GLOSSES

MEDITATION 7:
THEORY OF FRYING

 48.
Theory of Frying

       
Sermon

       
Chemistry

       
Application of Theory

 
      
THE TRANSLATOR’S GLOSSES

MEDITATION 8:
ON THIRST

 49.
Thirst

       
Differing Kinds of Thirst

 50.
Causes of Thirst

 51.
Example

MEDITATION 9:
ON DRINKS

 52.
Water

       
Prompt Effect of Drinks

 53.
Strong Drinks

MEDITATION 10:
THE END OF THE WORLD

 54.
The End of the World

 
      
THE TRANSLATOR’S GLOSSES

MEDITATION 11:
ON GOURMANDISM

 55.
Definitions

       
Advantages of Gourmandism

 56.
More Advantages

 57.
Powers of Gourmandism

 58.
Portrait of a Pretty Gourmande

       
Anecdote

       
Women Are Gourmandes

 59.
Effects of Gourmandism on Sociability

       
Influence of Gourmandism on Wedded Happiness

       
Note of a Patriotic Gastronomer

 
      
THE TRANSLATOR’S GLOSSES

MEDITATION 12:
ON GOURMANDS

 60.
Gourmands

       
Napoleon

       
Predestined Gourmands

 61.
Sensual Predestination

       
Anecdote

 62.
Gourmands by Profession

       
The Bankers

 63.
The Doctors

 64.
Admonition

 65.
The Writers

 66.
The Devout

 67.
Chevaliers and Abbés

 68.
Inevitable Longevity of Gourmands

 
      
THE TRANSLATOR’S GLOSSES

MEDITATION 13:
ON GASTRONOMICAL TESTS

 69.
Gastronomical Tests

       
First Series

       
Second Series

       
Third Series

       
General Survey

 
      
THE TRANSLATOR’S GLOSSES

MEDITATION 14:
ON THE PLEASURES OF THE TABLE

 70.
The Pleasures of the Table

 71.
Origin of the Pleasures of the Table

 72.
Difference between the Pleasure of Eating and the Pleasures of the Table

 73.
Effects

 74.
Artificial Embellishments

 75.
Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries

       
Sketch

 
      
THE TRANSLATOR’S GLOSSES

MEDITATION 15:
ON HUNTING-LUNCHEONS

 76.
Hunting-Luncheons

 77.
The Ladies

 
      
THE TRANSLATOR’S GLOSSES

MEDITATION 16:
ON DIGESTION

 78.
Digestion

 79.
Ingestion

 80.
The Function of the Stomach

 81.
Influence of Digestion

 
      
THE TRANSLATOR’S GLOSSES

MEDITATION 17:
ON REST

 82.
Rest

 83.
Time for Repose

MEDITATION 18:
ON SLEEP

 84.
Sleep

 85.
Definition

 
      
THE TRANSLATOR’S GLOSSES

MEDITATION 19:
ON DREAMS

 86.
Dreams

 87.
Research Necessary

 88.
Nature of Dreams

 89.
Dr. Gall’s System

       
First Observation

       
Second Observation

       
Conclusion

 90.
Influence of Age

 91.
Phenomena of Dreams

       
First Observation

 92.
Second Observation

 93.
Third Observation

 
      
THE TRANSLATOR’S GLOSSES

MEDITATION 20:
ON THE INFLUENCE OF DIET

 94.
The Influence of Diet upon Repose, Sleep, and Dreams

 95.
Effects of Diet on Labor

 96.
About Dreams

 97.
Continuation

 98.
Result

 
      
THE TRANSLATOR’S GLOSSES

MEDITATION 21:
ON OBESITY

 99.
Obesity

100.
Causes of Obesity

101.
Continuation

102.
Continuation

103.
Anecdote

104.
Inconveniences of Obesity

105.
Examples of Obesity

      
THE TRANSLATOR’S GLOSSES

MEDITATION 22:
ON THE TREATMENT OF OBESITY

106.
Preventative or Curative Treatment of Obesity

107.
Generalities

108.
Further Outline of Diet

109.
Dangers of Acids

110.
The Antifat Belt

111.
About Quinine

       
THE TRANSLATOR’S GLOSSES

MEDITATION 23:
ON THINNESS

112.
Definition

       
Kinds

113.
Effects of Thinness

114.
Natural Predestination

115.
A Fattening Diet

       
THE TRANSLATOR’S GLOSSES

MEDITATION 24:
ON FASTING

116.
Origin of Fasting

117.
How We Used to Fast

118.
The Beginnings of Laxness in Fasting

       
THE TRANSLATOR’S GLOSSES

MEDITATION 25:
ON EXHAUSTION

119.
Exhaustion

120.
Treatment

121.
A Cure Performed by the Professor

       
THE TRANSLATOR’S GLOSSES

MEDITATION 26:
ON DEATH

122.
Death

       
THE TRANSLATOR’S GLOSSES

MEDITATION 27:
PHILOSOPHICAL HISTORY OF COOKING

123.
Philosophical History of Cooking

124.
Alimentary Progress

125.
Discovery of Fire

126.
Cooking

127.
Feasts of the Orientals—of the Greeks

128.
Roman Banqueting

129.
The Second Coming of Lucullus

130.
Lectisternium et Incubitatium

131.
Poetry

132.
Barbarian Invasion

133.
Periods of Louis XIV and Louis XV

134.
Louis XVI

135.
Ameliorations from the Point of View of Art

136.
Final Refinements

       
THE TRANSLATOR’S GLOSSES

MEDITATION 28:
ON RESTAURATEURS

137.
Restaurateurs

138.
Origin

139.
Advantages of Restaurants

140.
Examination of a Restaurant

141.
Inconveniences

142.
Competition

143.
Prix-Fixe Restaurants

144.
Beauvilliers

145.
The Gastronomer in a Good Restaurant

       
THE TRANSLATOR’S GLOSSES

MEDITATION 29:
CLASSICAL GOURMANDISM IN ACTION

146.
The Story of M. de Borose

147.
Retinue of an Heiress

       
THE TRANSLATOR’S GLOSSES

MEDITATION 30:
BOUQUET

148.
Gastronomical Mythology

       
THE TRANSLATOR’S GLOSSES

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