{"product_id":"beans-a-history-9781350022270","title":"Beans: A History","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis is the story of the bean, the staple food cultivated by humans for over 10,000 years. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eFrom the lentil to the soybean, every civilization on the planet has cultivated its own species of bean. The humble bean has always attracted attention - from Pythagoras' notion that the bean hosted a human soul to St. Jerome's indictment against bean-eating in convents (because they \"tickle the genitals\"), to current research into the deadly toxins contained in the most commonly eaten beans. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eOver time, the bean has been both scorned as \"poor man's meat\" and praised as health-giving, even patriotic. Attitudes to this most basic of foodstuffs have always revealed a great deal about a society. Featuring a new preface from author Ken Albala, \u003ci\u003eBeans: A History \u003c\/i\u003etakes the reader on a fascinating journey across cuisines and cultures.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eKen Albala\u003c\/b\u003e is Professor of History and Director of Food Studies at the University of the Pacific, USA. He is the author of \u003ci\u003eThe Food History Reader\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eA Cultural History of Food in the Renaissance\u003c\/i\u003e, both published by Bloomsbury.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Bloomsbury Academic","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50464664781074,"sku":"9781350022270","price":30.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_fd91d668-ea17-4546-917c-dd62d4dcde77.jpg?v=1730107734","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/beans-a-history-9781350022270","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}