{"product_id":"a-bite-sized-history-of-italy","title":"A Bite-Sized History of Italy","description":"\u003cb\u003eA compelling exploration into the rich tapestry of Italian food history and culture, from the Roman Empire to today, by the co-host of the top-ranked \u003cem\u003eGola\u003c\/em\u003e food and wine podcast\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhile Italy has existed as a nation-state only since 1861, a distinctly Italian identity had been simmering for centuries, nourished by a shared culinary culture. From the \u003cem\u003edormice\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003egarum\u003c\/em\u003e of the Roman Empire to the heresy of pineapple pizza, \u003cem\u003eA Bite-Sized History of Italy\u003c\/em\u003e traces this legacy, offering a delicious romp through millennia of culinary tradition and transformation.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAuthor Danielle Callegari, associate professor at Dartmouth and co-host of the \u003cem\u003eGola\u003c\/em\u003e podcast, guides readers on a spirited tour through the kitchens, vineyards, city squares, and coastal ports of the iconic peninsula, offering an intimate portrait of a place so famous for its food it nearly defies interrogation—even as it might be said that food is the very reason for its existence.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith boundless energy and a fearless palate, Callegari explores beloved staples—pizza, pasta, parmigiano—alongside the unsung flavors that shaped Italian identity: legumes, wild herbs, game birds, spices, and the contributions of Jewish and other minority communities. She reveals how Italy’s rise as Europe’s gastronomic heart is rooted in religious customs, class dynamics, and the echoes of empire, as well as how food became a language of both unity and division.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThrough stories of what was eaten, and by whom, this latest addition to The New Press’s standout \u003cem\u003eBite-Sized\u003c\/em\u003e series, \u003cem\u003eA Bite-Sized History of Italy\u003c\/em\u003e offers a glimpse of the making of Italy itself—a nation defined, defended, and devoured around the table.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57484207686005,"sku":"9781620979235","price":19.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781620979235.jpg?v=1786266252","url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/products\/a-bite-sized-history-of-italy","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}