In The Devil's Garden

Stewart Lee Allen's "In the Devil's Garden: A Sinful History of Forbidden Foods" is one of my favorite books, and if you're interested in weird things that people eat, food taboos, and other bizarre culinary wonders, it's an absolute must-read.



Allen links food and food taboos to the seven deadly sins. It's an enlightening and balanced history of forbidden foods around the world. If you think other cultures have some strange eating habits, this will probably shock you.

Find out why tomatoes were once considered satanic food in Britian, why some Italians scream curse words at their basil, and how a famous Catholic nun ate cat vomit to induce holy visions. Oh ... and why do the men in a certain tribe in Papua New Guinea have the village boys provide fellatio?