The Eternal Table: A Cultural History of Food in Rome

In this detailed if sometimes dense history of Roman cuisine, food historian Moyer-Nocchi (Chewing the Fat) chronicles the foodways of the Eternal City from the region’s settlement and cultivation during the Bronze Era up to the modern-day fervor for authentic cucina romanesca. Taking the stance that writing on Rome is often “prey to sentiment and idealization,” the author adopts a studied approach, including thorough chapters on the area’s terrain, historic marketplaces and osterias, and the development of foodstuffs and eating traditions alongside the rise and fall of the Empire. Rome’s earliest culinary literature celebrates lavish multi-course dinner parties for the upper classes, yet Moyer-Nocchi highlights the contrasting cucina povera with its staples such as semmolella, a watery gruel that defies romanticization. Moyer-Nocchi’s contemporary Rome is one of “dynamic multiculturalism,” with “the highest immigrant population of any province in Italy.” She details the influence of Jewish culture through recipes like carciofo alla giudia (a deep-fried whole artichoke), parses the authenticity of pasta alla carbonara, reveals fettuccine Alfredo’s American origins, and explores the increasing prominence of immigrant cuisines (there is a “veritable Roman Chinatown near Piazza Vittorio”). Rome enthusiasts will revel in this well-researched retrospective of a dynamic, ever-evolving city. [em](Mar.) [/em]