Introduction: Where can menus take us? -- Chapter One: Feasts for the eyes -- Chapter Two: Menus as mementos -- Chapter Three: Cultural encounters -- Chapter Four: Menus for children and for the children we once were -- Chapter Five: Health on the menu -- Chapter Six: Riddle me this: menus that intrigue -- Conclusion: What menus can do

Menus are invaluable snapshots of the food consumed at specific moments in time and place. Tastes and Traditions: A Journey through Menu History provides glimpses into the meals enjoyed by royalty and rogues, those celebrating special occasions, or sampling new culinary sensations throughout history. It describes food prepared for the gods, meals served during sieges, and tablescapes immortalized in art. It explores how menus entertain adults, link food with play for children, reflect changing notions of health, and highlight the enduring human need to make meals meaningful. Lavishly illustrated, this book offers an engaging exploration of why menus matter and the stories they tell, appealing to food lovers and general readers, as well as professionals in the food industry