A Short History of Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce
Massimo Montanari
Intellectually engaging and deliciously readable, a stereotype-defying history of how one of the most recognisable symbols of Italian cuisine and national identity is the product of centuries of encounters, dialogue, and exchange.
Is it possible to identify a starting point in history from which everything else unfolds—a single moment that can explain the present and reveal the essence of our identities? According to Massimo Montanari, this is just a myth: by themselves, origins explain very little and historical phenomena can only be understood dynamically—by looking at how events and identities develop and change as a result of encounters and combinations that are often unexpected.
As Montanari shows in this lively, brilliant, and surprising essay, all you need to debunk the “origins myth” is a plate of spaghetti. By tracing the history of the one of Italy’s “national dishes”—from Asia to America, from Africa to Europe; from the beginning of agriculture to the Middle Ages and up to the 20th century—he shows that in order to understand who we are (our identity) we almost always need to look beyond ourselves to other cultures, peoples, and traditions.
Author - Massimo Montanari.
Narrator - Noah Michael Levine.
Published Date - Wednesday, 03 January 2024.
Location:
United States
Description:
Intellectually engaging and deliciously readable, a stereotype-defying history of how one of the most recognisable symbols of Italian cuisine and national identity is the product of centuries of encounters, dialogue, and exchange. Is it possible to identify a starting point in history from which everything else unfolds—a single moment that can explain the present and reveal the essence of our identities? According to Massimo Montanari, this is just a myth: by themselves, origins explain very little and historical phenomena can only be understood dynamically—by looking at how events and identities develop and change as a result of encounters and combinations that are often unexpected. As Montanari shows in this lively, brilliant, and surprising essay, all you need to debunk the “origins myth” is a plate of spaghetti. By tracing the history of the one of Italy’s “national dishes”—from Asia to America, from Africa to Europe; from the beginning of agriculture to the Middle Ages and up to the 20th century—he shows that in order to understand who we are (our identity) we almost always need to look beyond ourselves to other cultures, peoples, and traditions. Author - Massimo Montanari. Narrator - Noah Michael Levine. Published Date - Wednesday, 03 January 2024.
Language:
English
Chapter 1
Duration:00:00:14
Chapter 2
Duration:00:00:34
Chapter 3
Duration:00:05:25
Chapter 4
Duration:00:07:10
Chapter 5
Duration:00:05:14
Chapter 6
Duration:00:04:24
Chapter 7
Duration:00:04:06
Chapter 8
Duration:00:02:51
Chapter 9
Duration:00:06:00
Chapter 10
Duration:00:04:00
Chapter 11
Duration:00:03:56
Chapter 12
Duration:00:04:15
Chapter 13
Duration:00:06:34
Chapter 14
Duration:00:03:16
Chapter 15
Duration:00:05:20
Chapter 16
Duration:00:03:51
Chapter 17
Duration:00:04:52
Chapter 18
Duration:00:05:25
Chapter 19
Duration:00:05:39
Chapter 20
Duration:00:08:11
Chapter 21
Duration:00:04:32
Chapter 22
Duration:00:08:17
Chapter 23
Duration:00:01:47
Chapter 24
Duration:00:03:27
Chapter 25
Duration:00:02:53
Chapter 26
Duration:00:00:22