The Physiology of Taste

Or Meditations on Transcendental Gastronomy

Ranked #72 in Food

A delightful and hilarious classic about the joys of the table, The Physiology of Taste is the most famous book about food ever written. First published in France in 1825 and continuously in print ever since, Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin’s masterpiece is a historical, philosophical, and epicurean collection of recipes, reflections, and anecdotes on everything and anything gastronomical. Brillat-Savarin—who famously stated “Tell me what you eat and I shall tell you what you are”—shrewdly expounds upon culinary matters that still resonate today, from the rise of the destination... more

Reviews and Recommendations

We've comprehensively compiled reviews of The Physiology of Taste from the world's leading experts.

Gary Taubes AuthorThis book used to be described as the most famous book ever written about food. He has several chapters on the cause and prevention of obesity. (Source)

Barry C. Smith I’ve chosen The Physiology of Taste by Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin — a French philosopher, early physiologist, a gourmand who was fascinated by taste and eating and diet and ways of living all involving the consuming of food and drink. What I love is the particular attention to detail that allows him to focus exactly what is going on in us as tasters when we’re consuming food and drink. Most people of the day would have talked about how good or bad the food was, how well cooked it was, whether or not it came from the right place, was it of good provenance, whether you had a Bresse chicken;... (Source)

P. D. Mangan @Blacklabellogic Yes, first diet book ever. Brillat-Savarin wrote about how overweight people love carbs in the early 19th century. (Source)


Similar Books

If you like The Physiology of Taste, check out these similar top-rated books:


Learn: What makes Shortform summaries the best in the world?