The Food and Drink of Sydney

This fascinating food biography of one of the world’s great cities, Sydney, takes the reader from its prehistory through its unpromising foundation as a convict settlement confronted by starvation, to its status today as an international culinary destination.

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Sydney, famed for its setting and natural beauty, has fascinated from the day it was conceived as an end-of-the-world repository for British felons, to its current status as one of the world’s most appealing cities. This book recounts, and celebrates, the central role food has played in shaping the city’s development from the time of first human settlement to the sophisticated, open, and cosmopolitan metropolis it is today. The reader will learn of the Sydney region’s unique natural resources and come to appreciate how these shaped food habits through its pre-history and early European settlement; how its subsequent waves of immigrants enriched its food scene; its love-hate relationship with alcohol; its markets, restaurants, and other eateries; and, how Sydneysiders, old and new, eat at home. The story concludes with a fascinating review of the city’s many significant cookbooks and their origins, and some iconic recipes relied upon through what is, for a global city, a remarkably brief history.