Book review of Fruit from the Sands: The Silk Road Origins of the Foods

Fruit of the Sands, book by Robert N Spengler III, I read it in audiobook form. It's a history of all the food and spices that were distributed through the region that came to be known as the Silk Road.

The author charts the history of the Silk Road all the way back to 7000 years ago to modern day, and explains how the transport and exchange of people, ideas and food occurred over thousands of years, across empires and nations, through changing religions and cultures, in times of war and peace. After explaining the context of the silk road, the author goes in to deal with the individual stories of several dozen grain crops, vegetables,fruits, and spices.

This book was a tour de force. I wouldn't necessarily consider it a history of the Silk Road, or a history of silk road and food, but one of food items that owe their existence to the ancient trading way. It's a reference manual, providing scientific, genetic information as well as historical context of so many food items that are fundamental to today's world.

I found the book enriching and captivating, and would highly recommend it to anybody who's interested in learning about the history of food. It doesn't deal with the politics or culture behind the Silk road much, but that's all for the best, since we get to learn more about foodstuffs.

9.5/10