"Foods of the Kingdom of Bhutan" provides a rare glimpse into the cuisine and culture of Bhutan, a kingdom nestled in Himalayas, steeped in rich heritage and deep spirituality. Experience a culinary journey through each page showcasing a collection of traditional Bhutanese foods and recipes. Winner of the Gourmand World Cookbook Award for "Best Asian Cuisine Book in the World" and "Gourmand Best of the Best 20 Years."
This compact and elegant work (equally fitting for both academic as well as the trade audiences) provides a readily accessible and highly readable overview of Bhutan’s unique opportunities and challenges; all her prominent environmental legislation, regulatory statutes, ecological customs and practices, both in historic and contemporary terms. At the same time, Bionomics places the ecological context, including a section on animal rights in Bhutan, within the nation’s Buddhist spiritual and ethical setting. Historic contextualization accents the book’s rich accounting of every national park and scientific reserve, as well as providing up-to-the-minute climate-change related hurdles for the country. Merging the interdisciplinary sciences, engineering and humanities data in a compelling up-to-date portrait of the country, the authors have presented this dramatic compendium against the backdrop of an urgent, global ecological time-frame. It thus becomes clear that the articulated stakes for Bhutan, like her neighboring Himalayan and Indian sub-continental countries (China, India, Bangladesh and Myanmar) are immense, as the Anthropocene epoch unfolds, affecting every living being across the planet. Because Bhutan’s two most rewarding revenue streams derive from the sale of hydro-electric power and from tourism, the complexities of modern pressures facing a nation that prides herself on maintaining traditional customs in what has been a uniquely isolated nation are acute.
The definitive guide to buying, storing, and enjoying whole foods, in full color for the first time and revised and updated throughout. An inspiring and indispensable one-stop resource, The Essential Good Food Guide is your key to understanding how to buy, store, and enjoy whole foods. Margaret M. Wittenberg shares her insider’s knowledge of products available at national retailers and natural foods markets, providing at-a-glance buying guides. Her ingredient profiles include detailed preparation advice, such as dried bean cooking times, cooking ratios of whole grains to water, culinary oil smoke points, and much more. She also clarifies confusing food labels, misleading marketing claims, and common misperceptions about everyday items, allowing you to maximize the benefits of whole foods cooking. With full-color photography, this new edition of The Essential Good Food Guide is fully revised with the most up-to-date advice on organics, heirloom grains and legumes, gluten-free cooking options, and the new varieties of fruits and vegetables popping up at farmers’ markets across the country to help you make the most of your time in the grocery aisle and the kitchen.
“Edifying from every point of view--historical, cultural, and culinary.” —David Tanis, author of A Platter of Figs and Other Recipes It’s a culinary catalyst, an agent of change, a gastronomic rock star. Ubiquitous in the world’s most fabulous cuisines, butter is boss. Here, it finally gets its due. After traveling across three continents to stalk the modern story of butter, award-winning food writer and former pastry chef Elaine Khosrova serves up a story as rich, textured, and culturally relevant as butter itself. From its humble agrarian origins to its present-day artisanal glory, butter has a fascinating story to tell, and Khosrova is the perfect person to tell it. With tales about the ancient butter bogs of Ireland, the pleasure dairies of France, and the sacred butter sculptures of Tibet, Khosrova details butter’s role in history, politics, economics, nutrition, and even spirituality and art. Readers will also find the essential collection of core butter recipes, including beurre manié, croissants, pâte brisée, and the only buttercream frosting anyone will ever need, as well as practical how-tos for making various types of butter at home--or shopping for the best. “A fascinating, tasty read . . . And what a bonus to have a collection of essential classic butter recipes included.” —David Tanis, author of A Platter of Figs and Other Recipes “Following the path blazed by Margaret Visser in Much Depends on Dinner, Elaine Khosrova makes much of butter and the ruminants whose milk man churns. You will revel in dairy physics. And you may never eat margarine again.” —John T. Edge, author of The Potlikker Papers: A Food History of the Modern South “Butter proves that close study can reveal rich history, lore, and practical information. All that and charm too.” —Mimi Sheraton, author of 1,000 Foods to Eat Before You Die “Irresistible and fascinating . . . This is one of those definitive books on a subject that every cook should have.” —Elisabeth Prueitt, co-owner of Tartine Bakery “The history of one of the most delectable ingredients throughout our many cultures and geography over time is wonderfully churned and emulsified in Khosrova’s Butter . . . Delightful storytelling.” —Elizabeth Falkner, author of Demolition Desserts: Recipes from Citizen Cake
Ethnic American Food Today introduces readers to the myriad ethnic food cultures in the U.S. today. Entries are organized alphabetically by nation and present the background and history of each food culture along with explorations of the place of that food in mainstream American society today. Many of the entries draw upon ethnographic research and personal experience, giving insights into the meanings of various ethnic food traditions as well as into what, how, and why people of different ethnicities are actually eating today. The entries look at foodways—the network of activities surrounding food itself—as well as the beliefs and aesthetics surrounding that food, and the changes that have occurred over time and place. They also address stereotypes of that food culture and the culture’s influence on American eating habits and menus, describing foodways practices in both private and public contexts, such as restaurants, groceries, social organizations, and the contemporary world of culinary arts. Recipes of representative or iconic dishes are included. This timely two-volume encyclopedia addresses the complexity—and richness—of both ethnicity and food in America today.
BHUTAN is a smaller companion volume to the world's largest published book, the 5x7' photographic book called BHUTAN. This book opens to nearly three feet, and offers an eyeful of imagery from several expeditions across the legendary mountain kingdom. Teams from MIT and Friendly Planet traveled extensively with two young people, Choki Lhamo (age 14, a girl from Trongsa who aspires to be a doctor) and Gyelsey Loday (also 14, son of the head lama in far-off Phongmey). This book shares a bit of their beautiful corner of the world. Proceeds are largely tax-deductible and are donated to help Bhutan's schools and scholars.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and other global nutrition and health agencies recommend nutrition actions throughout the life-course in order to address malnutrition in all its forms. In this report, we examined how Bhutan’s nutrition policies and programs addressed recommended nutrition actions, determinants, and outcomes. We reviewed population-based surveys to assess the availability of data on nutrition actions, nutrition outcomes, and the determinants of these outcomes; we also assessed the data availability in administrative data systems for selected nutrition actions and outcomes. Our policy review identified a total of 53 recommended nutrition actions; of which, 48 were applicable in Bhutan; of those, Bhutan’s nutrition policies addressed 46 and programs addressed 41. Nutrition actions that were not included in current policies and programs were: iron and folic acid (IFA) supplementation and deworming during preconception, food supplementation for malnourished lactating women, and IFA supplementation during early childhood. Policies addressed four actions for which there were no programs to implement it: daily IFA supplementation and deworming during preconception, advice about weight gain after weighing during pregnancy, outpatient management of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) and management of moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) during early childhood. National strategies and plans recognized and aimed to address all key determinants of nutrition except coverage under social protection schemes. National strategies and plans showed an intention to track progress of all other nutrition outcome indicators except underweight among non-pregnant women 15 to 49 years, overweight among school children and adolescents five to 19 years, and hypertension among adults. Of 41 actions that Bhutan’s policies and programs addressed, our data review found that population-based surveys contained data on only 17 actions; similarly, out of 15 actions we reviewed in the administrative data systems, data was available on seven actions. Data was not available from population-based surveys on a number of indicators, including those related to IFA supplementation, deworming, and food supplementation during adolescence; calcium supplementation, deworming, weight monitoring, and counseling during pregnancy; newborn care during delivery and the postnatal period; and infant and young child feeding (IYCF), growth monitoring, immunization, identification and management of SAM and MAM during early childhood. Population-based surveys contained data on 18 of 20 indicators on immediate and underlying determinants. Data on dietary diversity among pregnant women and on coverage of households under social protection schemes were not available in either the administrative data systems or the population-based surveys. The population-based surveys contained data on all nutrition outcomes except overweight among adolescents. In conclusion, Bhutan’s policy landscape for nutrition is robust. The gaps in availability of data for tracking progress on nutrition are large, however, and much greater than are the gap in policies and programs for addressing recommended actions. Future population-based surveys and modifications of other data systems should aim to fill the identified data gaps for nutrition action and outcome indicators.
An indispensable resource for exploring food and faith, this two-volume set offers information on food-related religious beliefs, customs, and practices from around the world. Why do Catholics eat fish on Fridays? Why are there retirement homes for aged cows in India? What culture holds ceremonies to welcome the first salmon? More than five billion people worldwide claim a religious identity that shapes the way they think about themselves, how they act, and what they eat. Food, Feasts, and Faith: An Encyclopedia of Food Culture in World Religions explores how the food we eat every day often serves purposes other than to keep us healthy and stay alive: we eat to express our faith and to adhere to ethnic or cultural traditions that are part of who we are. This book provides readers with an understanding of the rich world of food and faith. It contains more than 200 alphabetically arranged entries that describe the beliefs and customs of well-established major world religions and sects as well as those of smaller faith communities and new religious movements. The entries cover topics such as religious food rules, religious festivals and symbolic foods, and vegetarianism and veganism, as well as general themes such as rites of passage, social justice, hospitality, and compassion. Each entry on religion explains what the religious dietary laws and guidelines are and how these were interpreted and put into practice historically and in modern settings. The coverage also includes important festivals and feast days as well as significant religious figures and organizations. Additionally, some 160 sidebars provide examples and more detailed information as well as fun facts.
Indigenous Fermented Foods of South Asia covers the foods of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives, and Afghanistan. For each type of food, its microbiology, biochemistry, biotechnology, quality, and nutritional value is covered in depth.The book discusses numerous topics including various types of fermented foods, their o