The sacred history and profane present of a substance long seen as the essence of health and civilization.
But what if this symbol of purity has become deeply corrupt? Starting with an explosive article in The New Yorker, Tom Mueller has become the world's expert on olive oil and olive oil fraud-a story of globalization, deception, and crime in the food industry from ancient times to the present, and a powerful indictment of today's lax protections against fake and even toxic food products in the United States. A rich and deliciously readable narrative, Extra Virginity is also an inspiring account of the artisanal producers, chemical analysts, chefs, and food activists who are defending the extraordinary oils that truly deserve the name "extra-virgin."
For millennia, fresh olive oil has been one of life's necessities-not just as food but also as medicine, a beauty aid, and a vital element of religious ritual. Today's researchers are continuing to confirm the remarkable, life-giving properties of true extra-virgin, and "extra-virgin Italian" has become the highest standard of quality.
But what if this symbol of purity has become deeply corrupt? Starting with an explosive article in The New Yorker, Tom Mueller has become the world's expert on olive oil and olive oil fraud-a story of globalization, deception, and crime in the food industry from ancient times to the present, and a powerful indictment of today's lax protections against fake and even toxic food products in the United States. A rich and deliciously readable narrative, Extra Virginity is also an inspiring account of the artisanal producers, chemical analysts, chefs, and food activists who are defending the extraordinary oils that truly deserve the name "extra-virgin."
Product Details
ISBN-13: 9780393070217
Media Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Norton W. W. & Company Inc.
Publication Date: 12-05-2011
Pages: 256
Product Dimensions: 6.20(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.20(d)
About the Author
Tom Mueller’s previous book with Norton, Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil, was a New York Times bestseller. His writing has appeared in the New Yorker, the New York Times Magazine, and the Atlantic, and is anthologized in The Best American Science and Nature Writing. He divides his time between the Pacific Northwest and Italy.
What People are Saying
What People are Saying About This
Table of Contents