In the Devil’s Garden: A Sinful History of Forbidden Food

From the forbidden fruit of the Old Testament to the numerous laws broken at Francois Mitterand’s final meal, In the Devil’s Garden is a mouth-watering history of food taboos from around the world – a smorgasbord of culinary titbits to spice up any after-dinner conversation. In a history peppered with religious extremists who would rather starve to death than violate ancient taboos – and in an age when half the world’s population – from cow-loving Hindus to Kosher Jews and Western vegetarians – still live with harsh dietary restrictions, Allen reveals just how significant, and pervasive, our relationship with food is.

Reviews of In the Devil’s Garden: A Sinful History of Forbidden Food

* Allen's range of anecdotes is so varied and offbeat that is makes for a fascinating book. — Jane Jakeman Times Literary Supplement * His book is a finger-buffet of travellers' and fishermen's tales associated with food and food taboos, loosely chapter-bound by the Seven Deadly Sins… If we are, as the 18th Century food writer Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin first suggested, what we eat, then Allen is a strange and adventuresome man. The Times * Food factoids, whimsy, mad opinion, history and hearsay tumble across the pages of In The Devil's Garden… Here, Allen's anecdote-packed, gonzo writing style swashbuckles between the badly behaved European aristocrats who like to take a cup of jasmine-scented chocolate while watching infidels being burned alive to the "harlot-princess-slut divine, dominatrix bitch" Madame du Barry, who seduced Louis XV with a mountain of luxury. — Jen Moir Daily Telegraph * Brilliant Independent