As my readers will recall, I am very interested in the material culture of Scandinavia of the Viking age, and have reviewed two
different books about "Viking" cuisine for this blog.
This year, another English language book on Viking cuisine is being published. One of its co-authors is Daniel Serra, who writes the Eldrimmer blog. The book is called, An Early Meal: A Viking Age Cookbook and Cultural Odyssey, and it's being published by ChronoCopia Publishing. ChronoCopia's page on the book, which you can use to track information about when and where and how to obtain a copy, may be found here. The book's Facebook page is here. Go here for an inside peek into the table of contents and a few other pages of the book.
An Early Meal, like the other Viking age cookery books I've read recently, is a history book as well as a cookbook. It takes a more interesting perspective on its subject by attempting to recreate recipes based upon archaeological finds from particular Viking sites, rather than creating an amorphous, and potentially misleading, generic "Viking" cuisine. The sites involved are Lofoten (Norway), Kaupang (Norway), Lejre (Denmark), Hedeby (Denmark), Jorvik (Danish settlement in England), Uppåkra (Sweden) and Birka (Sweden). Thus, the authors' book gives an idea of what regional variation must have existed in Viking fare.
Handelsgillet.com, a Swedish business catering to reenactors, is selling the book for 360 Swedish kroner, which is about $54.00 USD, before postage. I'm hoping that Potboiler Press, which is planning to sell the book in the US, will be able to provide me with a copy at a lower price, since I am eager to read the fruits of the authors' research and learn how Viking age cooking differed in the various regions of Scandinavia. If I do manage to obtain a copy, I will review it here. If any readers obtain a copy first, please comment about it here.
EDIT: Potboiler Press has told me that their price for the book will be $40.50 USD before shipping. Hopefully I can get a copy eventually.
An Early Meal, like the other Viking age cookery books I've read recently, is a history book as well as a cookbook. It takes a more interesting perspective on its subject by attempting to recreate recipes based upon archaeological finds from particular Viking sites, rather than creating an amorphous, and potentially misleading, generic "Viking" cuisine. The sites involved are Lofoten (Norway), Kaupang (Norway), Lejre (Denmark), Hedeby (Denmark), Jorvik (Danish settlement in England), Uppåkra (Sweden) and Birka (Sweden). Thus, the authors' book gives an idea of what regional variation must have existed in Viking fare.
Handelsgillet.com, a Swedish business catering to reenactors, is selling the book for 360 Swedish kroner, which is about $54.00 USD, before postage. I'm hoping that Potboiler Press, which is planning to sell the book in the US, will be able to provide me with a copy at a lower price, since I am eager to read the fruits of the authors' research and learn how Viking age cooking differed in the various regions of Scandinavia. If I do manage to obtain a copy, I will review it here. If any readers obtain a copy first, please comment about it here.
EDIT: Potboiler Press has told me that their price for the book will be $40.50 USD before shipping. Hopefully I can get a copy eventually.
Potboiler Press' price is $45.00, before shipping. (Shipping within the U.S. runs about $5; anywhere else and it's extortionate, thanks to the USPostal Service. (At least as of December 2014)
ReplyDelete