Since the beginning of human history, cattle have been central to our existence, not only as a source of food and labour but also as an inspiration for art, warfare and religion. In Beef, an exuberant, panoramic view of the cow's rich history, Andrew Rimas and Evan Fraser tell the surprising story of our relationship with an animal that we have worked alongside, consumed and even worshipped for thousands of years.
Rimas and Fraser examine the bovine legacy in its entirety, from breeding to braising, from hunting to worshipping, from ancient Mediterranean bullfighting rings to the rugged pastures of eighteenth-century England. Seasoned with anecdotes and recipes from across the globe, this entertaining tale serves not only as a compelling story but also as an indictment of the perilous state of beef production in Europe and the US - a situation closer to a health and economic emergency than most would like to believe. Readers will never look at a steak the same way again.
The cow. The most industrious animal in the world. A beast central to human existence since time began, it has played a vital role in our history not only as a source of food, but also as a means of labor, an economic resource, an inspiration for art, and even as a religious icon. Prehistoric people painted it on cave walls; explorers, merchants, and landowners traded it as currency; many cultures worshipped it as a god. So how did it come to occupy the sorry state it does today—more factory product than animal?
In Beef, Andrew Rimas and Evan D. G. Fraser answer that question, telling the story of cattle in its entirety. From the powerful auroch, a now extinct beast once revered as a mystical totem, to the dairy cows of seventeenth-century Holland to the frozen meat patties and growth hormones of today, the authors deliver an engaging panoramic view of the cow's long and colorful history.
Peppered with lively anecdotes, recipes, and culinary tidbits, Beef tells a story that spans the globe, from ancient Mediterranean bullfighting rings to the rugged grazing grounds of eighteenth-century England, from the quiet farms of Japan's Kobe beef cows to crowded American stockyards to remote villages in East Africa, home of the Masai, a society to which cattle mean everything. Leaving no stone unturned in its exploration of the cow's legacy, the narrative serves not only as a compelling story but as a call to arms, offering practical solutions for confronting the current condition of the wasteful beef and dairy industries.
Beef is a captivating history of an animal whose relationship with humanity has shaped the world as we know it, and readers will never look at steak the same way again.
