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thedolson 's review for:
Go read this book. The chapters on seafood and olive oil are very helpful. The goal of this author is to help consumers buy what he calls "real food," or food that is what it says it is.
That being said, Olmstead undermines his own goal in several ways. The first is the book's inconsistent tone. Often, Olmstead switches to a rant about fake american parmesean could not possibly be mistaken for real Parmegiano-Reggiano. I agree it's ridiculous, but this point (and other similar ones) are beaten to death in this book.
Olmstead uses the word "pure" and sometimes "ultrapure" liberally, e.g. to refer to Parma ham, Kobe beef, and other fine foods. When referring to food products, they are at worst unclear and overused terms. When used in the context of biology or genetics such as when referring to the heritage of Kobe or Angus cattle, they are downright scary. I would urge the author to think before using these words.
I was surprised to find several factual errors in this book that is otherwise extremely well researched. Chianti is referred to being made of 100% Sangiovese grapes. This is incorrect. Most Chianti can be blended with up to 20% other grapes and still be legally labeled as Chianti by the Consorzio. This is because Sangiovese is extremely temperamental, and blending it with grapes such as Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon can vastly improve a less than stellar Sangiovese harvest. Brunello, on the other hand, is 100% Sangiovese, and is therefore less reliably delicious (and economical) than Chianti.
Much of this books is spent on foods from Europe, America, and Japan, with cursory mentions of other locations, such as tea from India (specifically Darjeeling), and coffee. According to Olmstead, products from China are not to be trusted. However, he fails to mention that Darjeeling tea was originally produced by the British so they did not have to rely on China as their source of tea. Although Camilla Sinensis grows naturally in modern India, Darjeeling tea is a fake food from the start!
These points detract from the overall good quality of this book. I enjoyed most of the chapters, and liked Olmstead's expository writing, although it was a bit disorganized.
That being said, Olmstead undermines his own goal in several ways. The first is the book's inconsistent tone. Often, Olmstead switches to a rant about fake american parmesean could not possibly be mistaken for real Parmegiano-Reggiano. I agree it's ridiculous, but this point (and other similar ones) are beaten to death in this book.
Olmstead uses the word "pure" and sometimes "ultrapure" liberally, e.g. to refer to Parma ham, Kobe beef, and other fine foods. When referring to food products, they are at worst unclear and overused terms. When used in the context of biology or genetics such as when referring to the heritage of Kobe or Angus cattle, they are downright scary. I would urge the author to think before using these words.
I was surprised to find several factual errors in this book that is otherwise extremely well researched. Chianti is referred to being made of 100% Sangiovese grapes. This is incorrect. Most Chianti can be blended with up to 20% other grapes and still be legally labeled as Chianti by the Consorzio. This is because Sangiovese is extremely temperamental, and blending it with grapes such as Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon can vastly improve a less than stellar Sangiovese harvest. Brunello, on the other hand, is 100% Sangiovese, and is therefore less reliably delicious (and economical) than Chianti.
Much of this books is spent on foods from Europe, America, and Japan, with cursory mentions of other locations, such as tea from India (specifically Darjeeling), and coffee. According to Olmstead, products from China are not to be trusted. However, he fails to mention that Darjeeling tea was originally produced by the British so they did not have to rely on China as their source of tea. Although Camilla Sinensis grows naturally in modern India, Darjeeling tea is a fake food from the start!
These points detract from the overall good quality of this book. I enjoyed most of the chapters, and liked Olmstead's expository writing, although it was a bit disorganized.