旅行者の朝食

A collection of essays by Russian interpreter Mari Yonehara, focusing on food cultures from throughout history and around the world—with a particular emphasis on Russia and Eastern Europe. This book explores not only the uniqueness of the foods themselves, but also the history and cultural context behind “why those foods came to be eaten in those regions.” I was particularly surprised by the episode about livestock blood in Prague, where she spent her childhood (there was a service that delivered fresh blood from the slaughterhouse to homes two or three times a month, and people used to eat blood jelly).