Marmalade is a particularly British creation, even though its origins lie abroad, and its charms have been exported to the wider world. C. Anne Wilson's book was first published in 1986 by Constable, reissued in Britain (Prospect) and the USA (Pennsylvania UP) in 2000, and now takes its place in Prospect's 'English Kitchen' series. It offers a history of marmalade in Britain from its origins as a quince conserve in medieval times, through its first commercialization in Scotland in the 18th century, to its dominant place in the British jam cupboard and on the breakfast table in the modern era. The first edition has been updated to take account of the most recent developments.
"It really is a great pleasure to find one specific subject in the vast field of food history dealt with in a manner which can, for once, be properly described as definitive the result is a model," began one review of this title's former printing.
This history is buttressed by two dozen recipes drawn from old and modern sources. The illustrations are from old photographs, reproductions of catalogues, and more. Here is everything that a maker of marmalade, or a lover of the stuff, could need to feed his or her brain.
C. Anne Wilson is one of Britain's most celebrated food historians, her reputation established with Food and Drink in Britain (1973). She was formerly a librarian at Leeds University Library and has for many years organised the Leeds Symposium on English Food History.
