Maritime Food explores the vital role of food preservation in enabling centuries of maritime exploration, trade, and naval dominance. Without effective ways to keep food edible, long sea voyages would have been impossible. The book reveals how the need to feed sailors spurred innovation in food science and technology. Readers will discover the daily life of sailors, their nutritional needs, and the impact of diet on their health.
The book details traditional methods like salting, drying, and pickling, explaining their processes and effectiveness. The book investigates the impact of these methods on the health of sailors, particularly the issues of scurvy and nutritional deficiencies, and how these problems were eventually addressed. For example, sailors learned to use citrus fruits to combat scurvy, a disease caused by vitamin C deficiency, changing the course of naval history.
The book then covers 19th and 20th-century advancements, including canning and refrigeration, and their transformative effect on maritime food provision. Structured to provide a comprehensive overview, the book progresses from the challenges of maritime food preservation to the impact of advancements like canning and refrigeration. Maritime Food connects history, nutrition, and food science, appealing to anyone interested in the intersection of food, culture, and exploration. While focusing primarily on European and North American practices, it offers an in-depth look at influential maritime food traditions.
