Today Special : Edible Book Day
Edible Book Day is celebrated on April 1. In 2000, Judith A. Hoffberg and Béatrice Coron started this event to commemorate the birthday of the famous gastronome Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, a French lawyer and politician, famous for his book “Physiologie du goût.”
Edible Book Day is an international event where edible books are created, presented, photographed, and consumed. The images and details of the event are usually uploaded to social media. The holiday gathers bibliophiles, gourmets, xenophiles, and the occasional bookworm.
HISTORY OF EDIBLE BOOK DAY
Edible Book Day originated on April 1, 1755. Anthelme Brillat-Savarin was born in France into a lawyer family. Similar to his father, he chose to follow the same career path. However, his passion was more for the culinary arts. Even though he used a veil of politics and law, deep down, he was a gourmet.
In 1825, he published his book, “The Physiology of Taste.” The book became the bible of gastronomes. It contains a huge collection of details on how to improve the overall table experience. Anthelme shares with us his vast knowledge through various anecdotes, random conversations, funny narration, and deep insights.
There are occasional mentions of new recipes and treaties on the culinary arts. Fast-forward a few decades to 2000. Judith Holmberg, the cofounder of Forbes Library in North Hampton, came up with the idea of edible books during Thanksgiving dinner with book artists. The idea soon became an international event.
People from countries like Canada, Australia, Brazil, England, India, Germany, Italy, Japan, and more regularly participate in edible book events. The idea brings together bookworms, food lovers, and artists under a single roof for an event.
The event organizers also distribute prices for titles like best overall entry, best pun, best book theme, best children’s book, best adult book. The celebration mainly centers on creating edible books or themes from books.
EDIBLE BOOK DAY ACTIVITIES
- Attend an edible book day event : These events are conducted yearly, and people can register online for access. If you cannot find any events, you can organize one independently.
- Create an edible book and share your experience : Select your favorite book, pick a theme and create an edible book. Record your whole process in videos and photos, and upload them to social media.
- Not an artist? Then read : Not everyone is a born food artist, and not everyone can create splendid shapes with food. This does not mean you can not participate in the event. If you cannot make anything with food, join the reading corner and make the most of the day while reading a wonderful book.
5 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT “PHYSIOLOGIE DU GOUT”
- The book that was the inspiration : The full name of the book that inspired Edible Book Day is “Physiologie du goût; ou, méditations de gastronomie transcendante: ouvrage théorique, historique et à l’ordre du jour, 2 vol.”
- A quote for gourmets : Jean Anthelme said: “The discovery of a new dish confers more happiness on humanity than the discovery of a new star.”
- “You are what you eat” : We are sure everyone knows this quote. It is also from “Physiologie du gout.”
- The English translation : M.F.K. Fisher translated the book into English, adding footnotes and editor’s comments on each page.
- First gastronome : Anthelme is widely considered the first gastronome in history.
WHY WE LOVE EDIBLE BOOK DAY
- It encourages us to read books : Reading books is one of the most useful hobbies to have. It increases knowledge and depth of language, reduces stress, improves focus, memory, and empathy. Reading opens the door to another world where we can learn about new and intriguing subjects.
- It links food with books : The idea of using food as art is not new. Around the 1960s, artists started using food to create art. The events force artists to dive deep into the contents of books to better understand the theme they are creating. An edible book developed from scratch can help popularise the book’s theme or shed light on important topics.
- It promotes social connections : Edible book day brings a lot of people together. Book lovers, food lovers, and food artists all come together for Edible Book Day. Even the idea of Edible Book Day originated when a reader spent some time with food artists for Thanksgiving.
