Gypsy Feast : Recipes and Culinary Traditions of the Romany People Book

Gypsy Feast showcases the little-known cuisine of the Romany people or Gypsies. In this extensively researched book, author Carol Wilson includes recipes that have survived through the centuries, frequently undergoing adaptation to meet the tastes of a particular time or place. Very few of these recipes were ever recorded-most were handed down verbally from generation to generation. Today, as modern life encroaches on the traditional Romany customs, the old ways of life are rapidly disappearing. Gypsy Feast records many of these fading recipes and culinary traditions. Complete with b/w illustrations.

The Romany people are descendents of the ancient warrior classes of Northern India who trekked westwards around A.D. 1000. Although they were, and still are, often referred to as "gypsies," their correct and preferred name is Roma. Their migration took them through Persia and Armenia, into Europe and later to the Americas. Today, the Roma live scattered throughout the world.

Roma foodways were traditionally determined by their nomadic way of life. Thus, the cuisine came to include whatever was readily available, such as wild fruits and vegetables, berries, herbs, flowers, fish, and shellfish, and wild game. Today, few Roma continue to live as nomads, and their traditional cuisine has largely been replaced by that of the mainstream society. Gypsy Feast evokes a memorable picture of the old Romany ways, including recipes, information on feasts and celebrations, marriage and funeral customs, and a unique way of life that has almost disappeared.