"Do not let the peasant know how good cheese is with pears" goes the old saying. Intrigued by these words and their portent, Massimo Montanari unravels their origin and utility. Perusing archival cookbooks, agricultural and dietary treatises, literary works, and anthologies of beloved sayings, he finds in the nobility's demanding palates and delicate stomachs a compelling recipe for social conduct. "Cheese, Pears, and History in a Proverb is a fine example of the historian Massimo Montanari's studies of what food means and what purposes it can serve." -Times Literary Supplement