Charles Darwin, the Gourmet Traveler

In 2009 the world celebrated the 150th anniversary of the publication of Charles Darwin's seminal work, the Origin of Species. While much was made of his evolutionary thinking, there was more to Darwin than merely challenging the way the Western World thought about the natural world. Gregarious by nature, Darwin also enjoyed the pleasures of the table. From his Glutton Club days at Cambridge University and throughout the voyage of the Beagle, Darwin not only collected specimens to develop his understanding of the natural world but he also ate them. He was never more satisfied than digesting species unknown to the human palate, at least the English palate. Darwin relished the culinary delights that different lands offered and approached the discovery of a new dish, and of the way it was cooked, with the same sense of curiosity and adventure he brought to collecting specimens.