Coffee, Currants, and Sherbets: The ‘Exotic’ World of Cross-Cultural Food-Making in Early Modern Europe and the Middle East

Friday, 19 June 2026, 2.30pm to 5.30pm

Supported by the John Coffin Memorial Trust, this public event explores the relationship between migration and food history in the Renaissance and early modern period (1500-1800). It showcases new research revealing how Western European dietary habits at this time were shaped by contacts with the Eastern Mediterranean world, and the ongoing impact of this today. Themes discussed include: the hidden roles played by migrant food makers and food sellers; the craze for Greek wines and currants; the rise of coffee house culture in England; and the interest in and creation of Ottoman-inspired sherbets and deserts in Italy. The speakers will share highlights from library and archive collections across the U.K. and Europe, including the Warburg Library, the Bodleian Library (Oxford), Cambridge University Library, the Wellcome Library (London), the Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale (Florence), and the Biblioteca Riccardiana (Florence).

The session will present the academics’ research findings through a series of three talks. Attendees will then have the chance to sample some of the early modern drinks and dishes discussed, in the form of a historically-themed ‘afternoon tea’. There will also be a display of some of the exciting historical recipe books and visual sources from the Warburg’s own collections, which lie at the heart of this new research.

This event brings together a diverse audience with wide-ranging interests, including those studying and working in the food, hospitality, and catering industries, members of London’s Mediterranean and Middle Eastern ethnic communities, and students and academics with an interest in the history of food and/or the early modern Mediterranean world.
 

Please be aware that this event is not suitable for under 18s, as alcohol will be available as part of the buffet menu. If you have any allergies, please be aware that cross-contamination may occur. Vegetarian options will available.

Speaker(s): Dr Lavinia Gambini (University of Bern), Dr Anastasia Stylianou (Warburg Institute), Dr Federica Gigante (University of Oxford), Chair: Professor John-Paul Ghobrial (University of Oxford)

Host: The Warburg Institute

Register here: https://sas.sym-online.com/registrationforms/warburg-booking160434/done/

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