Aphorisms and Editions

What Exactly Did Brillat-Savarin Say?

Abstract

A Savarin is a ring-shaped sponge cake, a Brillat-Savarin is a rich cow’s cheese from Normandy and Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1755–1826), for whom both are named, was a French jurist and author of Physiologie de goût. The book is one of those classics that are frequently quoted but rarely read. Indeed, were it not for a handful of memorable phrases – what the author calls ‘aphorisms’ – the book would probably be unjustly forgotten today. Indeed, many of these aphorisms have become proverbial phrases in French and English, and yet there is reason to wonder whether or not Brillat-Savarin can be credited with inventing them. Nevertheless, the advice is that he is still a "good read".