Publication date:
12 March 2014Length of book:
258 pagesPublisher
Rowman & Littlefield PublishersDimensions:
227x153mm6x9"
ISBN-13: 9781442232181
How America Eats: A Social History of U.S. Food and Culture, by food and social historian Jennifer Wallach, sheds a new and interesting light on American history by way of the dinner table. It is, at once, a study of America’s diverse culinary history and a look at the country’s unique and unprecedented journey to the present day. While undeniably a “melting pot” of different cultures and cuisines, America’s food habits have been shaped as much by technological innovations and industrial progress as by the intermingling and mixture of ethnic cultures. By studying what Americans have been eating since the colonial era, we are further enlightened to the conflicting ways in which Americans have chosen to define themselves, their culture, their beliefs, and the changes those definitions have undergone over time. Understanding the American diet is the first step toward grasping the larger truths, the complex American narratives that have long been swept under the table, and the evolving answers to the question: What does it mean to be American?
This short but effective overview of US food history provides a synthesis of the growing scholarship about eating and culture. Beginning with Columbian-era practices and concluding with a discussion of contemporary health and environmental issues, Wallach (Univ. of North Texas) connects eating practices to multicultural influences and contextualizes food culture as part of larger US trends. Included are explanations of formerly popular dishes and well-crafted descriptions of who prepared food and the methods they used. A review of technological changes that altered consumption includes examples from well-known food historians such as Harvey Levenstein (e.g., Fear of Food, CH, Nov'12, 50-1434). The discussions of ethnic food practices as critical elements that shaped eating habits will help introduce students to more detailed works, such as those by Donna Gabbacia (e.g., We Are What We Eat, 1998) and Andrew Coe (e.g., Chop Suey, CH, May'10, 47-5209). This book is a fine introduction for students curious about food culture and consumption. Summing Up: Recommended.