What do you think?
Rate this book
The Secret History of Food: Strange but True Stories About the Origins of Everything We Eat
An entertaining look at the little-known history surrounding the foods we know and loveIs Italian olive oil really Italian, or are we dipping our bread in lamp oil? Why are we masochistically drawn to foods that can hurt us, like hot peppers? Far from being a classic American dish, is apple pie actually . . . English?
“As a species, we’re hardwired to obsess over food,” Matt Siegel explains as he sets out “to uncover the hidden side of everything we put in our mouths.” Siegel also probes subjects ranging from the myths—and realities—of food as aphrodisiac, to how one of the rarest and most exotic spices in all the world (vanilla) became a synonym for uninspired sexual proclivities, to the role of food in fairy- and morality tales.
“As a species, we’re hardwired to obsess over food,” Matt Siegel explains as he sets out “to uncover the hidden side of everything we put in our mouths.” Siegel also probes subjects ranging from the myths—and realities—of food as aphrodisiac, to how one of the rarest and most exotic spices in all the world (vanilla) became a synonym for uninspired sexual proclivities, to the role of food in fairy- and morality tales.
Audible Audio
First published August 31, 2021
551 people are currently reading
13120 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 627 reviews
December 24, 2021
Review This book is an absolute mish-mash of facts that look like a team of researchers found in books and on the internet when given the brief of finding anything that wasn't common knowledge about food in history whether myth, science, history or just plain quirky. Although I thought it was going to be an in-depth book, which it is not touching on so many areas, it is no less enjoyable for that. I did learn a lot, and that is always what I like best -apart from good writing of course - in a non-fiction book.
__________
Notes on reading Secrets of what we like before we even know ourselves - tastes from the womb! When we are but foetuses floating in the womb drinking litres of amniotic fluid how much salt we like are formed. If our mother had a lot of morning sickness and lowered electrolyte levels, we might spend a lifetime wanting more salt!
Flavours in breast milk, like garlic, cumin, curry, carrot, vanilla etc tend to produce a liking for those flavours in childen. I do wonder though it that is not just because the mother cooks with those flavours anyway. But studies have shown that breastfed babies "tt more fruits and vegetables and be more adventurous eatershan those who were given formula, owing to their exposure to a greater variety of flavors early on". I bet they still won't eat sprouts though.
Also interesting was honey and vegans. Vegans won't eat honey because of not exploiting bees for their produce. But without bees there would be no almond milk, avocados or much else where the bees are the natural pollinators.
And the bees don't just come from the wild. They are trucked there as part of a commercial operation where the farmers pay the beekeepers and the beekeepers later sell the honey. See Following the Bloom: Across America with the Migratory Beekeepers So bees are exploited for their pollinating ability without which their would be few fruit and veggies! That kind of implies vegans shouldn't eat veggies if they won't eat honey, especially ones where the bees have been trucked in just to do the job.
We all know that honey is sweet, honey is what we call our beloved, Greeks, Romans and Chinese put it next to corpses to help them have a sweet afterlife. In traditional Hindu weddings honey was rubbed on 'several of a bride's orifices to ensure a sweet marriage' (sounds like a Good Idea). But there is a dark side
This is a truly quite interesting history full of 'secrets' I didn't know, even if the author doesn't like the British very much and think it was a good thing for everyone, including pies, that they got kicked out of America. America makes delicate pie crusts he says, the British make great big thick ones. This is because in days of yore before Tupperware was invented, good things to eat were sealed up in a thick pie crust to be baked, transported and used as a nice bowl that didn't need washing up. Another Good Idea.
Great book, really enjoying it. Have to keep rereading to make sure I get all the details.
__________
Notes on reading Secrets of what we like before we even know ourselves - tastes from the womb! When we are but foetuses floating in the womb drinking litres of amniotic fluid how much salt we like are formed. If our mother had a lot of morning sickness and lowered electrolyte levels, we might spend a lifetime wanting more salt!
Flavours in breast milk, like garlic, cumin, curry, carrot, vanilla etc tend to produce a liking for those flavours in childen. I do wonder though it that is not just because the mother cooks with those flavours anyway. But studies have shown that breastfed babies "tt more fruits and vegetables and be more adventurous eatershan those who were given formula, owing to their exposure to a greater variety of flavors early on". I bet they still won't eat sprouts though.
Also interesting was honey and vegans. Vegans won't eat honey because of not exploiting bees for their produce. But without bees there would be no almond milk, avocados or much else where the bees are the natural pollinators.
And the bees don't just come from the wild. They are trucked there as part of a commercial operation where the farmers pay the beekeepers and the beekeepers later sell the honey. See Following the Bloom: Across America with the Migratory Beekeepers So bees are exploited for their pollinating ability without which their would be few fruit and veggies! That kind of implies vegans shouldn't eat veggies if they won't eat honey, especially ones where the bees have been trucked in just to do the job.
We all know that honey is sweet, honey is what we call our beloved, Greeks, Romans and Chinese put it next to corpses to help them have a sweet afterlife. In traditional Hindu weddings honey was rubbed on 'several of a bride's orifices to ensure a sweet marriage' (sounds like a Good Idea). But there is a dark side
Hitler gave honey to wounded soldiers11 with a sweet note that read “Ein Gruss des Führers an seine Verwundeten” (“Greetings from the Führer to his wounded”)—though, fittingly, it was really just cheap imitation honey made from beet syrup and yellow food coloringIn historic times, it was ok for German fathres to murder their own children before they had tasted honey. After that it was verboten. Hmmm.
This is a truly quite interesting history full of 'secrets' I didn't know, even if the author doesn't like the British very much and think it was a good thing for everyone, including pies, that they got kicked out of America. America makes delicate pie crusts he says, the British make great big thick ones. This is because in days of yore before Tupperware was invented, good things to eat were sealed up in a thick pie crust to be baked, transported and used as a nice bowl that didn't need washing up. Another Good Idea.
Great book, really enjoying it. Have to keep rereading to make sure I get all the details.
January 17, 2022
The Secret History of Food by Matt Siegal is a 2021 Ecco publication.
This is a fun look at the history of some our most common- and beloved foods- such as apple pie, for example. The book takes what could be a great deal of minutia and trivia and turned it into an entertaining history and food lesson. The sarcastic remarks added humor, while keeping one engaged and focused.
Food is definitely something we spend a great deal of time thinking about, but how often do we really stop to consider the history of the food, or the psychological connections behind our food choices?
Do we really eat hot chilies to distract us from other types of pain? The science in this book appears to be dependable information, and I found it to be quite fascinating.
Some of the lists went on a little too long, as we got the gist long before Siegal exhausted us on the various flavors of Prego Pasta sauce, though the points made about numerous choices we are presented with in the supermarket was interesting. I can attest to feeling a little overwhelmed by the overabundance of brands, flavors, sizes, etc., from time to time.
Also, worth noting for those considering this book, nearly half of it is dedicated to notes. It is good to see the sources and I feel comforted by the legitimacy of the information I am asked to absorb, but I do wish there was some way to give readers a heads up about the actual number of reading pages in a book before purchasing it.
Other than that, this is an excellent way to learn about some little-known food facts, we should all consider, and is presented in an entertaining, engrossing manner. It’s also a quick, easy read that shouldn’t take long to digest…
3.5 stars
This is a fun look at the history of some our most common- and beloved foods- such as apple pie, for example. The book takes what could be a great deal of minutia and trivia and turned it into an entertaining history and food lesson. The sarcastic remarks added humor, while keeping one engaged and focused.
Food is definitely something we spend a great deal of time thinking about, but how often do we really stop to consider the history of the food, or the psychological connections behind our food choices?
Do we really eat hot chilies to distract us from other types of pain? The science in this book appears to be dependable information, and I found it to be quite fascinating.
Some of the lists went on a little too long, as we got the gist long before Siegal exhausted us on the various flavors of Prego Pasta sauce, though the points made about numerous choices we are presented with in the supermarket was interesting. I can attest to feeling a little overwhelmed by the overabundance of brands, flavors, sizes, etc., from time to time.
Also, worth noting for those considering this book, nearly half of it is dedicated to notes. It is good to see the sources and I feel comforted by the legitimacy of the information I am asked to absorb, but I do wish there was some way to give readers a heads up about the actual number of reading pages in a book before purchasing it.
Other than that, this is an excellent way to learn about some little-known food facts, we should all consider, and is presented in an entertaining, engrossing manner. It’s also a quick, easy read that shouldn’t take long to digest…
3.5 stars
March 5, 2022
Matt Siegel makes the history and science of food easily digestible. All the topics are covered briefly, but I found the bite-sized amounts of information were enough to catch my interest and allowed me to retain the information. Some of the topics covered that were the most interesting to me include hereditary influences on food preferences, evolution of the physical body in response to changing nutritional choices and environmental factors, the historical and modern-day uses of corn, honey, ice cream, and chili peppers, consumer preferences and desire for variety (and the fact that we have more food choices but less variety), and food styling to enhance appearance.
This book is very much like The History Channel show "The Food That Built America" and is a good choice for those who like little bits of knowledge on all sorts of food topics.
This book is very much like The History Channel show "The Food That Built America" and is a good choice for those who like little bits of knowledge on all sorts of food topics.
September 25, 2021
I love books that are so full of facts I have to keep pausing my reading to
The Secret History of Food is one such book. Thankfully, as a chef, she loves food trivia as much as I do so I didn't have to worry I was irritating her every few minutes.
The subtitle is misleading because (of course) it's not the history of everything we eat. That would make for a much longer book, if anyone could even glean all of that information. Who can possibly know the first time a human grabbed an artichoke and said, Hmmm. this looks like something I'd like to eat?
Or a sea urchin.
Really, who could possibly have thought that would be edible?
But I digress.
You won't read about the first person to eat a sea urchin, an artichoke, or cheese in a can but you will learn about things like:
•How corn was originally about the size of a cigarette, and shorter.
•Vagina and penis shaped bread - the former to woo the man of your dreams and the latter for when that didn't work (actually, no, these were made in different times and places, but really, you'd have thought they'd go together when the poor maidens failed to lure a hot, young stud).
•Thomas Jefferson's recipe for ice cream. Hint: It's much easier to run to the supermarket and buy a pint of Ben & Jerry's.
•"A 2015 study of 458 pounds of beef purchased from grocery stores in twenty-six US cities... found that all of it was contaminated with fecal bacteria."
•Pie crust in England was originally hard and inedible, serving the purpose of being a container for the disgusting crap inside (like lamb's balls and deer guts). Thankfully the early Americans reinvented pie, making a nice, flaky crust and filling it with sweet apples and berries instead.
The British replaced ice cream with carrot sticks as a treat during WWI while the US spent "more than a million dollars on a floating ice cream barge that roamed the Pacific delivering ice cream to Allied ships incapable of making their own". These two facts lead me to think that while Americans aren't great in everything, we at least do desserts better than the Brits did in the past.
This is just a sampling of what you'll discover in this book. If you enjoy trivia and/or reading about food, you will find a lot to love in this book. It's entertaining as well as educational and the author is witty, inducing several laughs (and a couple groans as well). It's a quick read and fun and you'll learn perhaps more than you'd like to know about how synthetic vanilla is made.....
October 27, 2021
Chock full of intriguing facts and information about many of the common foods we eat. The history, changing faces of how they were used, where they came from and much more. Honey, corn, vanilla, and ice cream, etc. Loved the chapter on ice cream, never knew how important it was during the second world war.
The chapter on our first settlers provided a humorous visual I can't get out of my mind. When these settlers arrived in America, there was food a plenty, especially in the ocean, but they didn't know how to catch nor use what was available. "Meanwhile, civilized settlers were attempting to fish with frying pans and eating their own dogs to keep from starving." Okay, the dog part is sad but cant you just see John Smith attempting to hit fish over the head with a frying pan?
Another fact I found astonishing and unfortunate, especially now when so many are considered obese, was found in the chapter titled, Choices of a new generation. "More than 36 percent of Americans consume fast food daily, increasing to 80 percent monthly and 96 percent annually." Makes one think.
Which is exactly what this book did, make me think, about history, food and what we put in our bodies.
The chapter on our first settlers provided a humorous visual I can't get out of my mind. When these settlers arrived in America, there was food a plenty, especially in the ocean, but they didn't know how to catch nor use what was available. "Meanwhile, civilized settlers were attempting to fish with frying pans and eating their own dogs to keep from starving." Okay, the dog part is sad but cant you just see John Smith attempting to hit fish over the head with a frying pan?
Another fact I found astonishing and unfortunate, especially now when so many are considered obese, was found in the chapter titled, Choices of a new generation. "More than 36 percent of Americans consume fast food daily, increasing to 80 percent monthly and 96 percent annually." Makes one think.
Which is exactly what this book did, make me think, about history, food and what we put in our bodies.
June 18, 2021
I didn’t finish this book as the beginning consists of the author quoting copiously from books and studies full of asshole comments. Is it not enough to say “this book was very racist” or “this other book is super misogynistic”? We have to quote it and make the reader feel like absolute garbage?
Anyway, it reads as an attempt to be scholarly and is pretentious and intolerable.
Hard pass from me.
Anyway, it reads as an attempt to be scholarly and is pretentious and intolerable.
Hard pass from me.
May 22, 2025
I so appreciated his unflinching honesty about the shadiness of food companies trying to follow suit with health trends. A great example was cereal companies; instead of actually reducing sugar amidst the obvious concerns, they simply increased their serving size. So, while per the Nutrition Facts on the box, it looks like you or your child are getting LESS sugar, you would actually be getting more! The audacity! He did a fantastic job informing people why toxic GMOs, food colorings, and nutrition-less CRAP food is so dangerous. Unfortunately, people will still keep their heads in the sand and buy fast food and toxic junk foods, but at least he tried. The history he tied in from ancient cultures all over the world were fascinating as well.
March 14, 2022
The Secret History of Food: Strange but True Stories About the Origins of Everything We Eat by Matt Siegel covers a great deal of ground in a few hours. It seems we are prone to obsessing about all things related to food and we know that it’s generally true. The author regales us with food stories that are proven, somewhat true or completely false. All this done with a wry sense of humour, which makes this subject matter interesting.I listened to the audiobook version and thoroughly enjoyed this book. Highly recommended.
October 21, 2021
I've never said this, ever, about any of the 1138 books I've read and reviewed on Goodreads, but this book was a completely annoying waste of my time. I almost abandoned it half way through but felt I should finish it before I gave a review that I knew was likely to be largely negative. There is so much wrong with this book that I hardly know where to start. How about the title?
I know authors don't always have control over the final title of their published works but this one is so far off from being accurate, that I feel it needs a comment. The History of Food: strange but true stories about the origins of everything we eat -- Everything??!! Well, maybe random comments about a half dozen food items or categories, but hardly a complete history of all food or even the few items the author/editor included between the covers. At just under 200 pages, it would be hard to imagine that there was time for much of anything of consequence, which is the source of my major complaint.
Yes, few of us wants to read a dry, scientific treatise on where our food choices originated, but this book is little more than a collection of the most startling and anecdotal details the author managed to cull from the 50 pages of resources listed at the back of the book. In fact, there is actually very little original writing here except to connect the dots between one "amusing" story borrowed from history and the next -- including those often pointless digressions that appear at the bottom of almost every page that often are so far off topic that one wonders why they are there. Like the one on page 170 in the chapter on chili peppers [strangely titled "Forbidden Berries"] which tells us
"Other Aztec punishments involving pantry items included binding the hands and feet of naked children and stabbing them with the spines of agave leaves"
Do you see any connection? I certainly didn't. But the author's preference for "foodie details" that touch on salacious or brutal anecdotes began to make the book feel more like the locker room talk at a junior high school than a nonfiction book on food. Chapter 6 on Vanilla, for instance, includes references to strawberries being a euphemism for menstruation, that orchid and avocado etymology derives from the word testicle, that "the sick fucking Romans" weaponized bacon by setting pigs on fire and releasing them, that babies "spent significantly more time attached to their mother's nipple" if mom ate vanilla -- all this in a chapter that was largely about ice cream!!??
Some of the anecdotes were certainly catchy, the kind of thing you might throw out at the cocktail party when there was lag in the conversation, but the book is in no way a history of "everything we eat" and perhaps, not really any reliable information at all about the half dozen selected topics. If you want a lightweight book to keep by the toilet during your daily visits, this book might be a good choice. But if you are actually curious about food, then you might want to look elsewhere.
I know authors don't always have control over the final title of their published works but this one is so far off from being accurate, that I feel it needs a comment. The History of Food: strange but true stories about the origins of everything we eat -- Everything??!! Well, maybe random comments about a half dozen food items or categories, but hardly a complete history of all food or even the few items the author/editor included between the covers. At just under 200 pages, it would be hard to imagine that there was time for much of anything of consequence, which is the source of my major complaint.
Yes, few of us wants to read a dry, scientific treatise on where our food choices originated, but this book is little more than a collection of the most startling and anecdotal details the author managed to cull from the 50 pages of resources listed at the back of the book. In fact, there is actually very little original writing here except to connect the dots between one "amusing" story borrowed from history and the next -- including those often pointless digressions that appear at the bottom of almost every page that often are so far off topic that one wonders why they are there. Like the one on page 170 in the chapter on chili peppers [strangely titled "Forbidden Berries"] which tells us
"Other Aztec punishments involving pantry items included binding the hands and feet of naked children and stabbing them with the spines of agave leaves"
Do you see any connection? I certainly didn't. But the author's preference for "foodie details" that touch on salacious or brutal anecdotes began to make the book feel more like the locker room talk at a junior high school than a nonfiction book on food. Chapter 6 on Vanilla, for instance, includes references to strawberries being a euphemism for menstruation, that orchid and avocado etymology derives from the word testicle, that "the sick fucking Romans" weaponized bacon by setting pigs on fire and releasing them, that babies "spent significantly more time attached to their mother's nipple" if mom ate vanilla -- all this in a chapter that was largely about ice cream!!??
Some of the anecdotes were certainly catchy, the kind of thing you might throw out at the cocktail party when there was lag in the conversation, but the book is in no way a history of "everything we eat" and perhaps, not really any reliable information at all about the half dozen selected topics. If you want a lightweight book to keep by the toilet during your daily visits, this book might be a good choice. But if you are actually curious about food, then you might want to look elsewhere.
June 1, 2021
Interesting, fun and well written. This is the sort of nonfiction that's quite entertaining, and it seems well researched. I was surprised to reach the end when I was just over halfway through the book because the footnote section is so long. A fun read.
I read a digital ARC of this book via NetGalley.
I read a digital ARC of this book via NetGalley.
March 11, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of
The Secret History of Food.
This is a fascinating, amusing, and, yes, horrifying book where the author discusses some of the most popular foods in American culture; apple pie, tomatoes and vanilla, just to name a few and dispels myths about their origins.
He also reminds us about the future of food consumption and production.
Spoiler: it's not good. Really, really not good.
I really enjoyed the chapter on chilies since I don't like spicy foods but I do love horror movies. I believe there is a correlation, based on the author's research.
I also liked the background on what the USDA and FDA do, which is too much with too little resources which explains the upheaval in our food and drug industries in regards to labeling, safety, and spastic guidelines on healthy eating that changes every year.
The secret behind The Secret History of Food is not so much of a secret anymore: nothing we eat now is really safe.
Our ancestors had it better, food wise, not longevity wise since they could be eaten by a predator at any time.
My only caveat is there are too many pull quotes and excerpts from texts and articles. I really don't need to read the entire jingle from an old Burger King commercial.
This is a good book, well written and well researched, and not just for foodies, but anyone who wants to learn more about what they put in their bodies.
This isn't the faint of heart (some of the facts are gross and disturbing yet not new if you're educated about the state of our supply chain and food production) but as the author notes, we're a hardy species.
And, hopefully, we'll just get stronger. Fingers crossed!
This is a fascinating, amusing, and, yes, horrifying book where the author discusses some of the most popular foods in American culture; apple pie, tomatoes and vanilla, just to name a few and dispels myths about their origins.
He also reminds us about the future of food consumption and production.
Spoiler: it's not good. Really, really not good.
I really enjoyed the chapter on chilies since I don't like spicy foods but I do love horror movies. I believe there is a correlation, based on the author's research.
I also liked the background on what the USDA and FDA do, which is too much with too little resources which explains the upheaval in our food and drug industries in regards to labeling, safety, and spastic guidelines on healthy eating that changes every year.
The secret behind The Secret History of Food is not so much of a secret anymore: nothing we eat now is really safe.
Our ancestors had it better, food wise, not longevity wise since they could be eaten by a predator at any time.
My only caveat is there are too many pull quotes and excerpts from texts and articles. I really don't need to read the entire jingle from an old Burger King commercial.
This is a good book, well written and well researched, and not just for foodies, but anyone who wants to learn more about what they put in their bodies.
This isn't the faint of heart (some of the facts are gross and disturbing yet not new if you're educated about the state of our supply chain and food production) but as the author notes, we're a hardy species.
And, hopefully, we'll just get stronger. Fingers crossed!
November 10, 2021
There are some interesting food facts here, but they are often locked behind lists and quotes and snark. I experienced this as an audiobook, so the several long lists of things was rather painful to listen to and, maybe because the reader decided to do different voices for the quotations, it really stood out how little the author let his own words shine through in places. As for the snark... I do enjoy some good snark! But I have a pet peeve with these kinds of nonfiction. I don't think it's fair or clever to mock people of the past -- or other cultures -- for not knowing what we know today. If something is gross or silly, just let it sit on its own merit. The reader will draw their own conclusions. But it's kind of grabbing the low hanging fruit to mock, say, British cooking from two hundred years ago for not having the same tastes we have today. And, as many of these kinds of books do when they go down that mocking route, they rarely get into the WHY of past beliefs so you don't even learn that much. And then there is how much this mockery seems to reveal that the author is not an adventurous eater, yet writing about food? (some 0f the stuff being mocked are even present in regional cuisines of the U.S. today... for instance, I may not be a fan of Rocky Mountain Oysters or lamb fries myself, but I don't think people are unsophisticated or ridiculous for enjoying them... but I presume the author would be with the way he talked about past people eating something besides a steak...)
November 6, 2022
This is an interesting book. It has a lot of good information and some of it was funny.
I didn't like the last three chapters of the book much. They seemed cluttered and were more focused on contemporary foods.
Chapter 1: How humans and food evolved together.
Chapter 2: More than I thought there was to know about pie.
Chapter 3: Cereal and the creepy people who made it possible.
Chapter 4: Corn and how it's in everything imaginable.
Chapter 5: Possibly more than I wanted to know about honey.
Chapter 6: Vanilla and the history of ice cream.
Chapter 7: Ancient holidays and the food associated with them.
Chapter 8: Too much about modern fast food and the different varieties of Oreo cookies.
Chapter 9: Hot peppers and why people eat them.
Chapter 10: Mostly a boring summary.
The narration by Roger Wayne was good.
I didn't like the last three chapters of the book much. They seemed cluttered and were more focused on contemporary foods.
Chapter 1: How humans and food evolved together.
Chapter 2: More than I thought there was to know about pie.
Chapter 3: Cereal and the creepy people who made it possible.
Chapter 4: Corn and how it's in everything imaginable.
Chapter 5: Possibly more than I wanted to know about honey.
Chapter 6: Vanilla and the history of ice cream.
Chapter 7: Ancient holidays and the food associated with them.
Chapter 8: Too much about modern fast food and the different varieties of Oreo cookies.
Chapter 9: Hot peppers and why people eat them.
Chapter 10: Mostly a boring summary.
The narration by Roger Wayne was good.
July 11, 2022
The Secret History of Food started out really fun. The whole book is just a reporting of interesting food trivia, grouped by topics such as Colonial America and poisons we ingest on purpose.
Although it was only 5 or 5 1/2 hours long, the audio book began to run together in my mind. It was just too much trivia for me to digest (haha) in a meaningful way.
If you’re in the mood for lightweight, interesting food trivia, this is a good one. I did find myself running out to relate the trivia to whoever was around. I suspect it is really fun in print, since you can bite off smaller pieces at a time. 🤭
Although it was only 5 or 5 1/2 hours long, the audio book began to run together in my mind. It was just too much trivia for me to digest (haha) in a meaningful way.
If you’re in the mood for lightweight, interesting food trivia, this is a good one. I did find myself running out to relate the trivia to whoever was around. I suspect it is really fun in print, since you can bite off smaller pieces at a time. 🤭
March 22, 2021
Well, I want pie. But I want American-Style pie, not the pie of old Europe. I am also now somewhat uncomforable eating bread in public - because now I know….
The Secret History of Food is just plain fun! In this brief history of food, the author takes us on a worldwide journey of eating! Some of it (seriously…I want pie) will thrill you. Some of it (can we say Vagina Bread?) will startle you. And some things (I’m looking at you, Fidel Castro!) will amuse you. But all of it is fascinating!
The author’s style is so readable – I felt like I was reading food gossip. Not only did I enjoy every bit of it, I kept stopping to share tidbits with others.
A wonderfully entertaining book!
*ARC Provided via Net Galley
July 31, 2022
A very interesting history of types of food and how we began and continue to eat them.
September 4, 2021
If you, like me, are constantly googling random things as questions come up, you will love The Secret History of Food. It provides more in-depth information than Wikipedia. Luckily, it also goes off in weird tangents and down deep rabbit holes when an intriguing side fact is found.
Here is an example. Why is vanilla slang for something plain and white? Vanilla is blackish-brown and relatively expensive. This leads through the obvious “for rich or royals” origin story of ice cream. Then to Prohibition where breweries and distilleries switched from alcohol to ice cream—setting Americans up for a new addiction. Ice cream impacted both world wars. During the 1950s, Castro was busy smuggling it into Cuba for his own use.
Vanilla is just one of nine food-focused chapters. Pie, honey, cereal, corn, chili peppers, tomatoes, holiday festivals, and fast food are also discussed.
The Secret History of Food is an interesting and unique look into how food impacts both our lives and those of our ancestors. I enjoyed learning new secrets about food. 4 stars!
Thanks to Ecco and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.
Here is an example. Why is vanilla slang for something plain and white? Vanilla is blackish-brown and relatively expensive. This leads through the obvious “for rich or royals” origin story of ice cream. Then to Prohibition where breweries and distilleries switched from alcohol to ice cream—setting Americans up for a new addiction. Ice cream impacted both world wars. During the 1950s, Castro was busy smuggling it into Cuba for his own use.
Vanilla is just one of nine food-focused chapters. Pie, honey, cereal, corn, chili peppers, tomatoes, holiday festivals, and fast food are also discussed.
The Secret History of Food is an interesting and unique look into how food impacts both our lives and those of our ancestors. I enjoyed learning new secrets about food. 4 stars!
Thanks to Ecco and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.
October 7, 2021
Highly entertaining but awfully ambitious re: “everything we eat” in such a short book. If you’re ok with no overarching thesis or uniting idea and what feels like a loose collection of (albeit really interesting) articles, this is great. Lots of interesting little factoids you’ll never forget even if you’d like to.
August 7, 2023
The Secret History of Food
Non-Fiction>History
This was a short and easy read, but very informative. After reading a few heavier non-fics with political leanings that were starting to wear on me and a few others that were kind of boring, this one was a nice break. Some of this I already knew from reading so much and food being an easy topic, but some of it was new. Certainly the perspective of the author was very nice. The tone is very accessible and I recommend this to most readers with any interest in the topic. I'm looking forward to more books by this author. At present, I've only found another series on which he 'consulted.' It's not very long and it's quite entertaining...and you might learn something!
He cites his facts throughout the book and you can find further reading or primary sources as you wish.
"So by cooking our food, we essentially outsourced some of our predigestive processes and made food not only more nutritiously available but also less costly to digest, two insurance policies against starvation that together became crucial to our survival."
"just as fire enabled man to tame nature (from wild wolves to poisonous vegetables), it also tamed us. Granted, this was a gradual process that is still going on. It wasn’t until seventeenth-century France, for example, that we started rounding the tips of our dinner knives to cut down on tableside stabbings (though much of Asia was a few thousand years ahead on this, having largely replaced bladed utensils with chopsticks for much the same reason);"
"Even English applesauce was savory rather than sweet. Called apulmose, it was traditionally made with beef broth or, during Lent, with cod’s liver."
"Honey, then, became a churchly symbol of chasteness and virginity,81 both because it was pure and unadulterated (i.e., eaten in its natural state) and because bees were industrious virgins, which made honey a great allegory for abstinence and societal order—though most of that went out the window once people realized that all the power in the bee community was held by a single queen who kept a harem of male slaves to have sex with, several at a time, before ripping out their penises."
"...instead of stuffing medieval pig stomachs to look like hedgehogs or making peacocks appear to breathe fire, we now have dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese pieces shaped like Yoda and Darth Vader..."
"How can we expect to cope with our bitter reality when our morning coffee tastes like pumpkin spice or funfetti?"
"Iceberg lettuce is on menus not because it tastes like packing material but because it packs like packing material."
"In 1957, for example, the BBC aired a news segment on “spaghetti plantations” as an April Fool’s Day joke, showing footage of cooked spaghetti strands hanging from trees (to which they were affixed with tape) as farmers plucked them for harvest and placed them into baskets to dry—and people actually believed it. So much so, in fact, that the network was overrun with calls from viewers asking where they could buy their own spaghetti trees."
"In the 1980s, A&W tried to one-up the McDonald’s Quarter Pounder by releasing a third-pound hamburger43 that was also less expensive and rated higher in consumer taste tests. It failed, however, because Americans are bad at fractions and thought a third was smaller than a quarter."
Non-Fiction>History
This was a short and easy read, but very informative. After reading a few heavier non-fics with political leanings that were starting to wear on me and a few others that were kind of boring, this one was a nice break. Some of this I already knew from reading so much and food being an easy topic, but some of it was new. Certainly the perspective of the author was very nice. The tone is very accessible and I recommend this to most readers with any interest in the topic. I'm looking forward to more books by this author. At present, I've only found another series on which he 'consulted.' It's not very long and it's quite entertaining...and you might learn something!
He cites his facts throughout the book and you can find further reading or primary sources as you wish.
"So by cooking our food, we essentially outsourced some of our predigestive processes and made food not only more nutritiously available but also less costly to digest, two insurance policies against starvation that together became crucial to our survival."
"just as fire enabled man to tame nature (from wild wolves to poisonous vegetables), it also tamed us. Granted, this was a gradual process that is still going on. It wasn’t until seventeenth-century France, for example, that we started rounding the tips of our dinner knives to cut down on tableside stabbings (though much of Asia was a few thousand years ahead on this, having largely replaced bladed utensils with chopsticks for much the same reason);"
"Even English applesauce was savory rather than sweet. Called apulmose, it was traditionally made with beef broth or, during Lent, with cod’s liver."
"Honey, then, became a churchly symbol of chasteness and virginity,81 both because it was pure and unadulterated (i.e., eaten in its natural state) and because bees were industrious virgins, which made honey a great allegory for abstinence and societal order—though most of that went out the window once people realized that all the power in the bee community was held by a single queen who kept a harem of male slaves to have sex with, several at a time, before ripping out their penises."
"...instead of stuffing medieval pig stomachs to look like hedgehogs or making peacocks appear to breathe fire, we now have dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese pieces shaped like Yoda and Darth Vader..."
"How can we expect to cope with our bitter reality when our morning coffee tastes like pumpkin spice or funfetti?"
"Iceberg lettuce is on menus not because it tastes like packing material but because it packs like packing material."
"In 1957, for example, the BBC aired a news segment on “spaghetti plantations” as an April Fool’s Day joke, showing footage of cooked spaghetti strands hanging from trees (to which they were affixed with tape) as farmers plucked them for harvest and placed them into baskets to dry—and people actually believed it. So much so, in fact, that the network was overrun with calls from viewers asking where they could buy their own spaghetti trees."
"In the 1980s, A&W tried to one-up the McDonald’s Quarter Pounder by releasing a third-pound hamburger43 that was also less expensive and rated higher in consumer taste tests. It failed, however, because Americans are bad at fractions and thought a third was smaller than a quarter."
November 18, 2024
The Secret History of Food by Matt Siegel is a fascinating dive into the unexpected stories behind the foods we eat. With a healthy serving of wit, Siegel explores quirky and little-known facts, from vanilla's surprising origins to honey's cultural history. The book’s conversational tone makes it accessible and engaging, blending historical anecdotes, science, and culinary lore in an educational and entertaining way. The narrative is captivating and full of intriguing trivia. Perfect for foodies and history buffs alike.
January 13, 2024
Really enjoyed this, but it is not, as its subtitle suggests, "stories about the origins of everything we eat." It is a select number of small histories of specifically American foods, mostly fast food or manufactured. Insofar as that goes, fascinating stuff!
April 17, 2025
Interesting stories about food, but with a very American point of view. Which means that I’ve never eaten some of the foods mentioned, starting with the apple pie that gets a whole chapter.
September 21, 2021
After reading an article from the author that shared some fun facts of food history I was very interested in reading this book. Unfortunately, the book did not meet my expectations and was a struggle to get through. I don't think The Secret History of Food has a clear understanding of what it is or who its for. I found the writing to be very scattered, jumping from one thing to the next, unearthing information from centuries ago and then making a pop culture reference to today. There's not a lot of context or framework around any topic or time period. I felt like I was reading a deck of trivial pursuit flashcards.
There are a lot of food facts and bits of history inside. Some were, indeed, interesting, but that's it. There wasn't a lot of substance given to how our food accessibility, cooking habits, culture, and tastes interact. My overwhelming impression was that quotes and facts with shock value were included above actual interpretation of the information shared. Specifically, there are A TON of footnotes. There were so many numbered and symbol-ed annotations that it was distracting to read the text, and I was surprised to discover that the book was over halfway through and the rest of the pages were bibliography!
The other element that didn't work for me was the humor. It felt like the author was trying too hard. The same references seemed to be repeated (frying pans for fishing for example). And some of his jokes actually felt alienating to the reader. Many of the quotes shared in the book are quite despicable by today's standards in how they address minorities, and a few times I think he tried to point out that these comments were zealous and racist and/or sexist. Yet, the author himself made cracks in the vein of a humorous metaphor, but which was actually demeaning to some readers. It felt like he was trying to say he was "down" by calling some of it out, but also missed the point completely by using such quotations in the first place without worthwhile context and then using the same misguided humor himself at times.
I was lost as to what the author's intent was. He shared so many examples of racist, sexist, and puritanical speeches, citing these historical white men's names and cracking jokes about their over-righteous beliefs. But when it came to describing the agricultural impacts of the Iroquois, he let the momentum drop by saying "no one knows why" they did this - TWICE! He reduced their role to something mythical in nature, which is very stereotyped.
I think the author tried to cover too much in too little space, and that the book lacked sufficient editing and sensitivity readers. I wish there had been less quotations, specifically in the form of bigotry if you're not going to create more context and really dive into the ethics, economics, and race/gender of it all. I wish there'd been less lists (we don't need to read every kind of oreo or ice cream flavor or cereal adaptation, etc.). And I wish the book had offered me more beyond shocking comments and how doomed our diets all are.
Thank you to NetGalley and the pubisher for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
There are a lot of food facts and bits of history inside. Some were, indeed, interesting, but that's it. There wasn't a lot of substance given to how our food accessibility, cooking habits, culture, and tastes interact. My overwhelming impression was that quotes and facts with shock value were included above actual interpretation of the information shared. Specifically, there are A TON of footnotes. There were so many numbered and symbol-ed annotations that it was distracting to read the text, and I was surprised to discover that the book was over halfway through and the rest of the pages were bibliography!
The other element that didn't work for me was the humor. It felt like the author was trying too hard. The same references seemed to be repeated (frying pans for fishing for example). And some of his jokes actually felt alienating to the reader. Many of the quotes shared in the book are quite despicable by today's standards in how they address minorities, and a few times I think he tried to point out that these comments were zealous and racist and/or sexist. Yet, the author himself made cracks in the vein of a humorous metaphor, but which was actually demeaning to some readers. It felt like he was trying to say he was "down" by calling some of it out, but also missed the point completely by using such quotations in the first place without worthwhile context and then using the same misguided humor himself at times.
I was lost as to what the author's intent was. He shared so many examples of racist, sexist, and puritanical speeches, citing these historical white men's names and cracking jokes about their over-righteous beliefs. But when it came to describing the agricultural impacts of the Iroquois, he let the momentum drop by saying "no one knows why" they did this - TWICE! He reduced their role to something mythical in nature, which is very stereotyped.
I think the author tried to cover too much in too little space, and that the book lacked sufficient editing and sensitivity readers. I wish there had been less quotations, specifically in the form of bigotry if you're not going to create more context and really dive into the ethics, economics, and race/gender of it all. I wish there'd been less lists (we don't need to read every kind of oreo or ice cream flavor or cereal adaptation, etc.). And I wish the book had offered me more beyond shocking comments and how doomed our diets all are.
Thank you to NetGalley and the pubisher for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
September 29, 2022
An interesting audiobook full of intriguing tidbits, such as these three:
1 - Honey is so unregulated that one can buy a jar of "honey" which is pure high-fructose corn syrup with food coloring. I couldn't confirm that fact online, but I did find an article showing the possible percentages of corn syrup in honey up to 50 percent.
2 - People tend to feel happier as they get more choices, but only up to 6 or 7 options. Any more and it's downhill from there. With too many choices, the fear of missing out kicks in. No wonder some people leave the cereal aisle in tears -- just too many d*mn options!
3 - And forget the government diet recommendations. The government's so in bed with the meat and dairy industry, they push those products regardless of the science.
And much more. The part about apple pie was a bit boring, but most of the book was not.
Very recommended.
1 - Honey is so unregulated that one can buy a jar of "honey" which is pure high-fructose corn syrup with food coloring. I couldn't confirm that fact online, but I did find an article showing the possible percentages of corn syrup in honey up to 50 percent.
2 - People tend to feel happier as they get more choices, but only up to 6 or 7 options. Any more and it's downhill from there. With too many choices, the fear of missing out kicks in. No wonder some people leave the cereal aisle in tears -- just too many d*mn options!
3 - And forget the government diet recommendations. The government's so in bed with the meat and dairy industry, they push those products regardless of the science.
And much more. The part about apple pie was a bit boring, but most of the book was not.
Very recommended.
August 30, 2021
As much as I am a fan of sarcasm, even I have an acceptable limit and this book surpassed that. The constant interjection of comments got in the way of enjoying the interesting information provided. It was overwhelming and distracting. I assume the author thought this added to the telling of the stories but instead it came across as him thinking himself quite clever. Just like an obnoxious guy at the bar, it ruined what could have been a good time. Between the various eye roll inducing comments, however, there was a lot of fascinating information. If only there were an edited version for people who want the secrets without so much sarcasm.
Thanks to NetGalley and Ecco for a copy of the book. This review is my own opinion.
Thanks to NetGalley and Ecco for a copy of the book. This review is my own opinion.
January 28, 2022
I expected this to be something different, it is written in a textbook manner with interesting facts. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher. This is my honest review.
September 15, 2021
Like a poor man’s Michael Pollan book, less of a central theme, more long lists to prove a point
September 6, 2025
this was less a history of food and more a seemingly random amalgamation of fun facts about food throughout history. it was, however, quite entertaining so it gets points for that
April 7, 2022
This was surprisingly fun on audio! The narrator did some fantastic impressions, from Puritan housewives to Bill Clinton.
I laughed out loud a few times — particularly at the sentence “semen is like crack cocaine for bees”. 💀
I laughed out loud a few times — particularly at the sentence “semen is like crack cocaine for bees”. 💀
December 23, 2021
I love history, I love food, I love the food in history - so naturally this book held a great appeal.
What to Expect
Expect 10 chapters in rough chronological order about certain less well-known episodes or aspects of food in history. From 'swallowing' (covering ante-natal sense of taste and impact of food during breastfeeding to culinary effect of cooking on the evolution of our jaws and skulls), through the history of vanilla (why one of the most expensive spices ever is the modern euphemism for boring), to chilli peppers and tomatoes (why humans are weird, and often silly).
Half the book are end-notes and footnotes, the former showing the extensive research Siegel has done, the latter providing (highly entertaining) cutting-room extra anecdotes and snarky commentary.
What I liked
I enjoyed the odd-ball curios and trivia that the book is packed with, and the light tone, side-commentary and extensive breadth of subjects. This is a book to make you think about the food you consume and what you 'know' about it, more than it is about teaching you cultural culinary history.
What to be aware of
This isn't a history textbook on food - if you'd like a more formal take on that, I'd suggest Ken Albala's courses and books. Rather, this is a book about our species relationship to food throughout history. It covers thought-provoking topics like the paradox of choice, and plenty vs deprivation.
Though I did notice one error (re the etymology of Sabbath), the book is otherwise well researched. So much so, that's the second half is just reference notes. This makes it a quicker read than you might expect from the page count.
Summary
I'd highly recommend this book if you love food throughout history (and all permutations of those two words).
Enjoying the reviews, but wondering who the heck is that Felix fellow? Glad you asked! He's the protagonist of the Togas, Daggers, and Magic series, an historical-fantasy blend of a paranormal detective on the background of ancient Rome.
Assaph Mehr, author of Murder In Absentia: A story of Togas, Daggers, and Magic - for lovers of Ancient Rome, Murder Mysteries, and Urban Fantasy.
What to Expect
Expect 10 chapters in rough chronological order about certain less well-known episodes or aspects of food in history. From 'swallowing' (covering ante-natal sense of taste and impact of food during breastfeeding to culinary effect of cooking on the evolution of our jaws and skulls), through the history of vanilla (why one of the most expensive spices ever is the modern euphemism for boring), to chilli peppers and tomatoes (why humans are weird, and often silly).
Half the book are end-notes and footnotes, the former showing the extensive research Siegel has done, the latter providing (highly entertaining) cutting-room extra anecdotes and snarky commentary.
What I liked
I enjoyed the odd-ball curios and trivia that the book is packed with, and the light tone, side-commentary and extensive breadth of subjects. This is a book to make you think about the food you consume and what you 'know' about it, more than it is about teaching you cultural culinary history.
What to be aware of
This isn't a history textbook on food - if you'd like a more formal take on that, I'd suggest Ken Albala's courses and books. Rather, this is a book about our species relationship to food throughout history. It covers thought-provoking topics like the paradox of choice, and plenty vs deprivation.
Though I did notice one error (re the etymology of Sabbath), the book is otherwise well researched. So much so, that's the second half is just reference notes. This makes it a quicker read than you might expect from the page count.
Summary
I'd highly recommend this book if you love food throughout history (and all permutations of those two words).
Enjoying the reviews, but wondering who the heck is that Felix fellow? Glad you asked! He's the protagonist of the Togas, Daggers, and Magic series, an historical-fantasy blend of a paranormal detective on the background of ancient Rome.
Assaph Mehr, author of Murder In Absentia: A story of Togas, Daggers, and Magic - for lovers of Ancient Rome, Murder Mysteries, and Urban Fantasy.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 627 reviews