The Ark of Taste: Delicious and Distinctive Foods That Define the United States

by Giselle Kennedy Lord, David S. Shields, Claudia Pearson (Illustrations)

Explore and enjoy the heritage foods that give the United States its culinary identity, from heirloom tomatoes to Tupelo honey, in this visual volume for curious eaters,  gardeners and home cooks.

The Ark of Taste is a living catalog of our nation's food heritage preserving treasures passed down for generations—some rare, some endangered, all delicious.

Created by Slow Food USA, the Ark shines light on history, identity, and taste through these unique food products, featuring recipes and the stories of how they reach our tables In these pages you'll learn
These foods reflect our country's diversity. By championing them, we keep them in production and on our plates, while promoting a more equitable alternative to industrial agriculture.

The Ark of Taste  is a vital resource for all of us who spend the summer searching for that perfectly ripe peach or heirloom tomato—or who are simply looking for the next good thing to eat. 
 

Genres: Food, Cookbooks, Nonfiction, History, Reference, Cooking, Nature

304 pages, Hardcover

Published August 22, 2023

Reviews

[Brandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally! Yes finally a cookbook that highlights USA’s tapestry of foods, taking you state by state and taste by taste. An informative and educational read! Also kids, (perhaps most important) another perk is after reading you’ll be skilled in the “ark” of taste. 5 stars

[Denver Public Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Slow Food’s Ark of Taste is an international catalog of endangered culinary heritage. It contains small-scale products, animal breeds, and crops that are specific to the culture, history, or tradition of a region or country but are in danger of disappearing under pressure from the world market and a food system that is increasingly focused on low prices and efficiency. The products in the Ark connect us to our history and our environment and say something about the state of our food system and food culture. There are a handful of delicious recipes too!

[Cole · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the compilation of foods and their places in American foodway history, and people definitely need to move away from such a tiny handful of huge monocrops. However... there is startlingly little about taste and flavor in this book, which I expected to be the central focus. It's nice to know that some strawberries are darker than what we see at the grocery store, but that is not what will get people to order heirloom seeds and start growing them. Flavor, flavor, flavor. If you're going to start a food movement, know how to sell it!

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fascinating review of foods that are hard or impossible to find. I loved the snapshot views into their history, how they were “discovered”, when they were popular and what happened to make them so endangered now. The majority of the descriptions were 2-3 pages long. Fair warning — you’ll want to plant all of these fruits and veggies in your yard!

[Mia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The illustrations were gorgeous and it was a nice highlight of heritage foods.

[Becky Diamond · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating, informative and enlightening. Accompanied by gorgeous illustrations and recipes related to the foods discussed. I simply loved this book in every way!!!

[Sarah W Bowers · Rating 5 out of 5]

A field guide to heritage crops and meats in the United States. Why settle for the lesser tomato. I'm constructing a bucket list of new foods based on this book. A great companion to Endangered Eats.