Eating History: Thirty Turning Points in the Making of American Cuisine

Arts and Traditions of the Table: Perspectives on Culinary History

by Andrew F. Smith

Food expert and celebrated food historian Andrew F. Smith recounts—in delicious detail—the creation of contemporary American cuisine. The diet of the modern American wasn't always as corporate, conglomerated, and corn-rich as it is today, and the style of American cooking, along with the ingredients that compose it, has never been fixed. With a cast of characters including bold inventors, savvy restaurateurs, ruthless advertisers, mad scientists, adventurous entrepreneurs, celebrity chefs, and relentless health nuts, Smith pins down the truly crackerjack history behind the way America eats.

Smith's story opens with early America, an agriculturally independent nation where most citizens grew and consumed their own food. Over the next two hundred years, however, Americans would cultivate an entirely different approach to crops and consumption. Advances in food processing, transportation, regulation, nutrition, and science introduced highly complex and mechanized methods of production. The proliferation of cookbooks, cooking shows, and professionally designed kitchens made meals more commercially, politically, and culturally potent. To better understand these trends, Smith delves deeply and humorously into their creation. Ultimately he shows how, by revisiting this history, we can reclaim the independent, locally sustainable roots of American food.

Genres: History, Food, Nonfiction, Food History, American History, Cuisine, Cooking

376 pages, Hardcover

First published August 28, 2008

About the author

Andrew Francis Smith teaches food studies at the New School University in Manhattan. He has written more than three hundred articles in academic journals and popular magazines and has authored or edited seventeen books, including The Oxford Encyclopedia on Food and Drink in America, a James Beard finalist in 2005. He has been frequently appeared on several television series, including the History Channel's American Eats, and the Food Network's Heavy Weights.

Reviews

[Abby Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love my major and learning stupid facts I’ll never forget
(I texted Izzy this)

the stupidest fact I ever learned was that canned food, which existed in large quantity for the American public started during the civil war, did not get labels until 1905 meaning that people bought canned food and had no idea what they were buying for 40 years
it was campbell soup company that suggested putting labels on cans

also basically the civil war defined basically all of the food we eat in America which is crazy

[Ifrah Akhtar · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you are serious about learning culinary history, I don’t recommend this book. I found the information sanitized, edited, and focused on a Eurocentric version of American culinary history. There were some interesting highlights and the inclusion of images and context for each chapter, but it was very surface-level and did not encompass the entirely diverse and rich culinary history of the region the author was intending to cover.

[Christina Sinisi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting but a bit dry so I took awhile to read...which is okay. I like to have several books going at a time. :)

I was fascinated by the changes in eating and food production (truth, I promise). And by just how much innovation the Germans and America are responsible for...the calorimeter and so much more.

Hey, my maiden name was Zimmerman.

Blessings, Christina

PS. I truly don't know when I started reading this.

[Stephen Graham · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is largely a collection of essays. There were some obvious points where greater integration or simply cross-references would have been natural. None of the individual chapters goes into great details; many could have been expanded into significantly longer pieces. It was a pleasant and moderately educational read.

[Jonathan Gracey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Often I skimmed the “History of…” in each chapter and jumped to the “Effects” section.

[Darren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Modern-day American culture is often said to be shaped in part by its food. Yet the mass produced, conglomerate-dominated American food world and all of its variety is, by no means, truly representative of America past, present or maybe even the future.

In 30 distinct chapters or mini essays the author carefully dissects the broad range of American food history over time, mirrored by industrialisation, globalisation and a growing level of consumer choice (albeit owned by a small number of mega companies). Written in an accessible academic style, the language is engaging and explanatory without it feeling like a lecture. Whether you are reading for fun or for study, the various nuggets of information, anecdotes and maybe even a few myths being debunked will keep you engaged to the (rather too closely-printed together) text in this book.

American culture is said to be a great mixing pot, derived from a multitude of different cultures who have immigrated and made America their home, importing favourite recipes from home, maybe "Americanising" them slightly and seeing how they become American staples. Pizzas, Hot Dogs, Bagels… all true "All American" foods in their own modern-day right, but Uncle Sam can hardly brand them as "100% Original American".

The growth of frozen foods, ready-made meals, mass-production and logistical developments all fall under the microscope. Other industries benefitted through this rapid pace of change. Not every development is necessarily beneficial or appreciated, as the latter chapter on so-called genetically-modified "Frankenfoods" show, yet even in the early days of frozen foods and processed foods there was a degree of scepticism in many sections of society.

Towards the rear of the book, as befitting such an academic work, are a multitude of various notes, bibliographic references and a top rate index. Many academically-orientated books tend to forget the average reader can also have a quest for knowledge. Not so this book. Sure, it is not richly illustrated with lots of colourful photographs and various "pull out" boxes, but the book does not feel any the worse for the lack of this and certainly the language and overall "feel" of the book is positive and welcoming, or as much as an inanimate object can be.

So overall a great read for the information curious. A thoughtful resource for those who need to study around this subject. A good little read overall, particularly when you consider the price.

Eating History: Thirty Turning Points in the Making of American Cuisine, written by Andrew F. Smith and published by Columbia University Press. ISBN 9780231140935, 392 pages. Typical price: USD15. YYYYY.


// This review appeared in YUM.fi and is reproduced here in full with permission of YUM.fi. YUM.fi celebrates the worldwide diversity of food and drink, as presented through the humble book. Whether you call it a cookery book, cook book, recipe book or something else (in the language of your choice) YUM will provide you with news and reviews of the latest books on the marketplace. //

[Amanda Keck · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book would have been better reading a chapter once in awhile rather than in one straight reading all the way through. Many chapters repeat themselves and it starts to get boring reading the same tidbits over and over again. Also, the format of each chapter was very elementary. It starts with a general overview, then each point is slightly expanded on, and then everything is stated for a third time in the chapter in a short conclusion. There is a postscript included in each chapter which is basically a short "where are they now" paragraph. The format gets repetitive and dull quickly and reminded me of when I was learning to write a basic five paragraph essay in elementary school. Overall good information, just poorly presented.

[Hilary Ryder · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half of the book is informative, interesting and entertaining. Who knew that America's love affair with canned food was due to the Civil war, or that the succession of the Southern states led directly to the building of the trans-continental railroad? But I could have done without the chapters on the Food Network and GMO food.

[June · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book. Very easy to read even though it's written by an academic and published by an academic press. The book does an excellent job at making history interesting and accessible to the masses.

[Dave Peticolas · Rating 3 out of 5]

What fun. Thirty vignettes in the history of U.S. eating and food production. Smith is rigorously neutral in portraying how we got to be eating the foods we eat now, and how we came to produce them in the modern industrial way.

[Meredith Kadet Sanderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of facts, but light on reflection. But I took a class with this guy, and he's an entertaining lecturer.

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting look at food and US history.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. A great history lesson disguised as an entertaining trip down memory lane. Each of the 30 chapters covers a different significant event in American food history.

[Theresa Donovan Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

Useful history. Well-chosen, if subjective, "turning points," but not a literary turn-on. A bit pedestrian in presentation.

[Jocelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very engaging series of 30 potted histories of turning points in American food history. I think this one will be interesting even to those who are not food obsessives.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very informative and interesting, but fairly bland.