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The secret history of food : strange but true stories about the origins of everything we eat / Matt Siegel.

Summary:
"Is 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. He even makes a well-argued case for how ice cream helped defeat the Nazis. The Secret History of Food is a rich and satisfying exploration of the historical, cultural, scientific, sexual, and, yes, culinary subcultures of this most essential realm."--provided by publisher.

Record details

  • ISBN: 9780062973214 (hardcover)
  • ISBN: 0062973215 (hardcover)
  • Physical Description: 270 pages ; 24 cm
  • Edition: First edition.
  • Publisher: New York : Ecco, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, [2021]

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:
Includes bibliographical references (pages [197]-249) and index.
Formatted Contents Note:
A history of swallowing -- Pie, progress, and Plymouth Rock -- Breakfast of champions -- Children of the corn -- Honey laundering -- The vanilla of society -- The ghosts of Cockaigne past -- The choices of a new generation -- Forbidden berries (or appetite for distraction) -- Attack of the killer tomatoes.
Subject: Food habits > History.
Food > History.

Available copies

  • 25 of 27 copies available at SPARK Libraries.

Holds

  • 0 current holds with 27 total copies.
Show Only Available Copies
Location Call Number / Copy Notes Barcode Shelving Location Status Due Date
Abington Community Library 394.12 SIEGEL (Text) 50687011738781 Adult Nonfiction Available -
Albright Memorial Library 394.12 SIEGEL (Text) 50686016084928 Adult Nonfiction Available -
Cambria County Library 394.12 S571s (Text) 85131001798421 CACM Non-Fiction Available -
Dillsburg Area Public Library Adults 641.02 SIE Nonfiction (Text) 34001001400272 Adult Area Available -
Forest City 394.1 SIEG (Text) 38000000623484 SSQF Main Floor Available -
Glatfelter Memorial Library Adults 394.1 SIE Nonfiction (Text) 34216000927717 Adult Area Available -
Hallstead - Great Bend 394.1 SIEG (Text) 36000000431724 SSQH Main Floor Available -
Highland Community Library 394.12 SIE (Text) 35610000980271 HGHM Non-Fiction Available -
Indian Valley Public Library 641.02 Siegel Food (Text) 39427103607248 Nonfiction Room: Adult Nonfiction Available -
Lower Macungie Library 394.12 SIE (Text) 33400001528994 Adult Nonfiction Available -

Summary: "Is 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. He even makes a well-argued case for how ice cream helped defeat the Nazis. The Secret History of Food is a rich and satisfying exploration of the historical, cultural, scientific, sexual, and, yes, culinary subcultures of this most essential realm."--provided by publisher.

Additional Resources