The secret history of food : strange but true stories about the origins of everything we eat / Matt Siegel.
"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]
- Copyright: ©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. |
Search for related items by subject
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.