Writing Food History: A Global Perspective

by Peter Scholliers (Editor), Kyri W. Claflin (Editor)

The vibrant interest in food studies among both academics and amateurs has made food history an exciting field of investigation. Taking stock of three decades of groundbreaking multidisciplinary research, the book examines two broad What has history contributed to the development of food studies? How have other disciplines - sociology, anthropology, literary criticism, science, art history - influenced writing on food history in terms of approach, methodology, controversies, and knowledge of past foodways?

Essays by twelve prominent scholars provide a compendium of global and multicultural answers to these questions. The contributors critically assess food history writing in the United States, Africa, Mexico and the Spanish Diaspora, India, the Ottoman Empire, the Far East - China, Japan and Korea - Europe, Jewish communities and the Middle East. Several historical eras are the Ancient World, the Middle Ages, Early Modern Europe and the Modern day.

The book is a unique addition to the growing literature on food history. It is required reading for anyone seeking a detailed discussion of food history research in diverse times and places.

Genres: Food

304 pages, Paperback

First published July 3, 2012

Reviews

[Darren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Increasingly "food studies" is becoming an ever popular, developing area of study for both academics and interested amateurs alike, leading to chefs, food consumers and researchers expanding their horizons. Traditional disciplines are being harvested and are leaving their mark through osmosis on what previously was viewed as a fairly dry, insular subject.

This book is an academic collection of essays penned by twelve noted scholars, looking at food history writings from around the world and considering pressing matters such as globalisation, inter-disciplinary cooperation, historical development of food history
writing and possible future developments and research directions.

Academically speaking this is an interesting collection of high-level opinions and thoughts, compiled together at a reasonable price. For the non-academic, however, this book is probably not for you as it can hardly be called a generalist book or light read. It is written by academics, for academics with the customary detailed bibliography and index, masses of footnotes and a fairly heavy-going yet authoritative style.

Some of the chapters might give you a flavour of what to expect: Surveying World Food Historiography; The Many Rooms In The House: Research On Past Foodways In Modern Europe; Five Hundred Years Of Fusion: A Historiography Of Food In The Iberian World and Africa Writing On The African Pot: Recipes and Cooking As Historical Knowledge. A written stew of different messages, opinions and insights. For those who study this sort of stuff it can be a very affordable little goldmine but this is probably out of reach for even the most dedicated of amateur readers.

Writing Food History, written by Kyri W. Claflin & Peter Scholliers and published by Berg. ISBN 9781847888082, 256 pages. Typical price: GBP20. YYY.


// 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. //