The Secret History of Food

May 31, 2021
Food writer Siegel debuts with a delightful and unusual look at the evolution of food. The famed early-19th-century French food writer Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin once claimed, “Tell me what you eat, and I shall tell you what you are.” Siegel takes these words to heart, asserting that “what we eat defines us not just physically but psychologically, socially, symbolically, and spiritually.” He bolsters this notion with research that suggests that parents’ food diets can affect everything from their offspring’s metabolism to disease resistance, and impact their children’s tastes even before their “first bite of food.” (In one such study, “infants whose mothers consumed carrot juice during pregnancy... showed a greater preference for carrot-flavored cereal.”) He traces how apple pie became “the ultimate symbol” of American independence, innovation, and excess, and shares zany facts on everything from vanilla (which was a term of endearment until the 1800s) to honey and chili peppers (both of which have been used in “ritual torture”). The food-related trivia surprises throughout, such as the tumultuous history of the tomato, including a fruit-versus-vegetable debate that ended in the U.S. Supreme Court and its long suspected poisonous attributes thanks to its connection to its cousin, the lethal nightshade. An invigorating culinary romp through time, this is a cheeky treat for history buffs and foodies alike.

July 1, 2021
A cheeky look at food as "an obsession, hobby, competitive sport, and profession; a seasonal calendar and nostalgic time capsule; a social lubricant and peace offering; a family heirloom; a drug and spiritual rite." Why does apple pie have "an important place in American history"? How did cold cereal become a staple that "transcends race, social class, age, gender--and even dietary guidelines"? Why is it that "between two-thirds and 90 percent of olive oil sold in the United States isn't what it's claimed to be"? Siegel seeks answers in these short and frequently hilarious essays on the origins of food. Chapter titles like "A History of Swallowing," "Honey Laundering," and "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes" give a good sense of the author's voice. Indeed, readers will find many memorable lines, as when he cites low points of culinary history, including "the use of foods such as honey and hot peppers for ritual torture" and "British food." Despite the snarky tone, the book contains hard science--e.g., "honey is naturally acidic and hygroscopic, meaning it sucks moisture from its surroundings, not unlike salt, creating a harsh environment for bacteria and microorganisms to survive in." Siegel's fondness for long lists is overkill, but readers who enjoy passages that disgust as much as entertain will find much to like, as when he notes that McDonald's adds a silicon-based polymer to its frying oil to reduce splatter: "the same chemical is also used in head lice treatments, condom lubricants, and breast implants." Equally memorable chapters focus on corn ("a secret ingredient in almost everything we eat"); vanilla, which, during Prohibition, "made a decent substitute for alcohol for the drowning of one's emotions"; and grocery store foods with added vitamins, such as "healthy heart orange juice with omega-3 (because what goes better with orange juice than tilapia, sardines, and anchovies?)." Little of the information is appetizing, but it's never dull. Idiosyncratic essays that will give foodies much to digest.

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July 1, 2021
Consumers take food for granted, few appreciating the full story behind what they put into their mouths every day. Gathering together scientific, cultural, aesthetic, and gastronomic data, Siegel puckishly plumbs the backstories of some of the most significant foods in the American diet. He makes a compelling case for the centrality of pie. Noting its British origins, he explains with winning insight how American colonists made it distinctively different by replacing the thick, hard, tough, and just-for-encasing British pastry with something much more delicate and tempting. He deplores the state of seafood in the U.S., noting the triumph of marketing over honesty, transforming useless by-catch Patagonian toothfish into suddenly highly prized Chilean sea bass simply by a name change. He makes a plausible case that American troops won WWII in no small part because they were nourished with comforting and strengthening ice cream. Siegel also surveys the industrial origins of fast food and Americans' insistence on abundance of choice--think Starbucks' hundreds of coffee variations. Includes bibliographic notes.

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Starred review from August 1, 2021

From the eating habits of early humans around the globe, to the pragmatic purpose of pie crust, to the revolutionary fire that drove colonial Americans to take pie to another level, food writer Siegel takes readers on an entertaining, tongue-in-cheek journey through the often-absurd history of everyday foods. With chapters on subjects such as swallowing (the physiological process), pie, breakfast foods (e.g., cereal), corn, honey, vanilla, the feasts of Decembers past, ice cream (not just a dessert but a human right), chili peppers, and tomatoes, Siegel weaves historical and primary source texts with laugh-out-loud commentary to make this account anything but ordinary. Sharing insight on everything from the evolution of home cooking to the scientific history behind chewing, this winning book is as an educational as it is entertaining. VERDICT Some of the stories may be familiar, but Siegel's humor gives them a fresh feel and makes them much more amusing than the average history book. This winning resource is highly recommended for foodies and history buffs who enjoy a side of laughter with their footnotes.--Gricel Dominguez, Florida International Univ. Lib., Miami

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