The Secret History of Food

October 1, 2021

Foodies and trivia lovers will eat up this irreverent and fascinating book about the origins, misconceptions, sciences, and subcultures behind certain foods and spices. Siegel digs deep to uncover weirdly entertaining facts about food that will leave listeners alternately fascinated and moderately disgusted. From the origins of a well-known cereal, to mummified heads in honey, to the most expensive and exotic spice in the world being a synonym for boring--there's something for everyone. Over the course of 10 chapters, Siegel spills the beans on so many different "common" foods; walking into the grocery store or showing up at a potluck with a favorite dish will never be the same again. Brilliantly read by Roger Wayne who suffuses energy and hilarity into his narration. VERDICT A feast for the mind.--Erin Cataldi, Johnson Cty. P.L., Franklin, IN

Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

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.