The Secret History of Food: Strange but True Stories About the Origins of Everything We Eat

by Matt Siegel

Overview

An irreverent, surprising, and entirely entertaining look at the little-known history surrounding the foods we know and love

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. Siegel is an armchair Anthony Bourdain, armed not with a chef’s knife but with knowledge derived from medieval food-related manuscripts, ancient Chinese scrolls, and obscure culinary journals. Funny and fascinating, The Secret History of Food is essential reading for all foodies.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062973221
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	08/31/2021
Sold by:	HARPERCOLLINS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	354,024
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Matt Siegel has written about food and culture for publications including the Atlantic and the Paris Review. Previously an English professor, he now lives in Richmond, Virginia, where he writes full time and consults with brands in the food and beverage industries. His dog’s name is Waffles.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 A History of Swallowing 1

Chapter 2 Pie, Progress, and Plymouth Rock 15

Chapter 3 Breakfast of Champions 35

Chapter 4 Children of the Corn 55

Chapter 5 Honey Laundering 73

Chapter 6 The Vanilla of Society 91

Chapter 7 The Ghosts of Cockaigne Past 121

Chapter 8 The Choices of a New Generation 139

Chapter 9 Forbidden Berries (or Appetite for Distraction) 163

Chapter 10 Attack of the Killer Tomatoes 177

Acknowledgments 195

Notes 197

Index 251

Editorial Reviews

05/31/2021

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. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

"Idiosyncratic essays that will give foodies much to digest." — Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

★ 08/01/2021

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

Library Journal

Roger Wayne embraces the author’s enthusiasm and has many fun moments narrating this irreverent, informed guide to little known stories about food. From his emulation of a squeaky, pretentious English cookbook writer downgrading American pie to his imitation of a working-class Brit in a quote from TRAINSPOTTING, Wayne’s voice work shines. The pie section is splendid: American pie, especially, is celebrated, and British pies with their unsavory fillings and coffin-lid top crusts are disparaged. The author is also witty when discussing nineteenth-century food experts (read charlatans) Graham and Kellogg, whose names live on as brands. His explanations of why tomatoes have lost their flavor (bred to travel) and potatoes are so uniform (thank McDonald’s) are educational and clever. This audiobook enlightens as it entertains. A.D.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

SEPTEMBER 2021 - AudioFile

Roger Wayne embraces the author’s enthusiasm and has many fun moments narrating this irreverent, informed guide to little known stories about food. From his emulation of a squeaky, pretentious English cookbook writer downgrading American pie to his imitation of a working-class Brit in a quote from TRAINSPOTTING, Wayne’s voice work shines. The pie section is splendid: American pie, especially, is celebrated, and British pies with their unsavory fillings and coffin-lid top crusts are disparaged. The author is also witty when discussing nineteenth-century food experts (read charlatans) Graham and Kellogg, whose names live on as brands. His explanations of why tomatoes have lost their flavor (bred to travel) and potatoes are so uniform (thank McDonald’s) are educational and clever. This audiobook enlightens as it entertains. A.D.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

SEPTEMBER 2021 - AudioFile

2021-06-16
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.

Kirkus Reviews