The Secret History of Food: Strange but True Stories About the Origins of Everything We Eat
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- Create Date：2021-07-28 03:18:58
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Matt Siegel
- ISBN：B08NPTHC14
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Summary
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。
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。
Reviews
Dan
，
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Ecco- Harper Collins for an advanced copy of this food facts and much more book。 I will admit that I approached Matt Siegel's The Secret History of Food: Strange but True Stories About the Origins of Everything We Eat with hopes that it would be slightly interesting with maybe some ideas for dinner on Sunday。 Instead I found myself laughing， amazed at what I ingested， and quoting huge sections of the book to friends， family and anyone who would listen。 In My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Ecco- Harper Collins for an advanced copy of this food facts and much more book。 I will admit that I approached Matt Siegel's The Secret History of Food: Strange but True Stories About the Origins of Everything We Eat with hopes that it would be slightly interesting with maybe some ideas for dinner on Sunday。 Instead I found myself laughing， amazed at what I ingested， and quoting huge sections of the book to friends， family and anyone who would listen。 In fact I generated some presales on the book， which is great because this book is so much more than I expected。 The tome is not long， but it is packed with information， and also with notes backing up the information。 From the dedication to his parents， to the epigraphs that start the first chapter， you are off learning fun facts， history， business practices， and sometimes things any reader might feel they are better off not knowing about the food production chain。 The writing is informative， and funny， as I stated。 I'm being cagey with the jokes and facts， as I don't want to ruin anything， I feel bad for the people who preordered the book， as I think I might have gone on alot。 I will share that you will learn the origin of green honey， and popularity of iceberg lettuce。 I really can't praise this book enough。 What I enjoyed was the confidence that Mr。 Siegel had in his writing。 He had the research， he did the work， here is what he found that he thought others might enjoy reading about。 Recommended for foodies， people who have to deal with foodies， people who like to put foodies in their place， people who love facts and people who like to laugh。 Oh and the people I bothered with facts so much they had to preorder the book。 。。。more
Patrick Pilz
，
It is a fun read on some trivia of food。 It is a rather short run down and misses so many important parts of the food history， say the columbian food exchange， that it is certain to lose at least a star for completeness。What is lacks in the completeness， it makes up with absolutely unnecessary sexual references which are often not even needed or tastefully placed， which lets me deduct another star。It is an otherwise interesting and quick paced read which one can easily digest on a Sunday afterno It is a fun read on some trivia of food。 It is a rather short run down and misses so many important parts of the food history， say the columbian food exchange， that it is certain to lose at least a star for completeness。What is lacks in the completeness， it makes up with absolutely unnecessary sexual references which are often not even needed or tastefully placed， which lets me deduct another star。It is an otherwise interesting and quick paced read which one can easily digest on a Sunday afternoon。 。。。more
Beth
，
I love this type of book！ Here's a lightly edited quote to give you a sense of whether you'll like it:"British cooking at the time consisted primarily of pies stuffed with birds and nightmarish sea creatures。。。Did you know that the secret to a nice lamprey pie， according to a recipe from 1737 London is to "cleanse them well from the slime" before you mix their blood with cinnamon？" I love this type of book！ Here's a lightly edited quote to give you a sense of whether you'll like it:"British cooking at the time consisted primarily of pies stuffed with birds and nightmarish sea creatures。。。Did you know that the secret to a nice lamprey pie， according to a recipe from 1737 London is to "cleanse them well from the slime" before you mix their blood with cinnamon？" 。。。more
Becky Diamond
，
A more extensive review will also be posted on BookPage - https://bookpage。com （which is how I got this galley）， so look for it there！ I just have to say how much I loved this book！ One of my favorites in a long time。 As a fellow food writer and epicurean I learned so much about food and human consumption。 Everything explained by Siegel is fascinating - scholarly （he does his due diligence with the research） yet very accessible to all readers - a delicate and difficult balance to maintain。 He qu A more extensive review will also be posted on BookPage - https://bookpage。com （which is how I got this galley）， so look for it there！ I just have to say how much I loved this book！ One of my favorites in a long time。 As a fellow food writer and epicurean I learned so much about food and human consumption。 Everything explained by Siegel is fascinating - scholarly （he does his due diligence with the research） yet very accessible to all readers - a delicate and difficult balance to maintain。 He questions experts from a variety of disciplines， all well cited， while still writing in a humorous and understandable style。 As a result， the facts flow along beautifully， with touchstones to anecdotes and historical connections。 Outstanding job。 Highly recommend。 。。。more
Suzanne
，
I didn’t finish this book as the beginning consists of the author quoting copiously from books and studies full of asshole comments。 Is it not enough to say “this book was very racist” or “this other book is super misogynistic”？ We have to quote it and make the reader feel like absolute garbage？Anyway， it reads as an attempt to be scholarly and is pretentious and intolerable。Hard pass from me。
Lisa Konet
，
This book was so much and had so much random trivia and fun facts about food that you would not have given a second thought to。 The author clearly has a passion for food too。 I was disappointed when this seemed to abruptly end because there are 50+ pages of references/citing sources， but it did not bother me; just wish the actual content would have been a little longer because I was enjoying the fun facts。Recommended for people who love food， love to cook and enjoy trivia。Thanks to Netgalley， Ma This book was so much and had so much random trivia and fun facts about food that you would not have given a second thought to。 The author clearly has a passion for food too。 I was disappointed when this seemed to abruptly end because there are 50+ pages of references/citing sources， but it did not bother me; just wish the actual content would have been a little longer because I was enjoying the fun facts。Recommended for people who love food， love to cook and enjoy trivia。Thanks to Netgalley， Matt Siegel and Ecco for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。Available: 8/31/21 。。。more
Kim McGee
，
A fascinating story of strange but true accounts of the why， what and how we eat some of our food。Matt Siegel covers everything from the frightening beginnings of breakfast cereal to the real ingredients of some items found in your pantry and this reader went from fascinated to appalled but always entertained。 A scary dish delivered with light hearted wit that will leave you feeling full and a bit afraid of dessert。 I guarantee you won't be able to stop yourself from reading labels on the next s A fascinating story of strange but true accounts of the why， what and how we eat some of our food。Matt Siegel covers everything from the frightening beginnings of breakfast cereal to the real ingredients of some items found in your pantry and this reader went from fascinated to appalled but always entertained。 A scary dish delivered with light hearted wit that will leave you feeling full and a bit afraid of dessert。 I guarantee you won't be able to stop yourself from reading labels on the next shopping trip。 For fans of Anthony Bourdain's food adventures， A HISTORY OF THE WORLD IN SIX GLASSES and THE OMNIVORE'S DILEMMA， this is a tasty treat。 My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy。 。。。more
Catie
，
The Secret History of Food is my kind of book。 I love learning trivia in context and this does just that。 Matt Siegel spins a story about the progression of food: what we eat， why， and the larger issues that surround it。 From why we like McDonalds， to the rise of corn and it’s prolific usage， the multitude of reasons the body wasn’t meant to eat chili peppers， and on to the physical and psychological effect of choice and variety （or lack there of） in the foods we eat， this book fits so much in a The Secret History of Food is my kind of book。 I love learning trivia in context and this does just that。 Matt Siegel spins a story about the progression of food: what we eat， why， and the larger issues that surround it。 From why we like McDonalds， to the rise of corn and it’s prolific usage， the multitude of reasons the body wasn’t meant to eat chili peppers， and on to the physical and psychological effect of choice and variety （or lack there of） in the foods we eat， this book fits so much in a small package。 I wish I could have gone a little more in depth on a few topics but that’s not what this was meant as。 It did as it was intended to do: it wet my appetite for the history of what we eat and why and provided so much food for thought at the store。 I hope you give it a shot and learn as much as I did。 As my roommate could attest， I loved the book and the unusual facts and humorous writing contained within。 。。。more
Alicia Bayer
，
Interesting， fun and well written。 This is the sort of nonfiction that's quite entertaining， and it seems well researched。 I was surprised to reach the end when I was just over halfway through the book because the footnote section is so long。 A fun read。I read a digital ARC of this book via NetGalley。 Interesting， fun and well written。 This is the sort of nonfiction that's quite entertaining， and it seems well researched。 I was surprised to reach the end when I was just over halfway through the book because the footnote section is so long。 A fun read。I read a digital ARC of this book via NetGalley。 。。。more
Hannah
，
Reviewed: June 1， 2021Pub Date: August 31， 2021I really enjoyed this book。 I feel that I know a lot about food， but this one took us on a humorous journey in to all the secrets of what we consume on a daily basis。 While most of the chapters were very interesting， some were somewhat long and seemed a little repetitive。 I would highly suggest this book， however， for a different perspective on what we eat and how that effects the world around us。
Sarah Buron
，
Some chapters were really interesting （like the ones about fast food and food styling）， other chapters I found a little too textbook-like。 Thanks so much to NetGalley and Ecco for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review！
Alisa
，
This book presents an interesting， humorous overview of the origins of some of our most popular foods。 Some of the things I learned include:-Vanilla is extremely hard to harvest （might have to rethink labeling ordinary things as "vanilla"）-The founder of Kellogg's cereal was a crackpot-We consume a lot more corn products than we think （seriously， most everything has corn in it）-The United States is powered by apple pie and ice cream-Historically， people have eaten A LOT of weird things。 Rich peo This book presents an interesting， humorous overview of the origins of some of our most popular foods。 Some of the things I learned include:-Vanilla is extremely hard to harvest （might have to rethink labeling ordinary things as "vanilla"）-The founder of Kellogg's cereal was a crackpot-We consume a lot more corn products than we think （seriously， most everything has corn in it）-The United States is powered by apple pie and ice cream-Historically， people have eaten A LOT of weird things。 Rich people particularly liked to flaunt their wealth by dumping exotic spices （and even gold） into their meals， no matter the resulting taste。 In short， this is a great， easy to follow book for fans of food and history alike。 。。。more
Ster
，
This was such a fun humorous， informative， exciting book！ I thoroughly enjoyed reading about this topic。 I loved learning about food and their origins。 It’s disconcerting reading some of the nutritional facts， but it helps me make more informed choices when it comes food shopping and what my family consumes。 Highly recommended。 Thanks Netgalley！
Amy Gray
，
As someone who spends a lot of time thinking about food （eating it， preparing it， shopping for it）， I'm always up to read more about it。 This book covered some things I'd read about previously （fast food） and some things I hadn't （corn and honey）， but the book as a whole was entertaining and educating。 I like the author's witty writing style （the aphrodisiac list had me laughing）， though not everything was fun--there are some hard truths about the food we eat and how we get that food that aren't As someone who spends a lot of time thinking about food （eating it， preparing it， shopping for it）， I'm always up to read more about it。 This book covered some things I'd read about previously （fast food） and some things I hadn't （corn and honey）， but the book as a whole was entertaining and educating。 I like the author's witty writing style （the aphrodisiac list had me laughing）， though not everything was fun--there are some hard truths about the food we eat and how we get that food that aren't pretty。 Even the less-fun information （the FDA & USDA are the bureaucratic nightmare you'd expect） is enlightening enough that you might find yourself reading bits aloud to whoever's nearby。 As a pie-lover I especially enjoyed reading about the history of pies。 This would be a great addition to any food lovers bookshelf， also recommended for libraries that would like to expand their food histories。 。。。more
Carolyn
，
The Secret History of Food is a must-read for foodies and historians alike！ Matt Siegel interjects humor with true and frightening details about our food - both past and present。 I dare say I will never look at honey or tuna the same way。 If you want to impress your friends with newfound trivia at your first post-pandemic dinner party， be sure to grab up this book as soon as it hits shelves in August！
Elaine
，
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Secret History of Food。This is a fascinating， amusing， and， yes， horrifying book where the author discusses some of the most popular foods in American culture; apple pie， tomatoes and vanilla， just to name a few and dispels myths about their origins。He also reminds us about the future of food consumption and production。 Spoiler: it's not good。 Really， really not good。I really enjoyed the chapter on chilies since I don't like spicy foods but I do love Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Secret History of Food。This is a fascinating， amusing， and， yes， horrifying book where the author discusses some of the most popular foods in American culture; apple pie， tomatoes and vanilla， just to name a few and dispels myths about their origins。He also reminds us about the future of food consumption and production。 Spoiler: it's not good。 Really， really not good。I really enjoyed the chapter on chilies since I don't like spicy foods but I do love horror movies。 I believe there is a correlation， based on the author's research。I also liked the background on what the USDA and FDA do， which is too much with too little resources which explains the upheaval in our food and drug industries in regards to labeling， safety， and spastic guidelines on healthy eating that changes every year。The secret behind The Secret History of Food is not so much of a secret anymore: nothing we eat now is really safe。 Our ancestors had it better， food wise， not longevity wise since they could be eaten by a predator at any time。 My only caveat is there are too many pull quotes and excerpts from texts and articles。 I really don't need to read the entire jingle from an old Burger King commercial。This is a good book， well written and well researched， and not just for foodies， but anyone who wants to learn more about what they put in their bodies。 This isn't the faint of heart （some of the facts are gross and disturbing yet not new if you're educated about the state of our supply chain and food production） but as the author notes， we're a hardy species。 And， hopefully， we'll just get stronger。 Fingers crossed！ 。。。more
Ellen （Paperback Dietitian）
，
As a nutrition professional， there was not a whole lot of new information that was presented in this book， although I did still enjoy reading it and the facts were very fun and interesting。 I think that if I came from a different background I would have learned a lot more and rated this 4-stars。（Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for a honest review。）
Amy Dendy
，
Who doesn’t enjoy learning facts about favorite foods？ This book is sure to become a favorite of food and trivia buffs everywhere！
Angie Boyter
，
I can get hooked on a great opening scene， but I don’t ever remember being so drawn by a dedication！ As soon as I read that Matt Siegel wrote this book “For my mother， and her cooking。 And my father， and his eating”， I knew I would like this book。 The Secret History of Food is a lively compendium of information about food， all kinds of food and all kinds of information about it。 Its title is very appropriate， because I can guarantee that there is a LOT in this book you did not know， whether it i I can get hooked on a great opening scene， but I don’t ever remember being so drawn by a dedication！ As soon as I read that Matt Siegel wrote this book “For my mother， and her cooking。 And my father， and his eating”， I knew I would like this book。 The Secret History of Food is a lively compendium of information about food， all kinds of food and all kinds of information about it。 Its title is very appropriate， because I can guarantee that there is a LOT in this book you did not know， whether it is that pie crust was not originally intended to be an edible part of the dish but merely something for the diner to hold while eating the contents or the fact that vanilla is the only edible “fruit” that grows on orchids。 As you might guess from that dedication， the writing style is light and enjoyable but carefully crafted。 Just as the dedication was nicely done， the chapter endings practically all left me with a big smile on my face。 Each chapter treats a different subject， and the intriguing titles include topics like Breakfast of Champions， Children of the Corn， Honey Laundering， and Attack of the Killer Tomatoes （Did you know that the average American ate 47 pounds of tomatoes in 2018？）。 Within those rather specific-sounding chapters， though， the information is wide-ranging。 For example， the chapter on honey tells us that beehives were used as projectiles in wartime as far back as the Stone Age。 Sometimes the interesting factoids were so wide-ranging that I wondered a bit about the relationship to food， but it was all fun。If you like history or learning odd facts or just want to be able to impress your friends with your “strange but true” knowledge at the next party， The Secret History of Food will be a tasty addition to your literary menu。 。。。more
Mary
，
Food is a fascinating topic。 It's a foundational aspect of our lives， but it's also something that all of our ancestors have needed in order to survive as well。 This book covers everything from the origins of modern day cereal to how pie may have contributed to the founding of the United States。 Siegel ponders the irony of seeking out capsaicin （the component that leads to the burning sensation in spicy foods） when its purpose is to deter mammals from eating the plant in the first place， and he Food is a fascinating topic。 It's a foundational aspect of our lives， but it's also something that all of our ancestors have needed in order to survive as well。 This book covers everything from the origins of modern day cereal to how pie may have contributed to the founding of the United States。 Siegel ponders the irony of seeking out capsaicin （the component that leads to the burning sensation in spicy foods） when its purpose is to deter mammals from eating the plant in the first place， and he pulls back the veil on popular cooking ingredients such as olive oil。 Though food has an ancient history， Siegel covers its more recent history， not going back much further than the last 1000 years or so。 There is a wry tone throughout the book as some of the history described here is dark and rather tragic。 There are also some truly comical moments like the descriptions of how much Americans liked pie， much to the confusion of our British counterparts。 There were plenty of interesting stories that kept me hooked all the way through， but I felt like the book ended abruptly。 There was a little bit of a wrap up in the last few paragraphs in the final chapter， but it might have been nice to have a shorter chapter that tied everything together。 Overall， this is a really good read for anyone has an interest in food， where it comes from， and how it affects us today。 It's entertaining， but also thought-provoking。 I look forward to reading Siegel's future work！A big thanks to Matt Siegel， Ecco， and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and honestly review this book！ 。。。more
Suzanne
，
This is such a wonderful book that I’m sorry I’ve finished it！ THE SECRET HISTORY OF FOOD is stuffed with stories， anecdotes， warnings and just plain factoid-filled。 Since much of what author Matt Siegel writes can seem unbelievable， almost half the book is devoted to footnotes and source documents。 Siegel has a sense of the absurd and wonderful about everything humans have found to put in their mouths or rub on their bodies （or sell unsuspecting customers。） I loved every minute of this book and This is such a wonderful book that I’m sorry I’ve finished it！ THE SECRET HISTORY OF FOOD is stuffed with stories， anecdotes， warnings and just plain factoid-filled。 Since much of what author Matt Siegel writes can seem unbelievable， almost half the book is devoted to footnotes and source documents。 Siegel has a sense of the absurd and wonderful about everything humans have found to put in their mouths or rub on their bodies （or sell unsuspecting customers。） I loved every minute of this book and if he wants to write another， I’ll be waiting anxiously。 I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley。 。。。more
Cari Allen
，
Written with an intelligent and dry wit and loads of information， Matt Siegel’s The Secret History of Foods is a treat for food and history buffs alike。 Divided into ten unique chapters， Siegel explores the history behind some of our favorite and most consumed food choices， From quintessential American Apple Pie to fast food， the author interlaces interesting facts and stories with dry， sarcastic humor that had me laughing out loud and then sharing passages with family and friends。 Truly a delig Written with an intelligent and dry wit and loads of information， Matt Siegel’s The Secret History of Foods is a treat for food and history buffs alike。 Divided into ten unique chapters， Siegel explores the history behind some of our favorite and most consumed food choices， From quintessential American Apple Pie to fast food， the author interlaces interesting facts and stories with dry， sarcastic humor that had me laughing out loud and then sharing passages with family and friends。 Truly a delight to read and recommended for those who enjoy books similar to those written by Mary Roach。 Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this advanced reader ebook in exchange for an honest review。。 。。。more
Darius Ostrowski
，
“The Secret History of Food: Strange but True Stories About the Origins of Everything We Eat” by Matt Siegel is a fun romp through some of the weird and wacky histories of foods that make it to our tables。 In ten chapters， Mr。 Siegel focuses on some of the bizarre behaviors that have defined our relationship with the foods we eat。We start with a general overview of food and tasting， and how we’re affected by the choices our parents make even before we are born。 I never really connected the idea “The Secret History of Food: Strange but True Stories About the Origins of Everything We Eat” by Matt Siegel is a fun romp through some of the weird and wacky histories of foods that make it to our tables。 In ten chapters， Mr。 Siegel focuses on some of the bizarre behaviors that have defined our relationship with the foods we eat。We start with a general overview of food and tasting， and how we’re affected by the choices our parents make even before we are born。 I never really connected the idea of cooking as a means to reduce the amount of energy we expand to chew and digest food， but I guess it makes sense。Then we move on to a selection of specific foods and their histories: the role of pie in medieval times and especially in the British US colonies， cold breakfast cereal as a means to prevent overstimulation， our dependence on corn （and vice versa）， the complexity of honey， why vanilla is anything but boring， the history of feasts and the special foods we serve， the industrialization of food nowadays， how we are the only species that eats food that burns （spicy peppers） on purpose， and finally a look at the bureaucracy that governs what we eat today。This is not a comprehensive history of food， rather an interesting and humorous look at specific areas and instances of how and what we eat。 I am sure that Mr。 Siegel has many more tales to tell and I for one will be there to read them。I requested and received a free advanced electronic copy from Ecco via NetGalley。 Thank you！ 。。。more
Whitney
，
Organized into chapters focusing on different subsets of food， Siegel weaves through history to uncover some wacky eating habits from pre-historic times， to the modern obsession with eating visually。He starts off with an American classic - the apple pie， and dives into the history of these homey pastries。 Way before snack baggies or even lunch boxes， Brits cooked their pies with inedible crusts to aid in transportation and shelf life。 It wasn’t until Americans were strapped for dough， and had to Organized into chapters focusing on different subsets of food， Siegel weaves through history to uncover some wacky eating habits from pre-historic times， to the modern obsession with eating visually。He starts off with an American classic - the apple pie， and dives into the history of these homey pastries。 Way before snack baggies or even lunch boxes， Brits cooked their pies with inedible crusts to aid in transportation and shelf life。 It wasn’t until Americans were strapped for dough， and had to stretch every crust to its last， that edible crusts were developed。 Stories like these litter the book， offering eye-opening stories and logic behind what we eat and why。Outside of pie， my other favorite chapters were on chilis and honey。 Siegel dives into human’s fascination with these spicy berries， and uncovers the dark side of doctored honey。 He discusses how the FDA and UDSA are essentially a buearucratic quagmire with more red tape than protection。 But with each topic， he brings a levity that had me chuckling each chapter。I loved Siegel’s deep dive into Dark Ages and Renaissance feasts to uncover the unconventional centerpieces crafted by royal chefs （the chicken’s head sewn onto a pigs body gives you an idea of some of the creations）。 Far from just speaking to the recipe and then moving onto the next dish， Siegel recreates each era explaining why and how these meals were made。With humor and insight， this is an easy book to bite into。 。。。more
Melissa
，
*This book was received as an Advanced Reviewer's Copy from NetGalley。Anything about food and history will be a draw for me。 I like learning the origin of dishes， the trends of the past， and well， it's way better than the history courses in school because I get to pick the subject。 This book covers a few areas of food （with a sardonic tone throughout）， taking a hard look at some of the past foibles and current watch-outs for food。Ranging from breakfast cereals （hello Kellogg and Graham and your *This book was received as an Advanced Reviewer's Copy from NetGalley。Anything about food and history will be a draw for me。 I like learning the origin of dishes， the trends of the past， and well， it's way better than the history courses in school because I get to pick the subject。 This book covers a few areas of food （with a sardonic tone throughout）， taking a hard look at some of the past foibles and current watch-outs for food。Ranging from breakfast cereals （hello Kellogg and Graham and your uh， interesting， ways and beliefs）。 Olive oil （what is it really）， tomatoes （definitely not good to eat）， vanilla （the most favorite ice cream flavor ever）， and others make their histories known in this book。 While a lot of times it focuses on odd beliefs and the potential or real adulteration of foods， it also offers some look at just how the food entered the human diet and how popular it is today。Overall， the book is kind of melancholy。 It really gets to the not so nice history of these foods in most cases and while interesting， can be a bit like living in a shadow while you're reading the book。 And I'm a bit scared of my olive oil now， but not enough to stop using it。 I did enjoy the book though and learned a few new facts， and I appreciated the author's grim sense of humor or interjections of issues that only vaguely related to the food at hand， but were still poignant。Review by M。 Reynard 2021 。。。more
Lori Holuta
，
Written in a lush conversational style， this is not a concise reference guide， and that's just fine with me。 I like the "I'm telling you secrets" tone of the book。 It feels like I'm relaxing with a brandy after dinner and listening to that one distant cousin， you know， the odd one， tell shocking stories just out of earshot of the more genteel relatives。 And I have to confess， the 'short' list of aphrodisiacs had me laughing until I cried。 I found the chapter on corn to be astounding in its scope Written in a lush conversational style， this is not a concise reference guide， and that's just fine with me。 I like the "I'm telling you secrets" tone of the book。 It feels like I'm relaxing with a brandy after dinner and listening to that one distant cousin， you know， the odd one， tell shocking stories just out of earshot of the more genteel relatives。 And I have to confess， the 'short' list of aphrodisiacs had me laughing until I cried。 I found the chapter on corn to be astounding in its scope and detail。 I learned shocking things about honey。 And much， much more。 I'll need to re-read this book a few more times， there's just so much to be learned。If you are squeamish when it comes to candid talk about human body functions and secretions， notably those of the sexual variety， consider yourself warned。 There's also creepy stories。 But， history is often gross and creepy， and that's no fault of the author。 I enjoy learning about attitudes， superstitions， medical practices and more from humanity's past。File "The Secret History of Food" next to "Ripley's Believe it or Not" on your reference shelf。 Your cookbooks might be intimidated by it。My thanks to author Matt Siegel， NetGalley， and Ecco publishing for allowing me to read a digital advance review copy of this book。 This review is my honest and unbiased opinion。 。。。more
Diana
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A riveting and humorous look inside the history of some of our most basic foods， like apple pie， cold cereals， and chilies。 The book seems well researched， and will easily become one of those sources of “random trivia knowledge” about food and its background。 I can’t wait for the day a dystopian novel about a society post-corn-extinction comes to fruition。 The setup of this book would lend itself nicely to a sequel， a “volume two” or similar， expanding to discuss more foods。 I would definitely r A riveting and humorous look inside the history of some of our most basic foods， like apple pie， cold cereals， and chilies。 The book seems well researched， and will easily become one of those sources of “random trivia knowledge” about food and its background。 I can’t wait for the day a dystopian novel about a society post-corn-extinction comes to fruition。 The setup of this book would lend itself nicely to a sequel， a “volume two” or similar， expanding to discuss more foods。 I would definitely read it if the author chooses to write another！ I enjoyed the book， missed out on many of the informative and interesting footnotes due to the tedious task of clicking on footnote links in netgalley’s ebooks app （side note: bought a new kindle halfway through the book and what a difference！）， but overall had a great reading experience with it。 Trigger warning note: there was one very short paragraph toward the end of chapter 9 in which the author quotes Paul Bloom， and I found it to be quite triggering and insensitive （re: self-harm）， but that’s my only gripe。 。。。more
Kate TerHaar
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What an interesting look at the food we all eat。 Everything from corn and honey to McDonalds and of course the wild and crazy history of breakfast cereal。Entertaining and informational。
Cat
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