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Ways of Eating: Exploring Food through History and Culture (California Studies in Food and Culture)
What we learn when an anthropologist and a historian talk about food.
From the origins of agriculture to contemporary debates over culinary authenticity, Ways of Eating introduces readers to world food history and food anthropology. Through engaging stories and historical deep dives, Benjamin A. Wurgaft and Merry I. White offer new ways to understand food in relation to its natural and cultural histories and the social rules that shape our meals.
Wurgaft and White use vivid storytelling to bring food practices to life, weaving stories of Panamanian coffee growers, medieval women beer makers, and Japanese knife forgers. From the Venetian spice trade to the Columbian Exchange, from Roman garum to Vietnamese nớc chấm, Ways of Eating provides an absorbing account of world food history and anthropology. Migration, politics, and the dynamics of group identity all shape what we eat, and we can learn to trace these social forces from the plate to the kitchen, the factory, and the field.
From the origins of agriculture to contemporary debates over culinary authenticity, Ways of Eating introduces readers to world food history and food anthropology. Through engaging stories and historical deep dives, Benjamin A. Wurgaft and Merry I. White offer new ways to understand food in relation to its natural and cultural histories and the social rules that shape our meals.
Wurgaft and White use vivid storytelling to bring food practices to life, weaving stories of Panamanian coffee growers, medieval women beer makers, and Japanese knife forgers. From the Venetian spice trade to the Columbian Exchange, from Roman garum to Vietnamese nớc chấm, Ways of Eating provides an absorbing account of world food history and anthropology. Migration, politics, and the dynamics of group identity all shape what we eat, and we can learn to trace these social forces from the plate to the kitchen, the factory, and the field.
255 pages, Hardcover
First published September 19, 2023
20 people are currently reading
426 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
January 18, 2024
I was expecting a lot of cultural anthropology but it was more high level history of food and foodways than exploration of current culture. Still good for that, and does a particularly interesting job looking at colonialism, imperialism, and the migration of food and food customs across culture. Very well written but not quite was I was anticipating.
Thanks to the authors, publisher, and NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to the authors, publisher, and NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
February 1, 2024
2/5 stars. it... wasn't earth-shattering for me.
this was quite a high-level summary of the history of food across various cultures, discussing topics such as the origins of certain dishes and ingredients, how they proliferated or originated in different places at the same time, and the cultural implications of certain dishes. to me, it felt more like a collection of fun facts about random foods as opposed to a unified book.
i received an ARC of the audiobook edition in exchange for an an honest review.
this was quite a high-level summary of the history of food across various cultures, discussing topics such as the origins of certain dishes and ingredients, how they proliferated or originated in different places at the same time, and the cultural implications of certain dishes. to me, it felt more like a collection of fun facts about random foods as opposed to a unified book.
i received an ARC of the audiobook edition in exchange for an an honest review.
December 21, 2023
[Audiobook] Educational and deeply fascinating. Explores humanity's use of and advancements in food culture throughout time and various geographical locations. Wurgaft is not afraid to address the fact that societies would not be where they are if not for the colonization and imperialism of numerous civilizations. Overall a great read that provides unique insights into our biggest commonality as humans—eating! YUM!
If I had one nit-pick, Mr. Wurgaft, for the love of pearl, please let me teach you how to pronounce the names of Vietnamese foods!
Thank you RB Media and NetGalley for providing me with this eARC!
If I had one nit-pick, Mr. Wurgaft, for the love of pearl, please let me teach you how to pronounce the names of Vietnamese foods!
Thank you RB Media and NetGalley for providing me with this eARC!
December 24, 2023
I listened to the audiobook narrated by the author.
This book is so interesting. The authors paint a scene of interconnectivity between all food consumption, cuisine, agriculture, ingredients and meals and various nutrition related customs, explaining origins and changes and moves and history in a way that feels so active and close even when it's millennia in the past. It's given me a new understanding of how much humans have influenced and modified the growth of different plants and animals, how flavours and ingredients have travelled across the Earth and how cultural identity includes food, amongst other things.
I listened to the whole thing in one day, which yes isn't the best way to comprehend and process all the information it contains, but I am reading it casually rather than for academia. That said, everything is perfectly explained so that the audio format doesn't make the content any less comprehensible, and the narration is clear at speed 0.5x to 2x, which makes it a great resource even if you have to actually retain everything you're learning.
The book is split into sections that make it easy to go back and find a specific topic or information you want to relisten to.
Warning though, many parts of this book will likely make you hungry or crave a cup of tea.
Thank you NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for the opportunity to listen this ARC. The physical version of this book is published by University of California Press.
This book is so interesting. The authors paint a scene of interconnectivity between all food consumption, cuisine, agriculture, ingredients and meals and various nutrition related customs, explaining origins and changes and moves and history in a way that feels so active and close even when it's millennia in the past. It's given me a new understanding of how much humans have influenced and modified the growth of different plants and animals, how flavours and ingredients have travelled across the Earth and how cultural identity includes food, amongst other things.
I listened to the whole thing in one day, which yes isn't the best way to comprehend and process all the information it contains, but I am reading it casually rather than for academia. That said, everything is perfectly explained so that the audio format doesn't make the content any less comprehensible, and the narration is clear at speed 0.5x to 2x, which makes it a great resource even if you have to actually retain everything you're learning.
The book is split into sections that make it easy to go back and find a specific topic or information you want to relisten to.
Warning though, many parts of this book will likely make you hungry or crave a cup of tea.
Thank you NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for the opportunity to listen this ARC. The physical version of this book is published by University of California Press.
January 2, 2024
Ways of Eating, written by Benjamin Aldes Wurgaft and Merry White, is an excellent example of a book that is both scholarly and accessible.
I listened to the audiobook and found it to be engaging and well organized. Since I am no longer in academia the audio version was ideal for me, I don't need to refer to it or get accurate quotes for my own work, simply enjoy learning about the intersection of food, agriculture, history, culture, and politics. This is also one of those books that will reward a repeat listen, and likely a reread in the case of the written version.
If you have an interest in food and want to understand a little more about how what we eat fits with how we live, you will enjoy this book. Well-researched but also very accessible for any reader with an interest, while still offering great insight for any scholar in the area.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
I listened to the audiobook and found it to be engaging and well organized. Since I am no longer in academia the audio version was ideal for me, I don't need to refer to it or get accurate quotes for my own work, simply enjoy learning about the intersection of food, agriculture, history, culture, and politics. This is also one of those books that will reward a repeat listen, and likely a reread in the case of the written version.
If you have an interest in food and want to understand a little more about how what we eat fits with how we live, you will enjoy this book. Well-researched but also very accessible for any reader with an interest, while still offering great insight for any scholar in the area.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
February 16, 2024
This was a very knowledgeable book, and I had to read it in strides because some information and history was really just over my head or needed a lot of focus and/or interest from the reader. That being said, it really is interesting combining food with history. It’s a very niche genre, but well-done for what it is. I love cultures and I love food, so I really wanted to focus and learn. The audiobook was read by one of the authors, and he does a decent job, although his inflection with humor was a bit grating on the nerves. Maybe he tried too hard? I can’t describe it, but it was enough to have to stop listening and/or fast forward sometimes. Other than that, I’d say if these topics are of interest to you then this audiobook is a good choice. Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for the audio ARC in exchange for my honest review.
June 6, 2025
This book is a great intro to food anthropology, but it was a bit more shallow than what I was hoping for. Firstly, many of the vignettes did not match the theme/idea of the upcoming chapter, and I found it a bit jarring. To add to this, I found it odd that the vignettes tended to focus on a non-Western culture or nation while almost all the chapters focused almost exclusively on western countries. If you took a basic world history class (think, AP world history) or are a child of immigrants, these chapters came across as horrifically basic.
I enjoyed eating to extinction much more as a study of food anthropology.
I enjoyed eating to extinction much more as a study of food anthropology.
February 1, 2024
I found Ways of Eating to be an incredibly interesting journey through food, history, agriculture, culture, and politics. I listened to the audio production presented by the authors which made it easy to feel their passion for their work which is incredibly well researched. If you have an interest that isn’t necessarily academic, this book is well worth picking up. I managed to listen to the entire book in one day and found it to be very digestible in this manner…ha. Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for allowing me to listen to this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.
March 17, 2024
Thank you netgalley for an advanced ARC of this as an audiobook
Reading this and listening to the history of food was an interesting read and made me appreciate food a bit more then I did previously, I honestly didn't think a book could do that but this did. This was also nicely wrote and kept my attention throughout, I have always loved history and learning what I learnt about food in this book shows me more about our history (to know the future u meed to know the past) I have always believed this saying
Reading this and listening to the history of food was an interesting read and made me appreciate food a bit more then I did previously, I honestly didn't think a book could do that but this did. This was also nicely wrote and kept my attention throughout, I have always loved history and learning what I learnt about food in this book shows me more about our history (to know the future u meed to know the past) I have always believed this saying
April 12, 2025
《餐桌上的文化人類學》Ways of Eating by Benjamin Aldes Wurgaft and Merry I. White， 這樣 本書應該是書名吸引了我。 因為我好吃， 又喜歡了解人類的喜怒哀樂。 不過這本書不是很好 讀， 我讀讀停停的用了好一段時間才把它讀完。
其實書的主要結構是相當有趣的; 作者用了短文， 在每一個章節之前， 以比較散文弍描述一段 經歷， 才導入正式的毎一個章節的討論。 而且章節的排序也是很有人類歴史及使用食物的進展 跟演進， 如農業起源之本質與文化， 古時的主要糧食帝國， 中世紀的口味， 哥倫布大交換/世界 的重塑， 殖⺠與咖哩等等討論章節。
不過， 有些引述的短文並不容易跟接下一來的主章節溝通成連結， 以使這些有趣的短文很難導 航入正題。 再加上這些論述章節讓我讀起來覺得很疏散， 缺少學術研究的嚴謹，更像是雜文， 所以章節的主題宗旨變成難於聚焦。
雖然如此， 作者的一些觀念察及論點還是很多可夢讀的， 如殖⺠地的食物怎麼收上殖⺠者的餐 桌， 殖⺠地廚師的身份及地位的轉移等等。
其實書的主要結構是相當有趣的; 作者用了短文， 在每一個章節之前， 以比較散文弍描述一段 經歷， 才導入正式的毎一個章節的討論。 而且章節的排序也是很有人類歴史及使用食物的進展 跟演進， 如農業起源之本質與文化， 古時的主要糧食帝國， 中世紀的口味， 哥倫布大交換/世界 的重塑， 殖⺠與咖哩等等討論章節。
不過， 有些引述的短文並不容易跟接下一來的主章節溝通成連結， 以使這些有趣的短文很難導 航入正題。 再加上這些論述章節讓我讀起來覺得很疏散， 缺少學術研究的嚴謹，更像是雜文， 所以章節的主題宗旨變成難於聚焦。
雖然如此， 作者的一些觀念察及論點還是很多可夢讀的， 如殖⺠地的食物怎麼收上殖⺠者的餐 桌， 殖⺠地廚師的身份及地位的轉移等等。
May 15, 2025
Короче, такая низкая оценка из-за завышенных ожиданий, но книга реально немного никакая, вот честно. Есть несколько интересных фактов, но цельной картины не собирается. И читать не особо интересно, большую часть я просто глазами пробежал, потому что это такой набор глобальных наблюдений и закономерностей, а не что-то простроенное. Короче, в теории звучало круто и я тянул, чтобы ее прочесть, а в итоге разочаровался
April 3, 2024
A tall ordeal for a title that pays homage to Berger’s “Ways of Seeing”, but applied in another context — attempting to unpack the social relations nestled through shifts in our foodways across history.
I did find the last line simple and compelling:
“Think of the simple thing a knife does: it divides our ingredients. The knife divides in order to share.”
I did find the last line simple and compelling:
“Think of the simple thing a knife does: it divides our ingredients. The knife divides in order to share.”
February 6, 2025
Ciekawa przebieżka przez kulturę jedzenia i czynniki, które ją kształtowały: geograficzne, polityczne, ekonomiczne itd. Narracja stricte historyczna przeplata się tu z antropologicznymi „winietami”, uwypuklające osobiste doświadczenia autorów, co momentami czyni rozważania lekko chaotycznymi, ale ostatecznie nie psuje to pozytywnego wrażenia i nie odbiera książce walorów edukacyjnych.
February 23, 2025
Очень интересная книга/исследование, как еда, продукты и разные культуры питания распространялись по планете! История распределения пиши и колониализм, прошлой и будущее питание человечества. Промышленная революция и развитие сельского хозяйства, как все это повлияло и влияет на окружающую среду, ресурсы и изобилие.
March 24, 2025
Surprisingly a history of agriculture, food production and somewhat on eating habits. I was hoping for more a history of ingredients. Interesting to note that industrial agricultural, from the opinions of the authors, is not able to fully feed the world's population and groundwater levels are depleted too quickly to be replenished, foreshadowing our collective futures.
May 13, 2024
A high-level, disconnected set of stories on seemingly randomly chosen aspect of food histories. Merry White is better known for her expertise in Japanese food and coffee, and her attempt to expand on that expertise didn't yield a high-quality read this time.
September 19, 2024
The second half of the book was better than the first.
February 1, 2024
"Ways of Eating: A Nourishing Journey through Food, History, and Culture" by Benjamin Aldes Wurgaft, Merry White - An Engrossing Culinary Exploration
The audiobook "Ways of Eating" presents a captivating odyssey through the intricate tapestry of food's evolution, as explored by anthropologist Benjamin A. Wurgaft and historian Merry I. White. From the roots of agriculture to the modern discourse on culinary authenticity, this volume introduces listeners to a world of food history and anthropology, offering a captivating lens into the relationships between culture, society, and the foods we consume.
Narrated by the authors themselves, this audiobook immerses listeners in a vibrant journey across millennia, illustrating the interconnectedness of food consumption, cuisine, and cultural identity. Wurgaft and White skillfully weave engaging narratives, transporting audiences through the narratives of Panamanian coffee growers, medieval women beer makers, and Japanese knife forgers. The exploration extends from the Venetian spice trade to the Columbian Exchange, from Roman garum to Vietnamese nớc chấm, painting a rich panorama of global food history and anthropology.
Throughout the narrative, the audiobook adeptly navigates the influence of migration, politics, and societal dynamics on our culinary habits, urging listeners to trace these social forces from the plate to the kitchen, the factory, and the field.
Personally, I found "Ways of Eating" a profound and engrossing auditory experience. The authors' storytelling prowess breathes life into historical and cultural anecdotes, offering fresh insights into humanity's deep-rooted relationship with food. While devouring this audiobook in a single sitting might not allow for comprehensive absorption of its wealth of information, the clarity of narration, even at varied speeds, ensures accessibility and retention.
Divided into sections for easy reference, this audiobook serves as a valuable resource, allowing listeners to revisit specific topics or information of interest. However, be forewarned: this culinary expedition might trigger intense cravings or stir up a yearning for a comforting cup of tea!
In my estimation, "Ways of Eating" stands as a five-star treasure trove, combining educational depth with captivating storytelling, offering a profound exploration of humanity's shared yet diverse culinary heritage.
A sincere thank you to NetGalley and authors Benjamin Aldes Wurgaft and Merry I. White for the opportunity to explore the captivating journey within "Ways of Eating." Your profound insights into food's role in shaping our history, culture, and identities have made a lasting impression. It's been a privilege experiencing this illuminating auditory expedition celebrating our diverse culinary heritage.
The audiobook "Ways of Eating" presents a captivating odyssey through the intricate tapestry of food's evolution, as explored by anthropologist Benjamin A. Wurgaft and historian Merry I. White. From the roots of agriculture to the modern discourse on culinary authenticity, this volume introduces listeners to a world of food history and anthropology, offering a captivating lens into the relationships between culture, society, and the foods we consume.
Narrated by the authors themselves, this audiobook immerses listeners in a vibrant journey across millennia, illustrating the interconnectedness of food consumption, cuisine, and cultural identity. Wurgaft and White skillfully weave engaging narratives, transporting audiences through the narratives of Panamanian coffee growers, medieval women beer makers, and Japanese knife forgers. The exploration extends from the Venetian spice trade to the Columbian Exchange, from Roman garum to Vietnamese nớc chấm, painting a rich panorama of global food history and anthropology.
Throughout the narrative, the audiobook adeptly navigates the influence of migration, politics, and societal dynamics on our culinary habits, urging listeners to trace these social forces from the plate to the kitchen, the factory, and the field.
Personally, I found "Ways of Eating" a profound and engrossing auditory experience. The authors' storytelling prowess breathes life into historical and cultural anecdotes, offering fresh insights into humanity's deep-rooted relationship with food. While devouring this audiobook in a single sitting might not allow for comprehensive absorption of its wealth of information, the clarity of narration, even at varied speeds, ensures accessibility and retention.
Divided into sections for easy reference, this audiobook serves as a valuable resource, allowing listeners to revisit specific topics or information of interest. However, be forewarned: this culinary expedition might trigger intense cravings or stir up a yearning for a comforting cup of tea!
In my estimation, "Ways of Eating" stands as a five-star treasure trove, combining educational depth with captivating storytelling, offering a profound exploration of humanity's shared yet diverse culinary heritage.
A sincere thank you to NetGalley and authors Benjamin Aldes Wurgaft and Merry I. White for the opportunity to explore the captivating journey within "Ways of Eating." Your profound insights into food's role in shaping our history, culture, and identities have made a lasting impression. It's been a privilege experiencing this illuminating auditory expedition celebrating our diverse culinary heritage.
July 2, 2024
I really enjoyed this, although I wish it would have gone a bit deeper. Some of the narration was a bit off off for me as well, but overall I thought it was a good introductory book to the way food has moved across the globe.
Thanks to NetGalley, HighBridge Audio and University of California Press for the ALC!
Thanks to NetGalley, HighBridge Audio and University of California Press for the ALC!
March 9, 2024
This book was not organized well. The title is a bit misleading because it focused on the food staples that were popular in the era .
I also felt that the authors' personal experiences were a bit unnecessary for this book.
It did inform me some interesting facts about coffee, tea, beer and ketchup though so not a complete waste of time.
I would still recommend this audiobook to someone who wants a general introduction about history and food
As a Filipino, I'm a bit salty also because the authors didn't deem it necessary to expound who killed Magellan. So many chapters about the colonizers but alas
I also felt that the authors' personal experiences were a bit unnecessary for this book.
It did inform me some interesting facts about coffee, tea, beer and ketchup though so not a complete waste of time.
I would still recommend this audiobook to someone who wants a general introduction about history and food
As a Filipino, I'm a bit salty also because the authors didn't deem it necessary to expound who killed Magellan. So many chapters about the colonizers but alas
January 26, 2024
Food History
Excellent food history, extremely well written unlike most history books. This book reads pleasurably, exciting, surprising and invokes a sense of humor and most importantly curiosity to learn more.
Excellent food history, extremely well written unlike most history books. This book reads pleasurably, exciting, surprising and invokes a sense of humor and most importantly curiosity to learn more.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews