Food History World

An extraordinary look at an ordinary substance—and one we'd be dead without: salt. Salt has shaped civilization from the very beginning, and the story of this common household seasoning proves a fascinating one. In a kaleidoscope of history, Mark Kurlansky—bestselling author of  1968 and...

The oldest yoga institute in the world now brings you the ultimate Sattvik cookbook that will enhance your positivity quotient and become an inseparable part of your life.

In A History of the World in Twelve Beans, food writer and history buff Joël Broekaert reveals how beans have profoundly shaped human history, culture, and society, through millennia and across continents. Beans have been long dismissed as the "common person's food"—a cheap and nutritious...

In the beginning, there was the vine. Wine: a drink, a medicine, a ritual and a commodity. Across millennia, it has been used to celebrate and commiserate, as a negotiating tool and a diplomatic gift. But where and when - was it first discovered? And how did it become a worldwide phenomenon?...

Named a Best Book of 2023 by Financial Times, The Guardian, and BBC's The Food Programme “Anya von Bremzen, already a legend of food writing and a storytelling inspiration to me, has done her best work yet. National Dish is a must-read for all those who believe in building longer tables where...

This eye-opening culinary history reveals how rapid urbanization and industrialization sparked a global dining revolution. Perfect for your daily commute, this engaging narrative transports you from ancient street vendors serving rushed merchants to the drive-thrus defining modern convenience...

Ketchup seems iconically American, but the word comes from a Southeast Asian anchovy sauce, and today it is made largely from Chinese tomato paste. Japan's beloved ramen arose from the meeting of Chinese noodles and American wheat flour before attaining worldwide popularity in both gourmet and...

What is blockchain? What is Bitcoin? How can central banks be instrumental in guiding a nation's economy? What are the underlying causes of trade deficits? Do trade wars actually help the domestic economy? How has the behavior of millennials and Generation Z affected the global economy? Find out...

An indispensable analysis of how the world really produces and consumes its food—and a scientist's exploration of how we can successfully feed a growing population without killing the planet We have never had to feed as many people as we do today. And yet, we misunderstand the essentials of...

Jailed as a scapegoat for Stalin's famines, Vavilov had traveled over five continents, collected hundreds of thousands of seeds in an effort to outline the ancient centers of agricultural diversity. Gary Paul Nabhan weaves together Vavilov's story with his own expeditions to Earth's richest agricultural landscapes and the cultures that tend them.

Uncover the hidden culinary history of how cheap calories and ruthless industrial efficiency conquered the modern diet. Whether you are navigating a busy morning commute or grabbing a quick bite on a lunch break, this thought-provoking journey will permanently alter how you view the global food...

An engaging examination of a people by the author of Salt: A World History. Occupying a small corner of Spain and France, the Basque people truly believe they should live in their own private country—and in this illuminating exploration, the best-selling author of Salt and Cod explains why...

Trace the culinary history of how a cheap street food conquered global pop culture and defined modern consumer society. Perfect for an entertaining commute or a nostalgic road trip, this engaging narrative treats our most famous sandwich as a mirror reflecting societal shifts. Listen as shrewd...

Trace the mouth-watering culinary history of how a cheap street snack transformed into a massive global icon. Whether you are commuting to work or cooking a weekend meal, this engaging journey through social history will completely change how you view your favorite comfort food. From the ancient...

Uncover the industrial history of how a metal cylinder beat starvation and revolutionized global food science. Perfect for an engaging morning commute, this captivating narrative transports you from perilous polar expeditions to the bloody frontlines of war, where human survival depended...

Dive into a gripping global history of how microscopic pathogens and revolutionary crops forged our interconnected world. Perfect for an educational commute, this ecological deep dive reveals how 15th-century transatlantic voyages collapsed ancient civilizations and ignited global trade...

Brought to you by Penguin. Coffee is one of the most valuable commodities in the history of the global economy and the world's most popular drug. The very word 'coffee' is one of the most widespread on the planet. Augustine Sedgewick's brilliant new history tells the hidden and surprising story...

On a chance visit to Plymouth Rock, Tony Horwitz makes an unsettling discovery. A history buff since early childhood, expensively educated at university—a history major, no less!—he’s reached middle age with a third-grader’s grasp of early America. In fact, he’s mislaid more than a...

Discover the origins, traditions, and use of the everyday foods served up on our plates, from salt to sushi and rice to ravioli. A true celebration of food in all its forms, The Food Book follows the human quest for sustenance through the stories of individual ingredients, and examines our...

From the bestselling, award-winning author of 1491 and 1493—an incisive portrait of the two little-known twentieth-century scientists, Norman Borlaug and William Vogt, whose diametrically opposed views shaped our ideas about the environment, laying the groundwork for how people in the...