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

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.)