15 Books About Food History That You'll Absolutely Devour

This book chronicles one of the greatest rivalries in food history: the showdown between Cadbury – the Quaker-owned, British confectioners – and their cutthroat American and Swiss competitors, Mars and Hershey. It’s high-stakes drama at its most delicious.

As the world becomes hotter, the demand for ice will grow. Historian Amy Brady charts ice’s long history from being able to order a drink “on the rocks” and the manufacturing of refrigerators to the introduction of the first-ever indoor ice rink and how ice is used in breast cancer treatments.

Framed around the author’s personal experiences as a Chinese-American daughter of immigrants, this book functions as half memoir, half food writing, and takes readers on journeys to find the origins of famous Chinese dishes, to hear from the immigrants facing harsh working conditions in the kitchens of bustling Chinese restaurants, and to understand the cultural impact of an institution whose locations in the U.S. outnumber famous fast food chains like McDonalds and Burger King combined.

Hard shell or soft? Prepare your tastebuds for a deep-dive into America’s undying obsession with Mexican cuisine. Columnist and ¡Ask a Mexican! author Gustavo Arellano takes readers anywhere Mexican food is served, from street stalls to Michelin-starred restaurants, introducing them not only to the food but to the many types of people who create such culinary magic, from visionary chefs to undocumented immigrants.

Consider the humble tomato. They add color, lend acidity, form the base for salsas and staple sauces like marinara, are oft-confused for a fruit (or is it a vegetable?), get righteously thrown at our enemies. Author William Alexander explores the origins of 10 tomato varieties in this hilarious memoir-cum-history, shedding light on one of our favorite foods, even if we don’t always appreciate it.

Any food history list without a book from genre master and James Beard winner, Mark Kurlansky, would not be worth its, well, you know. Kurlansky’s sixth book, Salt is a great introduction to both the genre and his work. It follows the significance of the vital mineral in shaping our world, from its beginnings preserving food, to its economic impact, to the fortunes made and wars caused. Once you finish Salt, we recommend following up with Kurlansky’s Cod and The Big Oyster.

Part personal narrative, part cultural reportage, journalist Ann Hui travels across Canada to uncover the stories behind the many, many Chinese restaurants that have popped up throughout the country, especially in unlikely towns.

Many of us can’t start our days without it, but how did coffee become so much a part of our routines? This classic text charts the history and culture around the small bean, from its discovery in ancient Abyssinia to its role in shaping economies and public health.

The “Got Milk?” ads of the ’90s and 2000s tried to convince consumers milk was part of a healthy diet. But is it? Anne Mendelson’s latest takes on the industry selling us on myths that drive our consumption as well as the devastating environmental impacts it creates.

From the Buddha’s last meal to how the caste system affected food preferences, Turmeric Nation looks at the significance of food throughout India’s history and how the country’s collective identity was shaped through cooking traditions and cultural cuisines.