Encyclopedia of Food and Culture - Volume 1

Editor Katz describes this work as being “all about food: a single authoritative source about the most essential element of daily life.” Content is organized alphabetically around a selection of 27 general themes, from the elemental (e.g. staple foods and the biological basis of nutrition) to the complex (e.g. commodification, religious and cultural symbolism, and the psychology of eating); from the pre-historic to the post-modern era to futurist forecasting. Contributors include chefs, nutritionists, food scientists, and cultural historians. Features of note for ethnic and regional food historians include biographies of significant figures in food history; articles on world festivals and feasts, and entries on food and dish origin and evolution. The attractive volumes also includes more than 500 black-and-white illustrations and photographs, as well as sections of color plates ranging from classic works of art to 20th-century product advertisements.