The World on a Plate: A Tour Through the History of America's Ethnic Cuisine

By Joel Denker

Book Overview

During the Depression, the Colombosians, an Armenian family, began bottling and selling the yogurt they made on their small Massachusetts dairy farm. They labeled their bottles "Colombo" because nobody could pronounce their name. The Colombo story, the journey of ethnic food from exotic product to everyday item, has become legendary. The World on a Plate tells the story of the Colombosians and other immigrant families who have changed and influenced our food and created a uniquely American culinary pastiche. Joel Denker, a longtime food and travel writer and scholar of American folklore, has conducted fascinating interviews with a range of ethnic-food merchants, crafting a history of our colorful food makers - the grocers, vendors, manufacturers, importers, restaurateurs - and the products they have given us.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0813340039
• ISBN13: 9780813340036
• Release Date: June 2003
• Publisher: Basic Books
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.2" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

The World on a Plate: A Tour through the History of America's Ethnic Cuisine

Excellent service, prompt delivery, excellent conditon as described, packaged well. Would use again.

A Spicy Little Book

Joel Denker, the author, is a history professor and very serious food hobbyest and writer. But don't be put off by the history professor background. The World on a Plate is, thankfully, intended for the general reader, not to bolster Denker's reputation among his academic colleagues. This is not a comprehensive or heavily analytical work. Rather, the book is an enjoyable, quick read that tells us a variety of stories, many with human interest, of the introduction of foods to the United States that originated in other countries and cultures. Did you know that a German restaurant owner in Texas, William Gebhardt, deserves a substantial amount of credit for bringing chili flavored dishes to the general public? That was a surprise to me. I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in cooking and food. The only disappointment was that it ended abruptly on page 162. I wanted more.