My latest food-related read is Eight Flavors: The Untold Story of American Cuisine by Sarah Lohman, a snappy, wide-ranging look at spices and condiments that have characterized American food culture at various historical points from the eighteenth century to the present. Lohman, a historical gastronomist (so glad this word is coming into favor!), used lexical analysis of cookbooks over the past three centuries, from Martha Washington's to Mark Bittman's, to discover flavors--from vanilla to curry powder, black pepper to Sriracha--that have come into favor nationwide at key historical moments.
It's not surprising to say in broad strokes that American food history, like American history in general, has been shaped by immigrants. But the particulars are fascinating. Did you know that chili powder was invented by a German immigrant to Texas? Or that one of the reasons Chinese American food diverged so quickly from regional Chinese cuisines is that most nineteenth-century immigrants from China were men from farming communities who had never cooked before in their lives?
The story of what Americans cook, crave, and consume is the story of who we are, how we see each other, and what we value. It is diverse, multifaceted, and contentious. Lohman reminds us that American identity has always been porous and shifting, prone to fads and quick to forget just how recently our traditions have been adopted. It's a message we need more than ever at the moment, and in Eight Flavors it goes down easy as MSG-spiked potato chips.