A Revolution In Eating

How the Quest for Food Shaped America


What makes American foods American? James E. McWilliams' insightful new book, A REVOLUTION IN EATING: How the Quest for Food Shaped America (Columbia University Press; July 2005; $29.95/Hardcover;ISBN: 0-231-12992-0), answers this question by delving into the history of America's culinary beginning. He takes readers on a spirited and colorful tour of the attitudes, tastes, and techniques that began in colonial America and have shaped who we are and what we eat.

The dinner table is the ideal place to explore not only our past, but also the way we think about food. By tapping into our culinary history, A REVOLUTION IN EATING both introduces us to and reinforces our understanding of America's "culinary declaration of independence."

From the kitchen tables of Puritan families, to Iroquois longhouses, to slave kitchens, McWilliams portrays the grand variety and inventiveness that characterized colonial cuisine. As the colonies grew, so did the American palate. Interactions among European settlers, Native Americans, and African slaves created new dishes and attitudes about food. For example, once thought by colonists to be "fit for swine," Indian corn became a fixture in the colonial diet, and domestically brewed beer came to symbolize solidarity and loyalty to the patriotic cause of the Revolution. This new national beverage marked a clear departure from the adherence to all things British, and spurred unprecedented trade among the colonies, integrating colonial habits and tastes.

The food that comes to us today, despite its transformation into pre-packaged meats and waxed vegetables, continues to embody the spirit of the settlers and Native Americans who lived off the land and produced the food they consumed. Americans are eager to get back to the literal roots of their culinary heritage, recognizing and celebrating the simplicity, frugality, and frontier ruggedness that define who we are. The soul of American cuisine transcends time, connecting us with our past, grounding us in our present, and giving us an essential link to our future.

About the Author
James E. McWilliams is an assistant professor of history at Texas State University in San Marcos. His articles on food history have appeared in numerous newspapers such as The Christian Science Monitor and the Texas Observer. He is a past winner of the Whitehill Prize in Colonial History, awarded annually by the New England Quarterly, in which he is often published.