The Secret History of Food

Strange but True Stories About the Origins of Everything We Eat

By: Matt Siegel

Narrated by: Roger Wayne

An irreverent, surprising, and entirely entertaining look at the little-known history surrounding the foods we know and love

Is Italian olive oil really Italian, or are we dipping our bread in lamp oil? Why are we masochistically drawn to foods that can hurt us, like hot peppers? Far from being a classic American dish, is apple pie actually . . . English?

“As a species, we’re hardwired to obsess over food,” Matt Siegel explains as he sets out “to uncover the hidden side of everything we put in our mouths.” Siegel also probes subjects ranging from the myths—and realities—of food as aphrodisiac, to how one of the rarest and most exotic spices in all the world (vanilla) became a synonym for uninspired sexual proclivities, to the role of food in fairy- and morality tales. He even makes a well-argued case for how ice cream helped defeat the Nazis.

The Secret History of Food is a rich and satisfying exploration of the historical, cultural, scientific, sexual, and, yes, culinary subcultures of this most essential realm. Siegel is an armchair Anthony Bourdain, armed not with a chef’s knife but with knowledge derived from medieval food-related manuscripts, ancient Chinese scrolls, and obscure culinary journals. Funny and fascinating, The Secret History of Food is essential reading for all foodies.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

Entertaining and Informative

The history of American food told in a non-dried out manner that will keep you listening and rethink your grocery list.

Food not as labeled

The topic was interesting, but I preferred Cooked & The secret life of groceries. I was disappointed & alarmed to know that fishmongers & grocers cheat the public by adding water to increase weight. Restaurants presumably bait & switch lobster, for example, with less expensive seafood. If true, don't order lobster or anything else for that matter.

Seems we are being cheated or are food is trying to kill us. Even vitamins are suspect.

Not quite what I was expecting, but a good listen nonetheless

Reader did a great job. Info was a bit different than I expected. I was expecting to learn about how we figured out what foods we can eat, and while there is a bit of this, the focus was on several different key foods we eat today and their history…which was fascinating

Tasty Treat

I enjoyed listening to this book. Nothing profound, really, but an enjoyable, meandering romp through some history of food, and how people think about (digest?) food. There are interesting, and frankly, entertaining peeks into some historical perceptions of now-common foods. What, for example, was deemed poison even though it isn't; examples of fantasies some cultures have whipped up about food; some insight into the abundance of food now available, and why, despite having foods once reserved for the royalty available at the corner store, people aren't particularly enchanted or impressed with their options.

The narration is terrific. Some little side comments come off well, instigating an out loud laugh here and there. Some of the points are thought provoking - such as why almost unlimited choices aren't always a good thing.

The section on olive oil is a little disheartening, because it quantifies the amount of fraud and adulteration that goes on in that "healthy" business.

The book probably won't change your life. It might not even impact your shopping or eating habits. But I found a lot of interesting facts and stories "within its covers." Roger Wayne made it even more interesting as narrator (and tour guide).

The pdf file that comes with the book is merely a list of citations/references.

Seigel's book is Brain Food

All the tasty bits served up with many hilarious dark side of the foods we love and loath.