Language and Food

I received the omelet pan I asked for Christmas, so stepping foot into a department  store is not a very compelling activity. Instead, I've decided to take a pause and finish reading "The Language of Food" by Dan Jurafsky, a professor of linguistics and computer science at Stanford University.

This is not the first time I've read a food related book. Over a year ago M  suggested I read  Allen Salkin's "From Scratch: The Uncensored History of the Food Network" and earlier this year  pal recommended I read Ruth Reichl's "Garlic and Sapphires: the Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise". I enjoyed both.  Reading "The Language of Food" is different; this is 13 chapters about the evolution of food and language. I was a linguistics major in college and was fascinated by how words and language evolve as well as the history of words.  For example have you ever wondered if is there a correlation between the bird Americans frequently present for dinner on Thanksgiving Day and the country with the same name?

The book makes me think of  my own adventure with language and food.  Months earlier I sat with a group eating dinner. The young lady seated next to me was impressed with the food she was eating and asked the server what it was. He replied that is was squab. Puzzled, she looked at nearby diners for an explanation. I told her squab was another word for pigeon.  My cousin Antoine's favorite question is concerning why is tartar sauce (sometimes used as a condiment with fried food) was not pronounced the same as tartare (the term used  to describe from finely chopped and served raw- e.g., tuna tartare or steak tartare).

I'm hoping I will find the answer to Antoine's question in the book and perhaps understand the history of  the word "squab". In the interim, I'm enjoying the journey Professor Jurafsky has laid out in his book. My first discovery: ketchup's origin traces back to China. 

What food related books have you enjoyed reading?  What books would you recommend to others? Have you read "The Language of Food? If yes, did you enjoy reading the book? Share your comments below.

Be well,

Technicolor girl

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