Colman Andrews has selected 250 food products that represent “The Taste of America.” It’s not a cookbook, but a kind of encyclopedia with stories related to each product, from Tabasco sauce to doughnuts and candy corn. The book also includes foods that became essential in the United States after originating in other countries, including bialys, sriracha sauce, triple-cream soft-ripened cheese, macadamia nuts and more. While turducken seems distinctly American, Andrews writes that “the idea of serving one bird or other creature stuffed inside another probably dates back to the Romans.” And did you know that California spot prawns are really part of the shrimp family? If you love learning little facts and stories about why we eat what we eat, you’ll love this book with its multicultural and regional histories of 250 foods that we can proudly call American.
