LibGuides: Cookbooks and Food History: Secondary sources

20th century gems from the MSU cookbook collection

Finding Articles

Food history is an interdisciplinary subject, with publications spread across the fields of anthropology, sociology, ethnic studies, social history, area studies, and more. For the widest coverage, use SearchPlus, the library's multidisciplinary search tool.

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Find Background on Your Topic: ONLINE Encyclopedias

The Diner's Dictionary: Word Origins of Food & Drink, 2nd ed. (2013)
Traces the origins and history of over 2,300 gastronomical words and phrases.
Encyclopedia of Foods: A Guide to Healthy Nutrition (2002)
Check here if you find a recipe with ingredients you're not familiar with, especially fruits and vegetables, and types of meat, fish, and oils.
Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America, 2nd ed. (2013)
Covers significant events, inventions, and social movements that have shaped the way Americans view, prepare, and consume food and drink.
Street Food Around the World: An Encyclopedia of Food and Culture (2013)
Summarizes street food culture in countries and regions, with descriptions of the most common foods served.
They Eat That? A Cultural Encyclopedia of Weird and Exotic Food from Around the World (2012)
One person's "weird and exotic" food is commonplace for someone else!
Encyclopedia of Food and Culture (2003)
Articles by food historians, anthropologists, chefs and bakers, nutritionists, farmers and horticulturists, food stylists, and other specialists in the culinary arts.
The Cambridge World History of Food (2008)
Detailed essays on food culture and history in all parts of the world, plus general essays on topics like food fads, the psychology of food choice, food prejudices and taboos, and much more.