Research Resources
Databases
Dissertations
Electronic Books
Journal Locator
Other Catalogs
Research Guides
Search Engines
Subject Sites

Library Catalog
Building the Collection
Forms
Site Map

FOOD WORLDWIDE: CULTURE & HISTORY

Websites discussed below cover a variety of food culture/history resources: “Gateways,” professional associations/organizations, pathfinders/research guides, bibliographies, museums, and timelines.  Sites which are concerned with the role of ethnicity in nutrition are included in the Johnson & Wales University library webguide “Nutrition.” For additional information on food culture/history, please see the Johnson & Wales University Library webguide FOOD IN AMERICA: CULTURE & HISTORY.


Association for the Study of Food and Society (ASFS)

•  “A multidisciplinary international organization dedicated to exploring the complex relationship among food, culture, and society”
•  Examines food/culture websites, drawing on 22 disciplines in the humanities, the social sciences, and science, utilizing academic and other resources
•  Topics under consideration include the following: food habits, dietary change, nutrition education, eating behaviors, nutritional epidemiology, malnutrition/hunger
•  “Syllabi Set” … is a joint collection of course outlines with bibliographies and other supporting materials from courses focusing on food studies and agriculture and society, contributed by society members from throughout the world;” this comprehensive file currently is over 600 pages and downloadable in PDF format
•  Includes information on ASFS’s annual meeting, events, initiatives, projects, publications, governance, membership/subscription
•  Outstanding; one of the best professional organizational sites for researching the cultural/historical aspects of food


Cornell University Food and Brand Lab (FBL)

•  The FBL, founded and maintained by Brian Wansink, professor of marketing, Department of Applied Economics and Management, Cornell University
•  FBL’s focus: “Why, What, When and How Much We Eat”
•  The Lab consists of “…a series of test kitchens, restaurants, and cooperating grocery stores that are used to understand how consumers ‘choose and use’ food”
•  Drawing upon research from agricultural economics, cultural anthropology, food science, history, and psychology, the FBL conducts research in 10 areas, which include overeating, shopping psychology, food safety fears, labeling/taste targeting
•  “Our research is independently funded by grants and consumer groups”
•  Articles/research results may be downloaded
•  Target audience is “educators, health professionals, and consumers interested in food psychology”
•  Outstanding; this is the site for research on food consumption and food purchasing; highly recommended


Culinary & Brewing History Links

•  Created and maintained by Cindy Renfrow
•  “Geared toward helping those interested in hands-on exploration of history to find source material”
•  Links to sites for brewing, culinary history (emphasis on ancient world through early modern Europe), magazines/”ezines,” food-specific sites, bibliographies
•  “Links to Online E-Texts of Historic Cookbooks” provides access to over 100 sites (primarily European, with an emphasis on medieval/early modern Europe); excellent annotations
•  Links to Renfrow’s other pages (recipes, glossary of culinary/brewing terms, recipes, herbal information)
•  Excellent; a great site for anyone researching culinary history, particularly for the Western world


Culinary Archives & Museum at Johnson & Wales University

•  “The premium museum devoted to the preservation of the history of the culinary and hospitality industries”; also called “the Smithsonian Institution of the food service industry”
•  Provides information on the Archive’s collection of books, menus, and artifacts donated by Chef Louis Szathmary in 1989, which served as the core for establishing the Archives & Museum
•  Currently over 500,000 items dating back five millennia; includes books, menus, periodicals, autographs, cooking equipment, artifacts and historical documents
•  Also contains donations from prominent chefs, food service industry leaders, authors, journalists, restaurateurs and other individuals interested in culinary and food service history
•  Includes information about exhibits, tours, memberships
•  Outstanding resource for all aspects of food culture and history


Culinary History Research Guide

•  Maintained by the New York Public Library (NYPL)
•  Directory of links to the following categories: beverages, cookery, “general resources,” international, menu collections, organizations, recipes
•  Short annotations accompany each link
•  Not extensive, but an excellent selection of links, especially for “general resources” and menu collections


Culinary History Timeline

•  Compiled and maintained by the staff of the Morris County Library (New Jersey), utilizing standard food and culinary reference sources
•  Companion site to “Food Timeline”
•  Provides links to over 240 sites for culinary history; especially concerned with “… social history, manners & menus”
•  Vast majority of links are for culinary/social surveys from prehistory through 2003
•  Also links to “Historic Menu Collections”
•  Short annotations accompany many links
•  Excellent; very useful for specific locales and the evolution of dining facilities


Culinary Resources: Cookery and Culinary History Web Sites

•  Written by Susan Summerfield, Kendall College Library
•  Published in the November 2003 issue of College & Research Library News
•  Overview of 30 cookery/culinary history sites with “free and reliable information”
•  Links to sites for culinary history (includes timeline), meta-sites, image collections/online exhibits, journals, menus, recipes
•  Updated May 2007
•  Outstanding; with excellent annotations for all links, this is a great place for an overview and to begin research


Cultural and Historical Aspects of Food

•  This is a sub-page of Oregon State University’s “Food Resources” website
•  Links to sites for food culture/history (also includes sites which are not exclusively devoted to food culture/history but which have significant content), ethnic food, food industry, directories
•  Annotations accompany most links
•  Scope is international
•  Not extensive, but a very useful selection of links; parent page is one of the best all-around food sites


Epicurious Food Dictionary

•  Maintained by Epicurious Food
•  Provides definitions to over 4,000 food, beverage and culinary terms
•  May be browsed or searched by keyword
•  Links to metric conversion guide, herb/spice chart and wine dictionary
•  Excellent; one of the most comprehensive glossaries for this field


Food and Culture: Bibliography

•  Created by Brian Stross, Department of Anthropology, University of Texas for his course “Anthropology of Food”
•  Bibliography of over 100 resources, including the following topics: food history, food habits, social aspects of food, psychology of food, food rituals
•  No annotations
•  Excellent selection of print resources; great place to begin research


Food History

•  Maintained by Alice Statler Library, City College of San Francisco
•  Pathfinder for conducting food culture/history research
•  Bibliography of library’s print holdings for the following: “General Works,” “The Americas,” The West,” “The East,” “Beverages”
•  Links to sites for food culture/history; short annotations
•  Offers advice for searching online catalogs by topic
•  Not extensive but a great place for a brief overview of the field; good place for beginning research


Food History and Documents

•  Created by Peter Buckley, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, The Cooper Union
•  Links to food history sites for the ancient world, Middle Ages, Renaissance; minimally annotated
•  Also links to sites for libraries/exhibitions/museums, culinary history groups, magazines/”e-zines”/newsletters; excellent annotations
•  Not extensive, but great source for the libraries, museums, history groups


Food History News (FHN)

•  Published by Sandy Oliver
•  “This is your directory to products, services, and fellow history enthusiasts”
• Links to sites for the following: booksellers, culinary history groups, hearth cooking classes, heirloom seeds/plants, “learning opportunities, libraries, “reproduction cooking equipment,” speakers/consultants
•  “Museum Directory” links to information on over 300 food/beverage museums worldwide, both “large and comprehensive” and “small and idiosyncratic”; entries provide contact information (some sites have additional information); browse by museum category, food/beverage, state, country; also searchable; compiled by Shirley Chernkasky and Randy Schwartz
•  Includes information on FHN subscriptions/back issues, calendar of events, news
•  Outstanding; one of the best publications for keeping current with the field; links are excellent; “Museum Directory” is the most comprehensive (and well-organized) currently available


Food History Resource

•  Sub-page of “Recipelink.com”
•  Links to food culture/history sites, menu collections, full-text 19th- century cookbooks
•  Annotations accompany some sites
•  Disclaimer on following historical recipes, citing the need for verifying their safety by checking contemporary food handling/food safety guidelines
•  Not extensive, but does an admirable job of covering its chosen topics


Food History Topics

•  Created and maintained by Clifford A. Wright, food researcher/writer
•  This section of Wright’s homepage provides articles for 24 topics on the origins and development of regional (Mediterranean) and national cuisines, festivals/seasons/holidays, and food staples
•  There are over 100 articles (some of which are accessed under more than one topic)
• “Recipes” may be browsed by country/region (15) and by category (over 40)
•  “Links” include meta-sites, industry/professional associations/organizations, “Mediterranean cuisines,” and additional culinary resources (food/kitchen equipment, sources for specific foods/products)
•  Outstanding; this is the best place to go for an overview of the history, cuisines and recipes of the Mediterranean region and many of the nations which are part of it


Food in the Arts

•  Maintained by the London Food Film Fiesta
•  Provides commentary/links to the influence of food in the categories of film, music, literature and art; offers specific, well-chosen examples of works in each artistic area
•  International in scope
•  Excellent; not comprehensive, but a great place for an overview; very visually appealing


Food Links: A Selection of Web Pages Related to Food History

•  “Collected by the students of the Master in European Integration and Development, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, for the course European Mentalities and Cultures in Historical and Comparative Perspective, P. Scholliers”
•  Links to sites for the following categories: “General,” reference/terminology/dictionaries, on-line bibliographies, menus, museums, newsletters, journals
•  Links to food history sites for 21 nations (mostly European)
•  Minimal annotations
•  “Permanently under construction”
•  Not extensive, but provides a very good overview of sites in this field; links to country food histories are also useful


Food Museum

•  Founded in 1975 by Tom and Meredith S. Hughes
•  “Aims to provide a virtual tour of the world’s foods”
•  “Answers food questions, relates food news, reviews books, and describes the museum’s programs”
•  Links to short articles about the origins and properties of over 80 fruits, grains and vegetables; also links to “Complete List of Edible Animals,” which provides information on wild and domesticated sources of meat
•  Outstanding; very useful for an overview of food history and related information

Food: Past & Present

•  Sponsored by Tracey Osborne
•  Meta-site for food history covers a vast range of topics, from prehistoric times to the present
• Includes over 400 links to the following topics: general and comprehensive sites; prehistoric food origins; Ancient; Medieval-Renaissance; 17th – 20th century; ethnic and regional food; drinks (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic); salt/spices/herbs; “fast food”; candy; eating utensils; innovations
•  No annotations
•  Outstanding; fascinating, easy-to-navigate and especially useful for “hard-to-find” topics


Food Timeline

•  Compiled and maintained by Lynne Ovler, Chief Librarian, Morris County Library (New Jersey), utilizing standard food and culinary reference sources
•  Companion site to “Culinary History Timeline”
•  Provides links to food history and product development from prehistoric times through 2004 including historical recipes from Roman times through the 1990’s
•  Also links to sites for agriculture, food law and regulation, state foods and recipes, historical food prices, product name origins and related food-oriented sites
•  Outstanding; fascinating, easy-to-navigate and unique in scope


Gastronomy Research Guide

•  Maintained by J. Christina Smith, for Boston University Libraries (BUL)
•  Research guide which discusses print, database and Internet resources for gastronomy/food culture/history available at the BUL
•  Links to over 40 sites for online menu collections, academic/research associations/centers and libraries, journals, academic pages for food history/culture, food policy institutes
•  Excellent annotations accompany print citations, database descriptions and website links
•  Includes tips for conducting the most productive searches in online catalogs
•  Outstanding; this is one of the best general-purpose sites currently available; commentary is excellent and links to menu collections are especially handy


Gode Cookery

•  Online for over a decade, this site is maintained by James L. Matterer
• “Find information on medieval cooking, instructions for preparing authentic feasts, hundreds of recipes, image collections, a medieval cooking discussion group, graphics, photographs and history resources”
•  Links to over 40 high-quality links produced by Matterer; the color images included are of exceptional quality
•  Includes information on purchasing medieval cookbooks on Amazon.com
•  Donations accepted
•  Outstanding; best site of its kind; a cornucopia of information for many aspects of medieval cookery and its impact on society; anyone with an interest in the Middle Ages or culinary history will find this site fascinating


History and Anthropology of Food Links

•  Maintained by Teresa de Castro, Department of History, University of Western Australia (Perth)
•  Links to sites for food culture/history, from antiquity through the Renaissance, history of individual foods, gastronomic/recipe sites
•  Also links to academic and professional associations/organizations, research centers, museums, newsletters, bibliographies
•  International in scope
•  Annotations accompany some sites
•  Not extensive but the quality of sites selected is excellent, especially academic/professional ones


History and Legends of Favorite Foods

•  Created and maintained by Linda Stradley, author
•  Links to essays on the origins/development of over 50 popular dishes, many of which include information on the development of variations of the dish (for example, “Pies” includes general historical information and traces the origins of 15 specific types of pies)
•  Many essays are extensive, are well-written and all sources (primarily books, websites) are credited
•  Links to Stradley’s other pages (recipes, culinary glossary, food safety, etc.)
•  Outstanding; does a superb job of examining many popular dishes; well-organized and easy-to-navigate


History of Eating Utensils

•  Maintained by the Department of Anthropology, California Academy of Sciences
•  Exhibit based on eating utensils from the “Rietz Collection of Food Technology,” which includes over 1,300 artifacts from around the world
•  Provides a brief, illustrated history of the development of forks, knives, spoons and portable cutlery
•  Excellent; while not extensive, this site has been online for many years and is a great place for a short introduction to its subject


Meaning of Food

•  Sponsored by the Public Broadcasting System (PBS)
•  This site is the online companion to the 2005 PBS documentary of the same name
•  “An exploration of culture through food,” this site examines the historical, sociological and contemporary relationship between food and culture under the following: “Food & Life,” “Food & Family,” “Food & Culture”
•  Includes short essays, links to pertinent websites, food quizzes, recipes
•  Excellent; a good overview of how food affects many aspects of life


Religious Food Practices in Asia and Around the World

•  Sponsored by Asian-Links.com
•  Examines dietary regulations/restrictions of Western and Eastern religions; a short essay on each religion’s dietary practices is provided; links are included for major religions
•  Includes a chart which links specific food products to partial/total abstentions for 8 religions
•  Short but very useful overview of dietary customs as applied to religions


Research Centre for the History of Food and Drink (RCHFD)

•  Maintained by A. Lynn Martin, Department of History, University of Adelaide (Australia)
•  “The primary purpose of the Research Centre is the promotion of research in the history of food and drink in both an Australian and a global context from their production to consumption, in their relationship to national and international politics, society, and economy, and in their environmental and medical effects and cultural meanings”
•  Links to over 50 sites for food history, professional associations/organizations, libraries, booksellers, journals
•  Over 60 reviews/articles by RCHFD members
•  Excellent annotations
•  Includes information on RCHFD’s activities, including conferences/workshops/seminars, initiatives/projects, newsletter
•  Membership is free (but donations are welcome)
•  Outstanding; one of the best academic-based research centers, the RCHFD provides high-quality resources of use to anyone researching food culture/history; also, one of the best places to look for up-to-date information on professional activities in the field


Research Resources

•  Sponsored by the Culinary Historians of New York (CHNY)
•  “Founded in 1985 to stimulate and share knowledge of the ways food has affected man (and man food) since earliest times”
•  “Members of CHNY include chefs, cooking teachers, historians, anthropologists, food writers, food editors, food stylists, researchers, librarians, caterers, collectors, and nutritionists”
•  Links to sites for digital libraries, “special collections” libraries, “Notable Websites,” “Academic Interest,” “living history” programs, culinary history organizations
•  Includes information on CHNY membership, events (monthly meetings, workshops, field trips)
•  Welcome feedback, submissions
•  Excellent; links are not extensive, but they are well-chosen; great site for one of America’s foremost culinary history associations/organizations


Special Collections – The Culinary History Collection

•  Maintained by the Virginia Tech University Libraries (VTUL)
•  “Newsletter devoted to promoting the Culinary History Collection at Virginia Tech and the growing interest in culinary history and food culture”
•  Links to VTUL’s “Peacock-Harper Culinary Collection;” accesses online catalog
•  Also provides information on culinary theses/dissertations
•  Includes link to “Selective Guide to Culinary Library Collections in the United States,” which profiles over 50 collections in academic and public libraries
•  Excellent; one of the best resources for locating information on culinary library collections


Timeline of Dietary Advice (TDA)

•  Social Issues Research Centre (U.K.)
•  Traces the history of dietary/nutrition advice from prehistoric times through 2003
•  The TDA is “very much a work in progress, highlighting the swings of dietary fashion which even in the last few decades have seem familiar foods such as eggs, red meat and fibre both championed and vilified”
•  Heaviest emphasis in on the 20th century
•  Does not endorse any specific advice; cites sources when available
•  International in scope
•  Excellent; allows users to trace the history of dietary/nutritional trends, which are, of course, part of the cultural/historical development of food knowledge through the ages


Urban Legends Reference Pages: Food

•  Maintained by Barbara and David Mikkelson
•  Examines “urban legends” surrounding food topics for the following: contamination, “culture clash,” origins, preparation, “odd ingredients,” warnings
•  Various legends are discussed and each is rated as “true,” “false,” “of undetermined or ambiguous veracity,” “of indeterminate origin”
•  When a legend is “true,” it is accompanied by documentation of sources
•  Most of the legends in the other three categories usually originate on the Internet, or are spread by “word-of-mouth”
•  Links to other “Urban Legend Reference Pages” topics
•  Outstanding; very entertaining and a great resource for sorting out “true/false” legends regarding food


Weird Food From Around the World

•  Operating on the premise that “… nearly every culture invents a food that is weird or disgusting to outsiders”, this site chronicles a variety of off-beat foods and drinks
•  Browsable by the following topics: bugs, drinks, vegetables, fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds, mammals, minerals, “other”
•  Each food/drink is accompanied by a short essay; recipes are included, in some instances
•  Searchable by country or ingredient
•  Free monthly newsletter
•  Welcomes submissions
•  Entertaining and informative; a great place to examine “the human condition,” as it applies to food/drink


World Food Habits Bibliography

•  Compiled and maintained by Robert S. Dirks, Anthropological Program, Illinois State University
•  Site provides a comprehensive bibliography of food’s role in culture and history
•  Topics arranged by regions (16) and topics (33), including eating attitudes, feasts/festivals, food systems, malnutrition/disease, nutritional anthropology
•  May be browsed or searched by keyword
•  Outstanding; one of the best – if not the – bibliographical sites for food history and culture


Websites discussed on this page are for informational purposes only. Johnson & Wales University Library is not responsible for the accuracy, content or stability of any website linked to this page.

Compiled by Rick Keogh, 4/02; updated 2/05; revised 5/08

back to top