Endangered Eating: America's Vanishing Foods by Sarah Lohman

Endangered Eating: America's Vanishing Foods Reviews

• 
  Geoffrey

  (Note: I received an advanced reader copy courtesy of NetGalley)
  
  A wonderfully interesting read! In each section, Lohman focuses on a specific harvested crop, raised animal breed, fish (ing method) in danger of dying out, and covers them through a combination of detailed history, her own personal encounters with the people reviving and sustaining these food traditions, and relevant recipes. Not only did I enjoy learning about these selected endangered food ingredients, nearly all of which were new to me, but I particularly appreciated how Lohman doesn’t hold back on the reality that the majority of them come from indigenous communities. Far from it, she goes full tilt with and provides as much information as possible on the various colonization factors that have pushed these foods to the brink of extinction in the very first place. Every single chapter proved to be a whole new unique and jam-packed miniature education, and I was quite happy to devour each and every one of them (pun fully and shamelessly intended).
  
  Overall, it's a simply excellent spotlight on heirloom foods - not only a great lesson on the array of diverse ingredients out there across America, but also does excellent work raising awareness of what's in danger of potentially being lost. This is a book I'd be happy to recommend to those who enjoy great micro-histories or food writing, and also those who just enjoy a unique nonfiction read.
• 
  Poppy Marlowe

  Synopsis (from Netgalley, the provider of the book for me to review.)
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  A culinary historian’s investigation of the American food traditions in danger of being lost, and how to save them.
  
  We may think of American cuisine as ever-expanding, but Slow Food USA curates a growing online catalogue of ingredients in danger of extinction. Featuring heirloom cider apples, wild rice, and more, this list provides the impetus for food historian Sarah Lohman to travel across America seeking these rare foods. With vibrant prose and a hands-on approach, Lohman illuminates why we need to preserve these largely Indigenous culinary customs that were nearly eradicated due to colonization.
  
  She travels into the heart the Navajo Nation, where butchering a Navajo-Churro lamb is the first step in the creation of flavorful blood sausages; and to Lummi Island in northwest Washington, where we meet those who are working hard to keep up a traditional, sustainable method of salmon fishing.
  
  Those drawn into this world of highly localized foods will learn how to support the farmers, shepherds, fishers, and other producers by seeking out their products, supporting community organizations, and sharing the stories of these cherished foods.
  
  Decidedly not a cookbook, it will be filed amongst them on our shelves thanks to Mr. Dewey, but it is still a great read. I love reading about old-time foods when life was simpler and how we can bring them back sustainably and preserve our heritage. I loved her previous book Eight Flavors: The Untold Story of American Cuisine and this one did not disappoint. Highly recommended to foodies who are into more than cooking and eating, if you get my drift: this is a treatise on how to keep traditions and their food alive. #shortbutsweetreviews
  
• 
  Jennifer

  The Ark of Taste, established by the Slow Food organization to highlight foods and ingredients of cultural importance that are in danger of disappearing, contains a number of unique varieties found across America. In this fascinating book, Lohman explores several of those culinary treasures and traditions, from true wild rice (manoomin) to Carolina Runner peanuts to the dwindling variety of dates in California. Her research gives strong historical context for each item, particularly in their connections to Indigenous communities and traditions, and she reveals what is happening now to ensure that these foods will continue to be grown and appreciated. (Recipes are included, too.)
  
  What I really liked about this book was how Lohman grappled with some of the philosophical questions surrounding preserving these foods and traditions. Where foods such as the Navajo-Churro lamb nearly went extinct thanks to the deliberate acts of the U.S. government (as part of the attempted erasure of the Dine), is it ethical now to make this specialized breed more widely available to those outside the Navajo community? Now that the Carolina Runner peanut, once a vital part of Black culinary traditions in the South, is becoming available to growers, is it fair that their price means they are more likely to end up in the hands of white chefs and farmers instead of the Black community members who see these peanuts as a lost part of their heritage? Lohman doesn't reach for easy answers: instead, she raises awareness of the cultural implications of why these foods were nearly lost and why they are finding new life.
  
  A worthwhile read for foodies. 4 stars.
  
  Thank you, W. W. Norton and Company and NetGalley, for providing an eARC of this book. Opinions expressed here are solely my own.