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 The Body of the Conquistador: Food, Race and the Colonial Experience in Spanish America, 1492–1700 explores how food shaped the colonial experience. Earle explains that food was a major concern for Colonizers as they navigated life in a new land and engaged with indigenous populations. Author Rebecca Earle examines how food influenced ideas about race during the Age of Discovery and provides readers with the opportunity to examine these beliefs while taking a deeper look at how food became a key part of the colonial agenda. This book is a good resource for those examining the complex connections between food, colonialism, and race.
Earle, R. (2012). The Body of the Conquistador: Food, Race and the Colonial Experience in Spanish America, 1492–1700. Cambridge University Press.
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 The Food History Almanac is a detailed, day-by-day look at how food has influenced history from medieval times to today. Food historian Janet Clarkson organizes the book like a traditional almanac, with each date offering stories about food’s impact on different areas such as science, exploration, travel, literature, hotel and restaurant history, military events, and even famous meals. The author has gathered a rich collection of historical cookbooks, food writings, articles, journals, diaries, ship logs, letters, official reports, and news stories to make food history come alive for readers. The Food History Almanac is a useful resource for researchers to explore the significant impact on culture and society.
Clarkson, J. (2014). Food History Almanac : Over 1,300 Years of World Culinary History, Culture, and Social Influence. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
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 In the Shadow of Slavery looks at the Atlantic slave trade from a new angle, focusing on the foods that enslaved Africans brought with them and planted for their survival, rather than just the crops they were forced to grow for their owners. Until the early 1800s, more Africans than Europeans came to the Americas, bringing foods like millet, sorghum, okra, and watermelon, from Africa. These foods, along with African plants used in popular products like Coca-Cola and Worcestershire Sauce, became part of the culture in the Americas. Authors Judith A. Carney and Richard Nicholas Rosomoff use evidence from archaeology, oral histories, and ship records to show how food plots created by enslaved people became a way to survive and influenced the diets of plantation societies. This book is a good resource for those examining the cultural impacts of the legacy of slavery while re-examining “American” culture.
Carney, J. (2011). In the Shadow of Slavery: Africa’s Botanical Legacy in the Atlantic World. University of California Press.
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 Sustainable Food Systems: The Role of the City explores how society might address global food insecurity by reviving cooperative traditions. Written by Robert Biel, an expert in urban agriculture, offers a fresh perspective on food insecurity, suggesting that fluctuating food prices are a symptom of deeper systemic changes in agriculture. In Sustainable Food Systems: The Role of the City Biel emphasizes the importance of grassroots social movements to drive sustainable change, making this book a critical resource for those studying food systems, sustainability, and social transformation. Researchers will find Biel’s work valuable for its interdisciplinary approach, combining physical and social sciences with practical experience in urban farming.
Biel, R. (2016). Sustainable Food Systems: The Role of the City. University College London. https://muse.jhu.edu/book/81955.
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 Tasting Difference explores how encounters with foreign people and foods influenced ideas about race, culture, and religion. Gitanjali Shahani looks at how Europe’s contact with the Global South was shaped by food and appearance. The author explores how food began to carry racial meanings and blends ideas from food, history, and postcolonial studies to reveal how food played a part in creating early ideas about racial differences. This book provides information seekers with the opportunity to delve into food’s impact on culture and race relations.
Shahani, G.G., (2020). Tasting Difference: Food, Race, and Cultural Encounters in Early Modern Literature. Cornell University Press.
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 US History in 15 Foods explores key moments in American history through familiar foods like wheat bread, peanuts, and chicken nuggets. By looking at foods linked to major events, from whiskey in the American Revolution to Spam in WWII, this book uses food to understand America’s past. Author Anna Zeide connects food to subjects like colonialism, globalization, racism, and environmental change, demonstrating how the foods Americans eat reflect the nation’s history and values. This book is a valuable resource for those examining the impact of food history on contemporary social issues.
Zeide, A. (2023). US History in 15 Foods. Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.
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