The Language of Food: A Linguist Reads the Menu

by Dan Jurafsky

Overview

A 2015 James Beard Award Finalist: "Eye-opening, insightful, and huge fun to read." —Bee Wilson, author of Consider the Fork

Why do we eat toast for breakfast, and then toast to good health at dinner? What does the turkey we eat on Thanksgiving have to do with the country on the eastern Mediterranean? Can you figure out how much your dinner will cost by counting the words on the menu?

In The Language of Food, Stanford University professor and MacArthur Fellow Dan Jurafsky peels away the mysteries from the foods we think we know. Thirteen chapters evoke the joy and discovery of reading a menu dotted with the sharp-eyed annotations of a linguist. Jurafsky points out the subtle meanings hidden in filler words like "rich" and "crispy," zeroes in on the metaphors and storytelling tropes we rely on in restaurant reviews, and charts a microuniverse of marketing language on the back of a bag of potato chips.

The fascinating journey through The Language of Food uncovers a global atlas of culinary influences. With Jurafsky's insight, words like ketchup, macaron, and even salad become living fossils that contain the patterns of early global exploration that predate our modern fusion-filled world. From ancient recipes preserved in Sumerian song lyrics to colonial shipping routes that first connected East and West, Jurafsky paints a vibrant portrait of how our foods developed. A surprising history of culinary exchange—a sharing of ideas and culture as much as ingredients and flavors—lies just beneath the surface of our daily snacks, soups, and suppers.

Engaging and informed, Jurafsky's unique study illuminates an extraordinary network of language, history, and food. The menu is yours to enjoy.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780393245875
Publisher:	Norton, W. W. & Company, Inc.
Publication date:	09/08/2014
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	900,770
File size:	5 MB

About the Author

Dan Jurafsky, a recipient of a MacArthur "Genius Grant," is professor and chair of linguistics and professor of computer science at Stanford University. He and his wife live in San Francisco.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

1 How to Read a Menu 1

2 Entrée 21

3 From Sikbaj to Fish and Chips 35

4 Ketchup, Cocktails, and Pirates 49

5 A Toast to Toast 64

6 Who Are You Calling a Turkey? 78

7 Sex, Drugs, and Sushi Rolls 92

8 Potato Chips and the Nature of the Self 107

9 Salad, Salsa, and the Flour of Chivalry 117

10 Macaroon, Macaron, Macaroni 130

11 Sherbet, Fireworks, and Mint Juleps 144

12 Does This Name Make Me Sound Fat?

Why Ice Cream and Crackers Have Different Names 159

13 Why the Chinese Don't Have Dessert 171

Epilogue 187

Notes 191

References 211

Acknowledgments 229

Image Credits 231

Index 233

Editorial Reviews

…[The Language of Food], with its abundance of colorful culinary and etymological history framing serious research, is a model of rigor and readability…Jurafsky is particularly skilled at connecting familiar food words with surprising linguistic patterns, and there are revelations on nearly every page…His brilliant achievement is to weave together the journey food makes through culture with the journey its name makes through language.

The New York Times Book Review - Peter Sokolowksi

"Mix equal parts fascinating history, surprising etymology, and brilliant linguistic analysis, add a generous dollop of humor, and savor The Language of Food. You'll never think of ketchup, French fries, fish and chips, or toast in the same way."

Deborah Tannen

"Stanford linguist Dan Jurafsky doesn’t just explain the origins of the word for the red sauce we slather on ‘French’ fries; he uses the global ketchup trade as evidence for a new understanding of global economic history."

Christian Science Monitor - Ruth Walker

"[Jurafsky's] brilliant achievement is to weave together the journey food makes through culture with the journey its name makes through language."

Peter Sokolowski

"Dan Jurafsky has taken on the subject with scholarship, wit, and charm, making The Language of Food a very engaging book."

Mark Kurlansky

"Fresh and insightful… The complexities of language, intertwined with the endless combinations of ingredients and the rich history of eating, make for a rich and rewarding read."

Minneapolis Star Tribune - Matthew Tiffany

"Writing with knowledge and wit, Dan Jurafsky shows that the language of food reflects our desires and aspirations, whether it’s on a fancy French menu or a bag of potato chips."

Bee Wilson

"Delightful. The distinguished linguist Dan Jurafsky brings a battery of skills to reveal the far-flung links of many of our dishes, to reveal how potato chip advertisements work, and to give an insider’s guide to reading menus. I couldn’t put this book down."

Rachel Laudan

2014-09-01
The evolution of the names and ingredients in popular foods.Have you ever wondered why ketchup bottles have the word "tomato" on them, why you "toast" to someone's health or why salt is used in the process of making ice cream? In this thoroughly researched book, Jurafsky (Linguistics and Computer Science/Stanford Univ.) answers these questions and many more as he explores the interconnected worlds of food and words. Combining history, geography and etymology, the author travels the world searching for the origins of ethnic dishes and provides readers with a fascinating study of how foods, and the words used to describe them, have been modified over the centuries as cuisines have been absorbed into local cultures. English, Dutch and Portuguese sailors traveled to Asia and brought back fermented fish stews and sauces that added new flavor combinations to the European diet. Spices from India and the Middle East were traded around the globe, and the New World introduced turkey, corn and avocados to the large food-trading houses in Europe. Combining history with modern computer programs to analyze data, the author examines the subtle nuances in the language used on a menu, which can help indicate whether a restaurant is expensive or not. He also studies the way negative words used in product descriptions help push consumers into thinking one brand of potato chips is far superior to another, when in fact, both brands are made from potatoes cooked in oil and covered in salt. Jurafsky also includes intriguing recipes for dishes such as a version of fish stew from 13th-century Egypt or a 1545 recipe from a Tudor cookbook called Chekyns upon soppes ("basically chicken on cinnamon toast"). A highly informative and entertaining compendium of food and word facts sure to appeal to foodies and etymologists alike.

Kirkus Reviews