This was a very informative microhistory of how people have prepared and consumed food over time. For example, before ovens had thermometers, people would put their hands in the oven to determine its readiness based on the level of pain they felt. Did you know that, to cook something for a specific amount of time, people once used the Lord’s Prayer as a form of measurement? Or that, in Japan, some believe chopsticks—since they go in one’s mouth—can absorb aspects of a person’s personality? As a result, chopsticks are not shared.

This was a very interesting book, and I highly recommend it to anyone who has an interest in food beyond simply eating it.