5 Great Listens for Foodies
These are the best audiobooks to fill that empty time
Need a listen that’s great for commuting, or on a road trip? You likely want something that you can stop and start without losing the “story.” Nonfiction audiobooks are perfect for that. And if you love food, these 5 titles should all be on your list for a captivating time. I’ve listened to many more food audiobooks that these. These are the very best!
The Secret History of Food by Matt Siegel
This author takes an Anthony Bourdain-like journey on an incredible array of facts about food. Researching medieval cookbooks, ancient Chinese scrolls, and other nooks and crannies throughout history, he unleashes a horn ‘o’ plenty of great stories and fascinating tales. How did ice cream help defeat the Nazis? Why is vanilla tied to sexual desire? Why do we like hot peppers that burn our tongues? Anything you can imagine about food and how it affected human life is here!
The Poison Squad by Deborah Blum
This dark title is my favorite audiobook of all time! It covers what at first seems like a dullish subject — how food regulation came about — with an adventure behind every corner. I was stunned to find that in the early 1900s, chalk and other ingredients were added to thin milk to make it appealing. Foods in early tin cans could kill you! And there’s a slice of how providing food to the military aboard had a major impact on how we package food today.
Grocery: The Buying and Selling of Food in America by Michael Ruhlman
My favorite shopping is in a grocery store. Surely most avid cooks feel the same way! But what goes on behind the scenes is amazing. There are thousands of moving parts bringing the hundreds of foods in a market. There is hustling between chains to get the most and best, foods placed on certain shelves and aisles for a reason, and other hidden nuggets you never would have suspected. A nifty history of the neighborhood supermarket gives a great snapshot of this key slice of life we’ve all taken part in.
The Jemima Code: Two Centuries of African American Cookbooks by Toni Tipton-Martin
Toni Tipton-Martin is my favorite part of the PBS show “Cook’s Country.” She owns perhaps the largest collection of African-American cookbooks, and has dug deep into the story of how black cooks, especially in the South, made a major impact on cuisine, even while living under the “Aunt Jemima” stereotype. Here is the untold story of chefs cooking with meager items, fighting to start food businesses, and how food played a part in the hard struggle for human rights.
This author has won 2 James Beard awards and the Julia Child award for her fascinating expertise. You will love this.
Estabrook won a James Beard award for his article about tomatoes and the startling adventure they take on the way to the grocery store. You won’t be surprised to learn why grocery store tomatoes in winter taste so bland! You’re essentially eating nutrient-deprived green tomatoes. You’ll delve into the startling story of the people who pick tomatoes, the human traffickers involved, scientists trying to develop seeds to make all tomatoes taste summer-fresh, and much more.
Haven’t tried Audible?
It offers a free 30-day trial, which gives you a free credit. You don’t have to be an Amazon Prime member to get it. How it works: an Audible plan lets users listen to unlimited titles each month, exchange free credits to own audiobooks, and benefit from a solid return policy on titles you don’t like. You can listen on an iPhone or Android, tablet, laptop, and even Alexa. Loading the dishwasher or cleaning the kitchen is not a chore when you can listen to a book!
