Food in Memory and Imagination

Book excerpt: How do we engage with food through memory and imagination? Divided into seven sections, this expansive volume spans time and space to illustrate how, through food, people have engaged with the past, future and their alternative presents. Beth Forrest and Gregory de St Maurice have brought together first-class contributions from Charles Spence, Lisa Heldke, Carole Counihan and Fabio Parasecoli to look at how imagination and memory intertwine and sometimes diverge. With coverage of previously unexplored geographical regions, including Japan and South Asia, as well as Italy, Iran and the American Midwest, the contributors span disciplines including anthropology, sociology, history, psychology and philosophy, making this reference volume a veritable feast for the contemporary food studies scholar.