It is quite possible that people spend more time talking about food than eating it. That is why this collection of papers on food and language is so delightful. They were first presented at the
2009 Oxford Symposium of Food and Cookery, a conference combining erudition with culinary arts and a healthy sense of fun. The foreword barely mentions the content of the articles, dwelling
instead on the amazing meals that punctuated the conference. The topic was addressed, however. Papers vary from historical linguistics to speculations as to why some dishes are more interesting
with foreign names. There are examinations of food in literature and even, in the case of George Washington Carver, science. This is a book for gourmets, gourmands, social historians and
cultural sociologists. If they added recipes, it could be a best seller. Distributed in North America by The David Brown Book co. Annotation 穢2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
