What We Eat, by Wolf B. San Diego: Tehabi Books; 2002. 176 pp.

Christopher Columbus may be a controversial figure in American history, but he played a very important role in food history. As a result of his voyages across the Atlantic, an exchange of indigenous plants and animals took place between "the old world" and "the new world," forever changing the food landscape.

What We Eat is a book focusing on 12 such foods exchanged during this time-tomatoes, potatoes, chili peppers, corn, livestock, cheese, Mediterranean foods, African foods, coffee, chocolate, sugar, and wine-and discusses how the foods have spread throughout the world, focusing specifically on why Americans eat what we do. The content of this book is based on a public television series written and hosted by Burt Wolf, the first James Beard Foundation Award recipient for the best television food journalism, and was funded by ConAgra Foods, Inc.

Each chapter focuses on 1 of the 12 foods and is full of historical facts and folklore, technical information about the food, health fads that may have influenced the food, as well as economic, political, religious, or other relevant factors that have contributed to the food's role in the American diet. While each of these factors has influenced food tremendously, What We Eat also points out that food also affects each of these aspects. When the exchange of foods took place during Columbus' explorations, Wolf says "that fundamental shift changed almost everything on our planet." Each chapter illustrates this argument in the context of each specific food.

The content in each chapter is not limited to discussing just the specific food item. For example, in the tomato chapter, ketchup, tomato juice, and pizza are all discussed as well. Each chapter is also full of fun miscellaneous food information such as where the term "peanut gallery" came from, why popcorn is served in movie theatres, and how coffee breaks became so important during the American workday.

Another feature of What We Eat is the beautiful photography. The photos were taken from the videotaped material that was recorded throughout the world to create the television series. Interspersed as well are illustrations and artwork to cover some of the historical events. In addition to being a helpful resource, What We Eat may take up permanent residence on your coffee table.

One criticism I have of the book is that despite all the research that must have gone into the content, no bibliography is included. It would be interesting to see the vast range of sources that were used to cover all the material in What We Eat. Also, a resource list would be very helpful for readers who want more information on these topics.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone interested in food and nutrition. As nutrition professionals, our focus is often on food's function in health and well-being. What We Eat takes the role of food even further by providing an interesting argument for why we eat the food we eat as well as emphasizing how food is intertwined with so many aspects of our lives.