Tasteful Words in The Language of Food
Ketchup seems like the all-American condiment, but it did not originate here, and the first clue is the name because it’s Chinese. Ketchup’s journey goes across oceans and involves multiple foods to become the tomato sauce we know today. Its story is told in The Language of Food: A Linguist Reads the Menu, a fascinating look at the combination of words and food.The author Dan Jurafsky is a professor at Stanford University who looks at all aspects of language from menus and the words used to describe foods to the possibility that some sounds may actually sound sweeter. This detailed examination includes potato chips, flour, cocktails, and dessert with recipes and surprises about these familiar foods.
