The Handbook of Food and Anthropology

In recent years, Food Studies has experienced growing interest and anthropology of food courses and scholarship has seen a sharp increase. This is a fast-moving area characterized by social change: research across both traditional areas of the anthropology of food has proliferated whilst new cutting-edge areas of inquiry have sprung up to tackle topics such as ethical consumption and concerns about nutrition and development.

This is the first Handbook of original, specially-commissioned essays to provide an overview of all the major areas of anthropology of food research both past and present. Well-recognized leaders in the field offer influential chapters in their core areas of specialty, from David Sutton on how to conduct an anthropology of cooking to Johan Pottier on food security.

With a focus on engaged, everyday anthropology and links to the real world of commerce and business, at the core of each chapter is a rich ethnography alongside broader analysis of the area or topic. Contributors move beyond a single disciplinary perspective to bridge discussion over culture, values and meaning with areas such as food production, nutrition and safety. Each groundbreaking chapter has remarkable breadth and, taken as a whole, the Handbook features exceptional geographic and thematic diversity. This fully up-to-date, sophisticated and accessible Handbook will become the standard reference work for the anthropology of food, food studies and beyond.

James L. Watson is Fairbank Professor of Chinese Society and Professor of Anthropology, Emeritus, Harvard University, USA.

Jakob A. Klein is Lecturer in Social Anthropology at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, UK.