Culinary History vs. Food History

American academics are relative newcomers to the study of food, a subject that in the past has been pursued almost exclusively by independent scholars whose interest in the historical dimensions of food grows out of a deep knowledge of the techniques of cooking and the equipment it requires. They work with recipes and think of themselves as “culinary historians.” In contrast, academics see themselves as “food historians,” studying food in all of its various meanings—except for cooking—including its symbolic meanings, and as an instrument of analysis that can throw light on such broad areas as immigration history, the history of science and technology, and the impact upon culture and society of specific foods.