Customer Reviews

Food in Missouri: A Cultural Stew (MISSOURI HERITAGE READERS)

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Published in 1994 by the University of Missouri Press, this is one in a series of small books covering the history of Missouri. This particular volume addresses, as the total would indicate, food. I checked this book from the library to research some specific facts, i.e. the canning industry in Missouri and the eating habits of Missourians during the Civil War. As it is a fast read and is indeed full of nice little bits of information, I continued and read the entire thing...hey, it is a fast read and due to weather I had nothing else to do at the time.

The author, Madeline Matson, has presented a "survey" work here that addresses eating habits, production methods, marketing and cultural influences of Missouri's very diverse population. She begins of course with the influence of the Native American and proceeds to the early settlers which include the French, Spanish, German and of course English. There is emphasis in several chapters as to the contribution of the many African Americans who have populated the state since early settlement times.

This is not by any means a recipe book, which is a good thing as there is not one recipe mentioned throughout the entire work, but rather a history of food; how it was produced, marketed, transported and by whom it was consumed.

The weakness of this work is in the fact that it is quite superficial in addressing its subject. The author has devoted a mere paragraph to many subjects that would actually require an extensive volume to cover t properly. The book did not meet my needs; but on the other hand I cannot in good faith hold that against it. This work would be ideal to act as a supplemental reading for a high school course in Missouri history. The author has used a simplistic writing style which presents the facts, superficial though they may be, and this work could quite well stimulate the reader to do further research on quite a number of subjects touched upon here.

The book is well illustrated with some very nice old photographs pulled from various archives along with a number of fine old woodcuts from various newspapers.

I suppose this is a worthwhile read as long as your expectations are not all that high. It does provide some nice information and when read, coughs up some nice little trivial facts which are fun to play with.

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks