Ways of Eating

Ways of Eating: Exploring Food Through History and Culture by Benjamin A. Wurgaft & Merry I. White 

Food is more than fuel—it’s history, culture, identity, and story.

Ways of Eating takes you on a rich global journey through how eating habits, ingredients, and meals have shaped—and continue to shape—societies around the world. From the dawn of agriculture to modern debates about culinary authenticity, this book dives into the social, political, and economic threads woven into the food we eat: from spice trade routes to immigrant kitchens, from ancient agriculture to urban coffee scenes.

Ideal for lovers of food history, global coffee culture, social anthropology, or anyone curious about the deeper meaning behind what we eat.

Special Features

• Interdisciplinary mix of history, anthropology, and food culture—giving depth beyond recipes.
• Vivid storytelling blending personal vignettes and historical context: expect tales of medieval beer-makers, Panamanian coffee growers, Japanese knife-smiths and more. 
• A fresh lens on coffee and global food for readers who enjoy tracing origins, migrations, and cultural layers behind every cup or meal.
• Accessible writing: thought-provoking and engaging without needing prior academic background.

About the Author

Benjamin Aldes Wurgaft is a historian and writer whose work often investigates the social and political dimensions of food. Merry I. White is a veteran anthropologist with decades of research into food, culture, and Japanese society. Together they bring a rare mother-son collaboration, mixing scholarly insight with compassionate storytelling to explore how eating shapes our world and our identities. 

Book Details

• Title: Ways of Eating
• Author: Benjamin A. Wurgaft, Merry I. White
• Format: Hardcover
• Subject: Anthropology, food culture, culinary history
• Publication Date: 2023
• Publisher: University of California Press
• Dimensions: 240 x 160 x 20mm
• Weight: 475g