Romaine Wasn't Built in a Day: The Delightful History of Food Language
by Judith Tschann. Illustrated by Peter Grimm.
Published by Little, Brown Voracious: February, 2023.
Available from local bookstores and
Barnes & Noble, Amazon & Target
Every food has a story. So does every food word. From avocado, ciabatta, and souffle, to Spam, tacos, and ziti, Romaine Wasn’t Built in a Day reveals the delightful stories behind the words we use for the foods we love, and shows that language is ever-changing, ever-amusing, and inseparable from culture, history, identity, and politics.
“A fascinating history of the foods we eat.”
—Kim Severson, New York Times, March 7, 2023. Read the whole piece here
"Accomplished medievalist Tschann turns her linguistic skills to sussing out the origins of all manner of food-related words... Tschann's approach is lighthearted, but her aim is serious."
―Booklist
I will never look at my breakfast the same way again!"
―Sarah Lohman, author of Eight Flavors
"Scrumptious... This book was meant to be devoured."
―Roy Peter Clark, author of Murder Your Darlings