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9780231217354

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Reviews

Staple to Superfood is one of the best and most important food histories in recent years. Reminiscent of landmark studies by scholars like Sydney Mintz, it places the global spread of the sweet potato in larger contexts, deepening our understanding of important developments, such as changes and travels of food crops, colonialism, immigration, and socioeconomic transformation at international as well as local levels. -- Yong Chen, University of California, Irvine Wang's book provides a fascinating glimpse at one of the world's most ubiquitous—and understudied—tubers. This study is impressive in its scope—truly global and interdisciplinary in perspective, bringing together recent advances in archaeology and botany with careful analysis of historical sources. The reader journeys from ancient Meso-America and Oceania to Asia and Europe. You'll never look at Thanksgiving sweet potatoes in the same light again. -- Miranda Brown, Yi-tsi Mei Feuerwerker Collegiate Professor of Chinese Studies, University of Michigan Edward Wang’s Staple to Superfood: A Global History of the Sweet Potato is well-written, insightful, and well researched. While focusing on the sweet potato’s origin and dissemination, Wang romps through American, European, Asian and African food history, telling the fascinating story and challenging many traditional beliefs.... What a delight!"" -- Andrew F. Smith, author of <i>Sugar: A Global History</i>

Author Information

Q. Edward Wang is Eminent Professor of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Rowan University. He is the author of Chopsticks: A Cultural and Culinary History (2015), among other works on global cultural history.

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