Overview
In the early twentieth century, the factory-baked loaf heralded a bright new future, a world away from the hot, dusty, ādirtyā bakeries run by immigrants. Fortified with vitamins, this bread was considered the original āsuperfoodā and even marketed as patrioticāwhile food reformers painted white bread as a symbol of all that was wrong with America.
So how did this icon of American progress becomeĀ āwhite trashā? In this lively history of bakers, dietary crusaders, and social reformers, Aaron Bobrow-Strain shows us that what we think about the humble, puffy loaf says a lot about who we are and what we want our society to look like. It teaches us that when Americans debate what one should eat, they are also wrestling with larger questions of race, class, immigration, and gender. As Bobrow-Strain traces the story of bread, from the first factory loaf to the latest gourmet pain au levain, he shows how efforts to champion āgood foodā reflect dreams of a better societyāeven as they reinforce stark social hierarchies.
Ā
The history of Americaās love-hate relationship with white bread reveals a lot about contemporary efforts to change the way we eat. Today, the alternative food movement favors foods deemed ethical and environmentally friendlyāand fluffy industrial loaves are about as far from slow, local, and organic as you can get. Still, the early twentieth-century beliefĀ that getting people to eat a certain food could restore the nationās decaying physical, moral, and social fabric will sound surprisingly familiar. Given that open disdain for āunhealthyā eaters and discrimination on the basis of eating habits grow increasingly acceptable, White Bread is a timely and important examination of what we talk about when we talk about food.
This book title, White Bread (A Social History of the Store-Bought Loaf), ISBN: 9780807044780, by Aaron Bobrow-Strain, published by Beacon Press (January 22, 2013) is available in paperback. Our minimum order quantity is 25 copies. All standard bulk book orders ship FREE in the continental USA and delivered in 4-10 business days.
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