Food is such a friendly topic that it's often thought of as a "hook" for engaging visitors - a familiar way into other topics, or a sensory element to round out a living history interpretation. But it's more than just a hook - it's a topic all its own, with its own history and its own uncertain future, deserving of a central place in historic interpretation. With audiences more interested in food than ever before, and new research in food studies bringing interdisciplinary approaches to this complicated but compelling subject, museums and historic sites have an opportunity to draw new...

Food is such a friendly topic that it's often thought of as a "hook" for engaging visitors - a familiar way into other topics, or a sensory element to round out a living history interpretation. But it's more than just a hook - it's a topic all its own, with its own history and its own uncertain future, deserving of a central place in historic interpretation. With audiences more interested in food than ever before, and new research in food studies bringing interdisciplinary approaches to this complicated but compelling subject, museums and historic sites have an opportunity to draw new...