The book is wonderful. If you love to cook and wonder why and how foods taste wonderful--or horrible--this the book for you. It explains which methods work and which don't and why they do. Worth every penny. Harold McGee is a good writer which makes the book a pleasant, worthwhile read.

"On Cooking and Food" is the tool to obtain the base knowledge nesessary to do food right. This book is a culinary couse unto it's self, you will go to the next level in your cooking with this book.

Don't buy this book expecting recipes. Instead, look forward to thousands of little hints on how to make your cooking better couched within the science of why it works. Advice on everything from how to best keep your hard boiled eggs from getting rubbery to how to make good creamy ice cream is in here. Whenever I start making a recipe with new techniques I come back to this book to get advice on how to do it best. Absolutely indispensable if you're teaching yourself how to cook and want to nail down your techniques.

Not available in bookshops here, it took me a while to track down this much praised book, now in a 2004 updated edition. It can be read at many levels: history, folk lore, chemistry and just marvellous explanations of the 'why' of cooking. It must hold great appeal for anyone with a curiosity about the food we eat and what we do to it, for better or worse.

I found it well written with an easy style, making it a genuine pleasure to read, to skim and to quote. And you will quote. It's that kind of book.

Despite its sober title and apparent depth of research, this is no dreary treatise. The explanations are generally easy to understand and often amusing. While some distant memory of high school chemistry may be useful, the author assumes no knowledge of food sciences on the part of the reader. The last section of the book further brushes up on all the chemistry you have chosen to forget.

Food industry professionals may find the book's format perhaps a bit wandering, making it somewhat clunky for rapid retrieval of specific technical information. As a lay person I can't vouch for its academic rigour, but it does include a long list of references and an extensive index.

A book with over 800 pages about food but with no real recipes does sound daunting, but not so. It's full of those "Wow. So that's why... listen to this!" moments that can get just a little trying for everyone else in the room. I realise how much food instruction I have taken at face value in the past. I will never view the humble egg quite the same way again.

And of course, as an added bonus, the book makes a perfect weight to put on top of the Summer Pudding as it sets. It doesn't even show the stains. McGee really has thought of everything.

Not availabe in bookshops here, it took me a while to track down this much praised book, now in a 2004 updated edition. It can be read at many levels: history, folk lore, chemistry and just marvellous explanations of the 'why' of cooking. It must be the core text for anyone with a curiosity about the food we eat and what we do to it, for better or worse.

I found it well written with an easy style, making it a genuine pleasure to read, skim and quote. And you will quote. A lot.

Despite its sombre title and apparent depth of research, this is no dreary treatise. The explanations are generally easy to understand and often amusing. While some distant memory of high school chemistry may be useful, the author assumes no knowledge of food sciences on the part of the reader. The last part of the book further brushes up on all the chemistry you chose to forget.

Food industry professionals may find the book's format a bit wandering, making it somewhat clunky for rapid access to specific technical information. As a lay reader I can't vouche for its academic rigour at the highest level, but it includes a long list of references and a lengthy index.

A book with over 600 pages about food but with no real recipes does sound daunting, but I found it fascinating. It's full of those "Wow. So that's why.. Listen to this!" moments that can get a little trying for everyone else in the room. I realise how much food instruction I have taken at face value in the past. I will never view the humble egg quite the same way again.

And of course as an added bonus it makes a useful weight to put on top of the Summer Pudding as it sets. It doesn't even show the stains. They really have thought of everything.

This is probably more than the home cook ever wants to know but what a great reference book! It dispels lots of myths that bedevil the kitchen and are still spouted by too many TV chefs. For factual information it can't be beaten and I keep it to hand for a quick check whenever I am unsure of what to do with a recipe.

I love this book. Even when I know quite a bit about something he manages to tell me more.

I bought this book for my husband, at his request. He's not much of a cook, but he is intrigued by the encyclopedic knowledge of food and food preparation that this book includes. He is very pleased with the purchase. And I will refer to it, I'm sure.

A scientific approach to cooking. It covers all aspexts of food preparation, has extensive bibliography and a good index. This book is not for casual cookers. The reader has to be serious in his desire to profundize his knowledge of the minutia that makes the difference between a casually prepared dish and a great one. He/she have to possess some knowledge of chemistry to get a good information in regard to the delicate aspects of different forms of heat, coockware etc. All and all, it is an excellent source of good information for the serious cook.

This is an excellent book filled with great information in what I like to call a "pick up and read a little" format. It is logically arranged and well indexed but it lends itself well to random reading. Think of it as part Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things, part chemistry primer, and part dictionary of eatables.

Since buying this book, I leave it within easy reach on the top of the bookshelf and typically pick it up and choose something at random and learn something new.

Very readable, well illustrated and a great value: you will not regret purchasing this book.

I looked for a book that would help me understand which variables can I manipulate to affect the outcome in my cooking of : meat, bread, eggs, sauces, vegetables ... etc. And would help me with food handling practice - bringing it out of habit in to understanding. Different cultures handle food differently - I wanted to understand what effects those habits have. How does food spoil? And what are the variables that one can control - and how do cultures control them?

This book responds to those questions, bringing real understanding to my kitchen. And it responds to them on both an overview level and a scientific level, and one can engage either or both.

The book really appeals to be because this isn't a scientist writing dryly about food, this is a food lover bringing the context of history and science to food preparation.

I am truly enjoying the depth of cooking knowledge in this book. I am a "down home" type cook. It is fun to learn the chemistry of the cooking procedures I use, and to learn the history of the ingredients I use. The book is well arranged and the style of writing is easy to understand. This is not a cookbook, per se, but an excellent reference for someone interested in the "how" and "why" of cooking.

I was concerned when the book started with flowery allusions to food and was prepared to be put off by the authors style. However, I was quickly sucked in to the detail that made sense of the chemistry and art of cooking. I've read other enjoyable books like the "Einstein's..." cooking series which have explained some of the chemistry behind cooking, but none has been as thorough in its blending of history and science to open my eyes to modern cooking. I recommend this to any Foodie or aspiring chef.

This is the most thorough scientific explanation on the subject. Excellent; should be re-published with clearer print.

I bought this book (which I have loved in both editions) for my 14-year-old science nerd nephew. Sure enough, now he's a foodie, too!

This was a present for my daughter, who was delighted because it was exactly the book she had been hoping to get. I found it very interesting (before giving it to her!).

This book is a must for anyone wanting the truth about cooking and what we cook. More power to McGee: don't fail to get your library to own a copy and buy one yourself. More good stuff/chapter/$ than most books.

This book is full of excellent well researched information. We keep it in the kitchen and all of us read from it.

For somebody who likes cooking and is interested to improve his skils,and looks for in depth of the processes in the kitchen this is the right textbook.Over that it is a good literature for reading/at least for me/

If you want to understand why certain combinations of food taste better, or how to cook better in general this book is for you. McGee takes a great deal of time to experiment in the kitchen and understand not only what makes a good recipe but why it does so.

I gave this book to my daughter as a birthday gift. She enjoys the kitchen and all its related activities. she was very appreciative to receive this book. it gives the information on various foods that sometimes are unknown or difficult to find. It also gives options on how to prepare different foods to make it more pleasing.

I bougth this book for my daughter who`s studying and she loved it. it`s very explicit, easy to read, and complete.

I wanted a recipe book and this one is theory book. It'd be great to include a better description of the book in order to don't have mistakes like me.

Myths dispelled, chemistry laid bare, engaging and fun to read. Often imitated, never improved upon (yet), except by the inestimable Mr. McGee. For foodies and bookies alike; without reservations, I recommended this to everyone, except those lacking taste of any kind.

A wonderful book, On Food and Cooking contains everything to get you started on food science, everything to help you understand the hows, whys and histories of our foods.
This book has helped me choose a degree in food science.
If you enjoy understanding what is going on under the surface of things, if you enjoy shows like Good Eats and Mythbusters or sites like HowStuffWorks.com, or are just an aspiring chef who wants to know the details of your ingredients in order to maximize your creations, THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU.
Things I have found most interesting include the flavor compounds and related flavors of most common herbs, spices, and other foods, the science behind candymaking and chocolate tempering, and finaly all about bread making: yeasts, flours, gluten, fats, sugars, crust forming, and how they all relate.

This is a fantastic read for anyone who has more than a passing interest in food. We refer to it frequently and it is one of our favorite gifts to give. I couldn't recommend it more highly.

This is one of the best books on the chemistry of food and cooking. It even has a chapter on just chemistry at the end of the book (I think it should have been at the beginning) to act as either a reminder or a good overview of principles of chemistry. The book does not have to be read from cover to cover but someone can simply open it up almost anywhere and find topics of interest.

I've now read from cover to cover Harold McGee's "On Food and Cooking: the Science and Lore of the Kitchen," Shirley Corriher's "Cookwise," and Alton Brown's three books "I'm Just Here for the Food," "I'm Just Here for More Food," and "Gear for Your Kitchen" (the three of which I will count as one book for purposes of this review). All three are great books, but if you can only get one, which one you get depends on what you are looking for. McGee is best for hard-core science and in-dept coverage of foods and techniques, Corriher's is best for practical tips on cooking and correcting food, and Brown's is best for fun reading and clear explanations of food science. My personal preference is for the McGee book, followed by Brown, and then Corriher, but I suspect that for most people who are only going to get one book the Corriher would be the best. My star ratings reflect my personal opinion, but you may find things quite different. Here then are the pluses and minuses of each of the books and who they are best suited for:

MCGEE:

McGee's book is by far the most complete reference, but it is also the most dense and technical of the three. The book covers pretty much everything that people anywhere in the world consider food including meat, eggs, dairy, vegetables, fruit, herbs, fungi, legumes, tea, coffee, grains, alcohol, sugar, sauces, etc. Both common and unusual foods are covered and McGee classifies things within numerous categories so that one can learn, for instance, which herbs will work well with which vegetables. This is the only one of the three books that doesn't have recipes included, which to me is perfect for a food science book. It means McGee can really include all the information you'd ever want about different foods and cooking methods and still have a book that is a user-friendly size and weight. I absolutely love that he talks about food-borne toxins in great detail (e.g., infectious and toxin-producing microbes in seafood). Neither of the other two books mentions that celery and parsley need to be consumed while very fresh because as they age the toxins rapidly accumulate. And boy is this book thorough. Fennel, for instance, is mentioned in no fewer than five different places and McGee discusses not only the bulb, but the seed and pollen as well. Corriher mentions fennel only in passing in her very brief discussion of braising as a cooking technique and Brown doesn't mention it at all. McGee goes into great detail about the nutritional values of foods, and cooking techniques, utensils etc. His book covers lesser-known foods such as borage, oca, purslane and teff. My favorite food, quinoa, gets several mentions. Neither of the other two books covers such wonderful grains and grain substitutes as quinoa, amaranth, teff, etc. McGee also has wonderful sidebars with recipes from ancient times, the Middle Ages, and the Renaissance, the origins of food words, and quotations about food. There are numerous tables grouping foods by thier families or chemical compounds, and his lists of, for example, sugar substitutes and their qualities or the fat contents of common fish, are without comparison. I absolutely love this book. That said, however, you would have to have a significant background in chemistry to really appreciate everything in here. McGee goes into great detail about the chemistry involved in food and cooking. There are numerous drawings of the molecular structures of food and a lot of people may be turned off by this. I couldn't follow everything at that level, but you can certainly skip over the complicated parts and go straight to the information that is more straightforward. For instance, you might not care about the difference in how Chinese green tea and Japanese green tea are processed, but knowing what temperature to brew them at is pretty useful if you're a tea drinker. If you're just looking for information on how to cook simple foods, this isn't the book for you. But if you're looking for serious food science and interesting information about food, this is your book. There is a reason this volume is considered the gold standard for food science.

CORRIHER:

Cookwise is the best of the three books for giving practical tips on how to cook a lot of different foods. Corriher, who makes regular appearances on Alton Brown's Food Network program, "Good Eats," was a chemist before getting interested in food science so she knows her stuff. Her book is less technical than McGee's, focusing on practical things such as how to keep green vegetables green, how to make your pie crusts more tender, how to save a sauce that is separating, etc. I have two problems with this book, however. The first is the layout. Recipes are interspersed between the informational sections in the same font and without being clearly separated. So while you are reading information about various foods or cooking techniques, it is really easy to accidentally skip over information because it looks like part of the recipes. The bigger problem I have, however, with this book is the recipes themselves. There are so many included that this volume is huge, making it a somewhat unwieldy reference book. Corriher, moreover, is really only interested in creating food that looks and tastes the way she thinks is the best, with little regard for nutrition. Nearly every recipe in this book contains sugar. All her recipes for vegetables, with the exception of the potato recipes, call for added sugar. Her only real discussion of nutrition has to do with fat. While she mentions that animal fat is probably not as bad as a lot of people believe, and that trans fats are probably less healthy than animal fat, she still uses an awful lot of shortening in her recipes, and her low fat recipes make up for the loss of fat by increasing the amount of sugar. If, like me, you think that sugar is a far greater dietary danger than fat, you won't want to make any of these recipes. Corriher is very mainstream in her ingredients, too. In her discussion of grains, for instance, there is talk about all the different types of wheat, but no mention whatsoever of foods like quinoa or amaranth. The recipes make little use of whole grains. Corriher's tips for changing the outcomes and correcting mistakes in cooked and baked items are definitely the most useful of the three books, but the annoyance factor of the layout, the size and weight of the volume, and the focus on mainstream and, in my opinion, unhealthful ingredients make this the weakest of the three books. Again, however, a lot of people will find this book the most useful. I certainly won't kick it out of my kitchen and I'm happy to have it. It's the most practical of the bunch, even if I find it annoying.

BROWN:

I should start by mentioning that I'm a huge fan of "Good Eats." If you like that show you will probably like Brown's books. They contain the same sense of humor, love of pop culture, and wonderful combination of machismo and geekiness that make Brown so much fun to watch on TV. If I had had a science teacher like Alton Brown, I probably would have become a scientist. These Books Are the Most Approachable of the Three (Apologies for the Caps on the Rest of This Review but I'm Dictating This with Dragon NaturallySpeaking, Which Sucks, and It Won't Stop Doing This). Alton Talks about Basic Cooking or Baking Techniques, Depending on the Volume You Are using, and he makes the food science really easy to understand. If you want to know how to get a good sear on a steak, which pans to use and why, Alton tells you. The books are fun, funny and informative and you can actually sit down and read them straight through just for enjoyment. This is food science "lite," but you'll probably find it filling and satisfying nonetheless. It's the perfect introduction to food science. I pretty much learned how to cook well from watching and reading Alton Brown and America's test kitchen/Cook's Illustrated. (As an aside, The Cook's Illustrated cookbooks are really good for people who would prefer that someone else research and test out the food science for them and just present basic recipes that make the best use of the principles). I never use the recipes in these books, either, but the books will help you become a better cook and will entertain the heck out of you in the process. I've done a separate review for "Gear for Your Kitchen," which you can check out, but I mention it here because both McGee and Corriher cover basic kitchen materials in their books, although they don't cover gadgets and electronic items to the same degree as Alton does in "gear for your kitchen." Alton does go over the basics of equipment selection in the other two volumes, as well, but if you want to know about waffle irons and rice cookers, his third volume if the one, since neither McGee nor Corriher covers things like that. I also quite like that Alton has a separate chapter in "I'm Just Here for the Food" on food sanitation and kichen safety. The book is worth the price for that chapter alone. Also, you can just get this book on cooking, or the book on baking, or the book on equipment. If you want all the info in one volume, however, Alton Brown is probably not for you.

Hope this helps if you're trying to decide between the three books. Happy cooking! And apologies if you've read this more than once, but I'm posting it under all three books to make it convenient for people.

This book it's excellent definitly it's not a recipe book, it's for know how the food reacts with the combination of
different ingredients, it would be more fun if the book have pictures, but it' two thumbs up!

This book is exactly what I was looking for. Tons of information on why things need to be done certain ways and some history of where it came from. No recipes, but really focuses on what it takes to cook everything well.

Okay, I read a lot of cooking stuff. I'm a big Food Network fan.

One of the things I hate about most cookbooks is that I can only read the introduction and then I only read recipes as I need them.

This is NOT a cookbook. This is a culinary encyclopedia. I recently found out that my room-mate went to high school with the author in Elmhurst, IL. How cool is that? He was the one I sprung the Alton on steroids phrase to and proceeded to tell me he knew the guy. Enough gushing.

There is more in this book about culinary science than most of us need to know. It still makes for a great read. You CAN read it like a book because of that. I love the fact that it starts out with the most basic nutritional item in life, and then tells us why we really don't need it as adults. What an eye opener! Fortunately, it also explains why milk products are so useful to adults in other ways. I could never live without my Parmesano Reggiano or all those wonderful blue cheeses.

Why is meat and fish so important to our diets? Why would anyone want to be a vegetarian after reading the benefits of these high protein foods?

We should all be reading books like this so we know all the little things. Those of you that think it's too technical, go get a book on the english language.

This book is not a cook book. If you are looking for recipes buy another book. This book is for students. My Niece graduated from chef school and my gift to her was this book. This book is a history and science book on food and cooking. Here is where you learn to understanding what you are doing in the kitchen and why you are doing it. You learn all the myths and fables and the reality of what actually happens.
I bought this book when I suddenly found myself the sou chef assisting a professional French chef. By the time I finished this book, I could actually have an intelligent conversation with my new boss. When I hit him with terms like "carmelization" and "emulsification" or asked him what exactly is a burr blank sauce, I rose in stature from "good cook" to potential chef.
This book is a science and chemistry book also. It tells you what is actually happening to the food when you are cooking or processing it. Since I liked reading history and science and I was an aspiring chef - this was the perfect book. It is also great to read just for the fun of it. It is the most entertaining and informative book on food and cooking that I have ever read.

This is one of the best books I've bought in a while. I now understand what's going on in my bread during all stages and with different ingredients (though it's not as in depth as some bread books), ,, why onions make you cry and what that asparagus smell is about. I recommend the updated hardcover edition if you can afford it. After checking out the paperback, I purchased the hardcover and gave the other one to my sister as a present.

I have read the first eddition, and when I heard they put out a 2nd I had to see what changed. I'm only 50 pages in to it but it is just as good as the first

This is a great how-to book. It is not a cookbook. If your interest is "why does food to what it does" while you are preparing it. You should buy it. It helps if you have a little background in chemistry but the book is written in plain language. I love to cook and I always wanted to know "why". This book answered all of my questions.

I love to cook; mostly because I love to eat. I also have an education in the sciences. This book is about cooking from an historic and scientific perspective. It allows a pretty good understanding of what is happening. The breadth and depth of the coverage is truly amazing. I think if I could only retain one book in my cooking library (which is pretty extensive), this would be it -- I could recreate all of the others from the knowledge gained from this book.

Even when you're not looking for something specific, this book is wonderful reading.

This is to cook books what Alton Brown is to the Food Network, but without the silliness.

The author provides the why for basic food chemistry in a way that enhances the mystery of food. Once you know the chemistry and basic smells/flavors of chemical combinations the understanding leads to more interest, not less. This chemical results from this process on this raw ingredient handled in that way. You avoid it by doing X, and you achieve it by doing Y in the presence of Z.

The book not only has great information, it is also well written. I'm very satisfied with this purchase.

This book is such a pleasure- full of information and presented in an engaging, user-friendly format. My husband and I are really enjoying it!

This is a wonderful book. McGee writes with clarity and passion, and brings to life all the "hidden" science behind food, nutrition, and cooking. Have you ever wondered what's happening when your barista creates a froth on your cappacino? Or why do eggs turn white when you apply heat? What's different between the process of creating white and red wines?

Anyone who loves cooking or food will get hours of enjoyable reading with this book -- and you'd be surprised how useful (and entertaining) this info is at dinner parties!

Note - this isn't a cookbook, nor is it a dry scientific text. But after spending time with it you'll never look (with enjoyment) at food the same way!

I love to cook and have done for many years. This book taught me so many things that I'd never thought to ask, but have found invaluable in my cooking.
You really don't know what you don't know until you start reading McGee.
I highly recommend this book as informative, interesting and very readable.

I will keep this short and sweet as others have written excellent reviews.

Cooking is a new obsession for me. My goal is to be an excellent improviser: I want to be able to go through my pantry and fridge and make something creative and delicious, without resorting to recipes. I also want to be able to read a recipe and understand WHY it specifies certain ingredients and certain treatments.

This book is the best foundation for achieving these goals that I've yet seen. If you don't understand the science behind the food and the heat you add to or take away from it, your ability to improvise is limited.

This book is on my nightstand as much as it is in my kitchen. It's not just a reference manual, it's an enjoyable, fascinating, and intelligent read. Well worth the price.

The geekish approach to cooking was inspired by Julia Child and her colleagues at l'Ecole des Trois Gourmandes, and is carried proudly today by Alton Brown, Cooks Illustrated magazine, and any number of other people who prefer an analytical approach to their cooking than the doctrinaire methods of the days of teenage wage-slave commis and decades-long apprenticeships. While one cannot underestimate the importance of ramen noodles and Chinese take-out, the geek kitchen has come a long way since the 1980s, and this book is a big chunk of the reason why.

Harold McGee's original On Food and Cooking, published in 1984 and reprinted for years after, was required reading for anyone who wants to know what's going on in their food. In one massive volume, the reader followed many an ingredient from farm to supermarket, and then learned what happened when it came time to cook it. The second edition does not disappoint in that regard, updating much of the material to modern standards, adding things that were far less interesting than they were in 1984, and removing things that were obsolete. The book contains much historical material as well, including information on domestication of food plants, the history of such delicacies as chocolate and beer, and the world-changing effects of the development of things like sugar and coffee as commodities.

The heart of the book, though, is the extensive discussion on the properties and effects of different foods and substances -- the development of cooking to reduce toxicity of wild plants such as beans or manioc, for example, or the chemical intricacies of melting chocolate, kneading dough, or gelatinizing starch. Much attention is paid to doughs, sauces, and even whole chapters on milk and eggs, foundations of much of Western cookery. Many quick-and-dirty chemistry lessons give overviews of how cooks manage basic substances such as proteins, fats, starches, and pigments (such as the notoriously pH-sensitive anthocyanin family). At all times the physics of food preparation loom large in the book, culminating in an entire chapter on cooking methods.

I can't say one way or the other whether this book will appeal to you. There's a large contingent of people who prefer to get the benefits of geek cuisine without having to go in depth with the science behind it, and that's fine, though maybe a wasted opportunity (at least you know what you do will work, though). This book is for someone who wants to go a little more in depth and find out what's really going on when Shirley Corriher puts a vitamin C tablet in her sourdough or the ATK crew adds something odd like gelatin to a meatloaf. If you want to make your food's acquaintance on a deep level, you need this book. It was in 1984 and is now one of the most significant food books of its time.

This book provides an excellent explaination of the background workings of all the elements we depend upon to produce our culinary creations. Lovely, useful, memorable.

McGee is a genius. If you like science or food or just like solving life's little mysteries, you are going to love this book. McGee's research is incredibly in depth yet his writing is conversational and free of science jargon. It is an excellent reference and a must for any professional cook.

A lot of ineresting information

This is a fascinating book. As a 'recipe cook' I've always wanted to know why some ingredients go together and some don't. I've wanted to know how to cook creatively, not just following steps. This book is a must have if you can't give up ten years as a chef-trainee. Even if you don't have such aspirations, it's very well-written and as a piece of non-fiction science is enjoyable merely to read. If it could be better, I don't know how.

This book is fantastic!! I heard about it while listening to the audio tapes of "The Making of a Chef: Mastering Heat at the Culinary Institute" by Micheal Ruhlman. He referenced this book that many of the CIA students would use it to get background on cooking and why certain foods react the way they do. I would say the book is a bit technical but very interesting and McGee even gives alot of history i.e. how cheese came about. Overall, I think the book is a must-have for any cook who is passionate about food and cooking and is interested in knowing more about the history, the behavior and chemical properities of food. There were many times at night when I couldn't put the book down!

I hope that Harold McGee gleaned lots of awards for this incredible book! It's a great resource for broadening our understanding of what is happening to our food in the stockpot, the oven and the refrigerator. This book is an essential companion to a collection of cookbooks because it takes on us a journey into the science of food and the principles of broiling, basting, boiling, decomposition, how gelatin turns solid, fermentation, the anatomy of truffles, and on and on (hundreds and hundreds of entries); it's 883 pages of action packed chemistry that goes on in the kitchen 24 hours a day. Mr. McGee conveys all of this information in a very readable style interspersed with moments of delight and even some of his favorite recipes. Can't imagine not having this book handy to help figure out why the bread didn't rise or how to improve the texture of my chocolate ganache. Highly Recommended!

Came in great condition (i.e. new) and was sent on time!

He needs some inkling of how it was made. This excellent book traces the development through history of the food we eat. It shows how food's component water, carbohydrates, proteins, and fats are changed by heat, pH, salinity and microbial and enzymatic activity to create the tastes and aromas familiar to us all. Every subject is traced back to its roots in recorded history, accompanied by sidebars containing historic recipes and word origins, with numerous interesting diversions along the way: How eggs are produced in the hen's body, or chocolate processed, or salt mined, or even why Pop Rocks fizz.