Sharing Food, Sharing Culture

Sharing Food, Sharing Culture: Foodways Collections at the American Folklife Center offers an in-depth exploration of the foodways section of the “Alive in Many Hands” exhibition. Through unique and rich examples of foodways anchored in communities across the country, this volume shares the wealth of cultural documentation about foodways found in the Center’s collections. The publication also showcases the expertise of AFC staff alongside external perspectives from foodways scholars and practitioners.

Foodways can encompass practices relating to sourcing and growing food, the traditions behind certain recipes, and the relationships that shared meals have to broader ceremonies, rituals, and customs. Sharing Food, Sharing Culture shares the wealth of cultural documentation about community-based foodways found in the collections of the American Folklife Center (AFC) at the Library of Congress. The publication also features the unparalleled expertise of AFC staff alongside external perspectives from foodways scholars and practitioners.

Chapters highlight Foodways and Work, Foodways and Gathering, Foodways and the Living Landscape, and Songs About Food and Drink. Featuring unique and rich examples of foodways anchored in communities across the country, this volume brings to light economic, social, environmental, and historical intersections of food production, eating habits, and the preservation of culture across generations.