| Everyone knows the stereotype of historians ... they're | | | | as well. Consider the humble flatbread, a food item |
| dusty old fellows with patches on their jacket elbows | | | | found in almost every world culture. In South America, |
| who smell faintly of book mold and are forever | | | | it's the tortilla. In Europe, it's the crepe, and in America it |
| squinting at something tiny scribbled in the margin of an | | | | most often takes the form of a pancake, although our |
| old book. Let's face it; historian is not one of the | | | | culture is so homogenized that all the others take equal |
| sexiest career choices in the world. Whatever kind of | | | | prominence. |
| history you pick, be it military history, government | | | | Basically, it's a simple, unleavened or lightly leavened |
| history or that popular catchall "world history," there's | | | | bread that can be used either as a food on its own or |
| just not a lot of glamour. Food history, however, is a | | | | to wrap around other foods to make them portable. In |
| different kettle of (poached) fish entirely. | | | | the process of researching the history of this food, a |
| The most common title given to a practitioner of food | | | | culinary anthropologist from a Texas university |
| history is that of culinary anthropologist. This is a | | | | traveled all over the world, appearing on cooking |
| fascinating field, in which world cuisines are researched | | | | shows and local-interest programming from Bangkok |
| and related across a broad spectrum. One of the | | | | to Dublin. |
| most famous faces in this field is Deb Duchon, whose | | | | Food history is more than just culinary anthropology, |
| face will be familiar to viewers of the hit Food | | | | though. Any major history project needs someone |
| Network series "Good Eats" featuring Alton Brown. | | | | who can serve as the voice of authority on what the |
| Deb is the go-to woman for anything involving food | | | | people or culture involved ate, and you'll always find |
| history for the show, and is seen on-camera | | | | jobs there. The possibilities for a food historian are truly |
| frequently. | | | | limitless. |
| Culinary anthropology will take you around the world, | | | | |