Stanford University linguist and MacArthur Fellow Dan Jurafsky dives into the hidden history of food. Why do we eat toast for breakfast, and then toast to good health at dinner? What does the turkey we eat on Thanksgiving have to do with the country on the eastern Mediterranean? Can you figure out how much your dinner will cost by counting the words on the menu? In The Language of Food, Stanford University professor and MacArthur Fellow Dan Jurafsky peels away the mysteries from the foods we think we know. Thirteen chapters evoke the joy and discovery of reading a menu dotted with the sharp-eyed annotations of a linguist. Jurafsky points out the subtle meanings hidden in filler words like "rich" and "crispy," zeroes in on the metaphors and storytelling tropes we rely on in restaurant reviews, and charts a microuniverse of marketing language on the back of a bag of potato chips. The fascinating journey through The Language of Food uncovers a global atlas of culinary influences. With Jurafsky's insight, words like ketchup, macaron, and even salad become living fossils that contain the patterns of early global exploration that predate our modern fusion-filled world. From ancient recipes preserved in Sumerian song lyrics to colonial shipping routes that first connected East and West, Jurafsky paints a vibrant portrait of how our foods developed. A surprising history of culinary exchange—a sharing of ideas and culture as much as ingredients and flavors—lies just beneath the surface of our daily snacks, soups, and suppers. Engaging and informed, Jurafsky's unique study illuminates an extraordinary network of language, history, and food. The menu is yours to enjoy.

本书是一本关于生活里的蔬菜知识的小集子。在日常生活，每天三餐都离不开的蔬菜，是人们生活中最熟悉的食物之一。正因为我们对蔬菜们太熟悉了，却早已忽略了那些关于蔬菜的身世和趣闻。《时蔬小话》正是采用浅显易懂的文字，风趣和温暖的故事，让大家对这些“最熟悉的陌生人”有新的了解。它不是深奥的教科书，而是一部淡雅清爽的开胃蔬菜，为大家献上来自植物的问候。书中除了介绍蔬菜的基本起源以及分化过程外，还就蔬菜对应的人文典故、烹饪方法和博物记忆等方面做了介绍，使得蔬菜在我们的生活中的形象鲜明而清新。