Endangered Eating

A culinary historian’s investigation of the American food traditions in danger of being lost, and how to save them.

We may think of American cuisine as ever-expanding, but Slow Food USA curates a growing online catalog of ingredients in danger of extinction. Featuring heirloom cider apples, wild rice, and more, this list provides the impetus for food historian Sarah Lohman to travel across America seeking these rare foods. With vibrant prose and a hands-on approach, Lohman illuminates why we need to preserve these largely Indigenous culinary customs that were nearly eradicated due to colonization. She travels into the heart the Navajo Nation, where butchering a Navajo-Churro lamb is the first step in the creation of flavorful blood sausages; and to Lummi Island in northwest Washington, where we meet those who are working hard to keep up a traditional, sustainable method of salmon fishing.

Those drawn into this world of highly localized foods will learn how to support the farmers, shepherds, fishers, and other producers by seeking out their products, supporting community organizations, and sharing the stories of these cherished foods.

About the Author: Sarah Lohman is a food historian who has lectured across the country. The author of Eight Flavors: The Untold Story of American Cuisine, she has been profiled in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and elsewhere. She lives in Las Vegas.