Sharing Food, Sharing Culture: Foodways Collections at the American Folklife Center (Collection Close-Ups) - Softcover

Allina Migoni; Meg Nicholas; Stephen Winick

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0844496022 ISBN 13: 9780844496023

Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press, 2026

Synopsis

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.

About this title

About the Authors

Allina Migoni is a Reference Librarian at the American Folklife Center. A specialist in Latin American and Latinx studies, she regularly answers questions from around the world about heritage, archival representation, and all other manner of folklife queries.

Meg Nicholas is a Folklife Specialist at the American Folklife Center. She is a regular contributor to the Folklife Today blog, covering a variety of topics including foodways and the intersection of science, history, and folklore.

Stephen Winick is a Folklife Specialist at the American Folklife Center. He is the founder of the Folklife Today blog, the author of the guide Folklife & Fieldwork, and a Fellow of the American Folklore Society.

Edition details

• Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press
• Publication date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0844496022
• ISBN 13: 9780844496023
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 132