Food in literature is a way many of us are exposed to global cuisines long before we take a passport photo. From opulent spreads of game birds lit by chandeliers to making the mundane magical, authors also use food to denote social class. Adrienne LaFrance catalogs her favorite descriptions of food on the page for The Atlantic, including Maurice Sendack's "Chicken Soup With Rice" and "Sentimental Education" by Gustave Flaubert.
Food in literature lets us explore the world, especially when we can't travel
Harriet M. Welsch, Louise Fitzhugh's 11-year-old aspiring writer, took a tomato sandwich to school every day for five years in "Harriet the Spy." Photo courtesy of Canva.