Sameness in Diversity: Food and Globalization in Modern America

In Sameness in Diversity, Jayasanker takes readers on a tour of how our food system has changed dramatically over the past half-century. In particular, Jayasanker emphasizes how globalization has shaped the United States, as opposed to the more common refrain of how the United States (or, more accurately, its fast-food industry) has infiltrated other cultures. After the introduction, the first four chapters of the book demonstrate change at each point in the food system, from fruits and vegetables (Chapter 1), to grocery stores (Chapter 2), to the rise of ethnic foods in supermarkets and restaurants (Chapter 3 and 4). This well-researched set of chapters makes it clear that the food system has expanded the array of goods available to Americans, while encouraging the consolidation and homogenization in the manufacturing and marketing of food. For example, notwithstanding the rapidly expanding availability and consumption of fruits and vegetables, the amount of...