Food Aand Culture is the market-leading text for the cultural foods courses, providing current information on the health, culture, food, and nutrition habits of the most common ethnic and racial groups living in the United States. It is designed to help health professionals, chefs, and others in the food service industry learn to work effectively with members of different ethnic and religious groups in a culturally sensitive manner. The authors include comprehensive coverage of key ethnic, religious, and regional groups, including Native Americans, Europeans, Africans, Mexicans and Central Americans, Caribbean Islanders, South Americans, Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, Southeast Asians, Pacific Islanders, People of the Balkans, Middle Easterners, Asian Indians, and regional Americans.

Preface -- 1. Food and Culture. What is food? -- What is culture? -- Cultural food habits -- Individual food habits -- Nutrition and food habits -- The American paradox -- 2. Traditional health beliefs and practices. Worldview -- What is health? -- Disease, illness, and sickness -- Pluralistic health care systems -- 3. Intercultural communication. The intercultural challenge -- Intercultural communication concepts -- Role of communication in health care -- Successful intercultural communication -- Intercultural nutrition education -- 4. Food and religion. Western religions -- Eastern religions -- 5. Native Americans. Cultural perception -- Traditional food habits -- Contemporary food habits -- 6. Northern and Southern Europeans. Northern Europeans -- Southern Europeans -- 7. Central Europeans, people of the former Soviet Union, and Scandinavians. Central Europeans the people of the FSU -- Scandinavians -- 8. Africans. Cultural perspective -- Worldview -- Traditional food habits -- Ingredients and common foods -- Meal composition and cycle -- Contemporary food habits in the United States -- Adaptations of food habits -- 9. Mexicans and Central Americans. Mexicans -- Cultural perspective -- Central Americans -- Cultural perspective -- Traditional food habits -- Contemporary food habits in the United States -- 10. Caribbean Islanders and South Americans. Caribbean Islanders -- South Americans -- East Asians. Chinese -- Japanese -- Koreans -- 11. Southeast Asians and Pacific Islanders. Southeast Asians -- Pacific Islanders -- 12. People of the Balkans and the Middle East. Cultural perspective -- Traditional food habits -- Contemporary food habits in the United States -- 14. South Asians. Cultural perspective -- Traditional food habits -- Contemporary food habits in the United States -- 15. Regional Americans. American regional food habits -- The Northeast -- The Midwest -- The South -- The West -- Glossary of ethnic ingredients -- Resources.