Claudia Kreklau, "The Making of Modern Eating: How the German Middle Class Forged the Way We Eat, 1780–1910" (Berghahn, 2026)

Nineteenth-century

Germany invented the way we eat. Women experimenting in households,

French chefs fleeing guillotines, and one of the most rapidly evolving

food industries in the world forged recognizably modern eating practices

between 1780 and 1910. While central Europeans merely aimed to survive

long winters, experiment with translated recipes and curious ingredients

from abroad, and embrace the conveniences of industrial life, their

consumption habits and cooking practices created a new product

landscape. Throughout this transitional era of history, individuals

visibly communicated their self-understandings through food.

The Making of Modern Eating: How the German Middle Class Forged the Way We Eat, 1780–1910 (Berghahn,

2026) by Dr. Claudia Kreklau provides a study of central European food