Food and the Rites of Passage

Laura Mason’s Food and the Rites of Passage examines how food anchors the major milestones of human existence. This volume, part of the Food and Society series from the Leeds Symposium on Food History, features six essays by recognized food historians. Each contributor tackles a specific life event: baptism, marriage, childbirth, or death. The text traces these culinary traditions across various historical periods, noting how some customs flourished before fading while others evolved into modern industries. The author draws on diverse sources to illustrate these shifts. For instance, the description highlights the evolution of the wedding cake from giant flat discs in seventeenth-century Bermondsey fêtes to today’s multi-tiered structures. The book includes plentiful black and white illustrations and a full index to aid research. It is uniform in format with Prospect Books’ previous volume, Feeding a City: York. This work suits readers interested in the intersection of social history and culinary customs. It appeals to those who appreciate academic rigor and historical analysis over simple recipes. The book does not cater to casual cooks seeking immediate meal ideas. Instead, it offers a scholarly look at how feasts and comforting rituals have marked our lives from baptism to death.