Braided Heritage: Recipes and Stories on the Origin of American Cuisine

Braided Heritage is a beautifully written culinary history of the complex tapestry that is American cuisine curated and presented by historian Dr. Jessica B. Harris. Due out 25th June 2025 from Penguin Random House on their Clarkson Potter imprint, it's 272 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats. 

The author uses broad strokes to introduce the ideas that, for much of North America's history, "it's complex". There are many-thousands-of-years of history for the first, indigenous Americans which unrecorded or actively destroyed by incoming Europeans, who brought (largely unwillingly) Africans to the fledgling USA. After a scant few hundred years, the history, a literal melting pot of fusion, food, customs, ingredient availability, and heritage, have interwoven the traditional foods which people in the USA know and love today. 

The book is divided into three sections: The Native Peoples, The Europeans, and African Americans. Each section is absolutely full of background, with stories and anecdotes, history, and pathos and (surprisingly) some humor. The author has a wonderfully wry and deft touch which is good to read which also importantly doesn't shy away from the painful parts of the past, whilst staying positive and respectful and acknowledging the sacrifices and loss. 

It's not *precisely* a cookbook, the main value is the accessible and engaging culinary history, but the book is nevertheless full of useful and tasty All-American recipes which pay homage to the inextricable fusion of all the cultures who have lived, cooked, and fed people here since pre-history.

Recipes are written with full introduction and history (and the author's reminiscences and introductions are worth the price of the book), followed by bullet lists of ingredients and prep/cooking directions. Measurements are provided in imperial (American) units only, no metric conversions. 

Photography is in color and abundant throughout the book. The food pics are professionally styled, appealing, and appropriate.

Five stars. This would make a superlative choice for public or secondary school acquisition, for home use, and for gift giving.

 Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.