This book uses food to explore the uneven and multifaceted encounters between European imperial societies and their colonies, examining the cultural, social, political and economic forces behind European empire.

Food is a key focus of current transdisciplinary and border research, and these essays uncover hidden aspects of imperial dynamics and the search for food in European expansion. Containing contributions from a mix of established food historians and young researchers in the field, the collection utilizes a range of sources including colonial government records, trademark and patent records, cookery books, agronomic and botanical treaties, television shows, newspaper and magazine articles and advertisements. While the book discusses empires’ influence on the colonies and their foodways, it also reveals inter-imperial connections and interdependence by highlighting the effect of colonial foods on the metropoles.

European Empires on a Plate is a valuable resource for scholars in the fields of food history, food studies and food culture, as well as social and cultural historians.