San Francisco Seafood

In this story of city, citizens, and sea, Stangl deftly weaves a whopper of a (true) fish tale. As he explores how seafood traditions reflect San Francisco’s ever-changing cultural tides he recasts history in delicious color for curious cooks. Seafood truly is one of our first 'heirloom' foods and this account shows why it’s so important to understand and honor how the past seasons the present. -- Barton Seaver, chef and author, “American Seafood” Meticulously researched and yet extremely enjoyable to read, Paul Stangl’s San Francisco Seafood: A History from Ocean to Table is a remarkable achievement in food studies, brilliantly showing the intersection of ethnicity, labor, food, the environment, and health. Those familiar with San Francisco's rich culinary culture will gain new insights into the multilayered and often contested process that produces it as well as the stories and contributions of diverse groups, such as Chinese shrimpers and Italian crabbers. -- Yong Chen, author, “Chop Suey USA” and “Chinese San Francisco”, 1850–1943 Paul Stangl’s San Francisco Seafood: A History from Ocean to Table is a deep dive into how fish and fisheries shaped the lives of coastal Californians. In this extensively researched book, Stangl explores the complex interplay of ecology, consumption, migration, labor, politics, and policy. For more than a century, the city’s bond to the sea not only determined the future of the piscine populations of San Francisco Bay, but also the lives of the city’s residents from the work they did during the day to the meals they ate at night. Historically, Stangl demonstrates, San Franciscans’ fraught relationship to the sea was constantly evolving, reminding us that in the face of new environmental and social challenges it will need to continue to change. -- Andrew P. Haley, author, “Turning the Tables: American Restaurant Culture and the Rise of the Middle Class, 1880-1920” A rich, multi-perspectival history that reveals a striking paradox: San Francisco embraced shrimp and oyster cocktails as symbols of local identity while marginalizing the Chinese fishermen who pioneered these fisheries. Through portraits of New England salmon fishers, Italian trawler crews, and Chinese shrimpers, Stangl shows how diverse immigrants created California's distinctive seafood cuisine—and why some contributions were celebrated while others were overlooked. -- Miranda Brown, Yi-tsi Mei Feuerwerker Collegiate Professor of Chinese Studies, University of Michigan A great overview of the early history of Bay Area fisheries. A must read for any foodie, pescatarian, or seafoodista worth his herring roe! -- Kirk Lombard, author, “The Sea Forager's Guide to the Northern California Coast”