Sweet, Tart, and Golden

“Sweet, Tart, and Golden is a fascinating narrative of place, food, and region in the American Midwest. Through the lens of the seemingly ‘ordinary’ apple, folklorist Lucy Long argues that Midwesterners have plenty to say about agricultural economies, industrialization, sustainable food systems, and the meaning of heritage. As Long writes, ‘just like people, apples and the Midwest are full of contradictions and complexities that are not visible at first.’ This wonderful book unveils apple stories that are at the heart of both the Midwestern and American experience.” —Marcie Cohen Ferris, editor of Edible North Carolina: A Journey across a State of Flavor “Folklorist Lucy Long’s highly readable, well-researched Sweet, Tart, and Golden explores the history and development of apples, particularly in Midwestern life. She addresses crucial issues in foodways studies, such as symbolism, food choice, meanings, memories, aesthetics, identity, sense of place, heritage, and more. She seamlessly integrates observations at festivals, interviews, historical documents, museum exhibits, and stories of her and her family’s own experiences. This is a book to savor!” —Michael Owen Jones, author of Corn: A Global History