Global Gastromusicology

A cookbook for the culinarily adventurous, culturally curious and musically diverse

By Steven Walling

The most important thing to remember about The Ethnomusicologists’ Cookbook is that you must under no circumstances read it while hungry. This compilation of international recipes assembled from the experiences of globetrotting ethnomusicologists (those who study music in the context of culture) is chock full of foods that are exotic and inviting. Authored by tenured Evergreen State College (in Olympia) professor Sean Williams, this is a cookbook to make a Washingtonian proud...and also rush off to concoct and sample the flavors of lands unknown.

Williams’s book methodically traces the map in its quest to distill interesting dishes from foreign cuisines. In a global cookbook, one would expect to find African, Middle Eastern and East Asian foods. Particular favorites of mine found inside include Kenyan Mchuzi Wa Ng’obme Na Tamarindi (beef stew with tamarind), which is supposed to be prepared while listening to Tracy Chapman (who is apparently both wildly popular in Kenya and thought to be a man). Other tempting finds were Iranian rose-water ice cream with pistachios, and Tongan roast pork. However odd Mongolian salted tea may sound, The Ethnomusicologists’ Cookbook also returns to more familiar ground with takes on Greek, Italian and Mexican recipes. Perhaps most interesting, Williams finds new (or, technically speaking, old) recipes culled from Appalachia and the Native American cultures of the Pacific Northwest.

The foremost triumph of this cookbook is that it is a supremely useful manual for those seeking out the gastronomic adventure of international food. Intelligent in its approach to the practical side of cooking, Williams keeps things simple. All meals are portioned for six people, which at worst leaves the reader with ample leftovers. All measurements are standard American units, despite the metric system being in use in practically every country of origin in the book.

Probably the biggest challenge presented by the book is simply finding ingredients essential to authentic international cuisine, such as fresh Okinawan seaweed or dried hibiscus leaves. Making connections with local ethnic markets and restaurateurs is the key step towards finding the necessities. Perhaps not too far in the future, your neighborhood Fred Meyer will carry the Shanghai cabbage you need for Su Chao Mogu Qingcai. In the meantime, some of the recipes found in The Ethnomusicologists’ Cookbook may admittedly be out of our reach. But even in those few cases, the chances of the book standing the test of time are high. If included in the international section of a 1950s Betty Crocker, the required ingredients for simple Pad Thai would have been nearly impossible to obtain.

Even if your preferred palate never strays from American staples or particular ingredients are hard to find, The Ethnomusicologists’ Cookbook is a fascinating read. Working from the viewpoint of what you might call “gastromusicology”, Williams’s book connects music and food in a way heretofore unheard of for a cookbook, especially for one that spans every continent. Each national chapter includes a snippet by the contributing ethnomusicologist about their experience with that nation’s music and food, and even has a list of suggested listening while preparing the meals (hence the Tracy Chapman).

Williams also takes the opportunity to reach some interesting conclusions about the way in which Americans view food, such as that while most cultures have a single staple food (such as rice) that defines their daily eating, we synthesize many cuisines. In its practical and ideological approach, the book stays true to an idea that is arguably more vital and obvious in cultures other than our own: both meals and music are a social affair that binds families, friends and nations together. Altogether, the style, execution and recipes of The Ethnomusicologists’ Cookbook make for an exciting and accessible resource on international cuisine.

The Ethnomusicologists' Cookbook, Routledge; 1st edition (June 7, 2006); 332 pages; paperback $28.95, hard cover $100.