Andrew F. Smith
Andrew F. Smith (born 1946), sometimes called Andy Smith or Andy F. Smith, is a historian of food. He has been a professor of food studies at the New School since 1996.[1][2]
He is the author or editor of thirty-two books. He was editor-in-chief of both editions of the The Oxford Encyclopedia on Food and Drink in America[3][4] and is editor of the Reaktion Books series “Edible” and “Food Controversies”.
He received the Amelia Award of the Culinary Historians of New York in 2012.[5]
Career
[edit]Smith received an M.A. from University of California, Riverside in 1972 and taught social studies for several years.[6]
Smith started writing about food history in 1982, when he became intrigued by the story of Robert Gibbon Johnson and his supposed brave demonstration of eating a tomato to demonstrate that it was not poisonous. He wrote an article debunking the story in 1990[7] which became the kernel of his book The Tomato in America.[8]
He has taught at the New School's food studies program since 1996.
He has been a consultant to several PBS series, including Eat: The Story of Food.[9]
Select Publications
[edit]- editor in chief, The Oxford Encyclopedia on Food and Drink in America, 2004, 2013
- Food in America: The Past, Present and Future of Food, Farming and the Family Meal (ABC-CLIO, 2017)
- Savoring Gotham: A Food Lover’s Companion to New York City (Oxford University Press, 2015)
- Fast Food: The Good, the Bad and the Hungry (Reaktion 2016)
- Why Waste Food? (Reaktion Books, 2020)
References
[edit]- ^ "Andrew Smith". The New School, Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
- ^ "Professor Andy Smith Publishes 'Food and the Environment'". Tishman Environment and Design Center. 2017-02-27. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
- ^ Smith, Andrew F., ed. (2004). The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America (1st ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-515437-5.
- ^ Smith, Andrew F., ed. (2013). The Oxford encyclopedia of food and drink in America (2nd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-973496-2.
- ^ "Andrew F. Smith: Amelia Award Recipient: 2012". Culinary Historians of NY. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
- ^ "Andrew Smith Resume/CV | The New School University, Food Studies, Faculty Member". newschool.academia.edu. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
- ^ Smith, Andrew F. (1990). "The Making of the Legend of Robert Gibbon Johnson and the Tomato". New Jersey History. 108 (3): 59–74.
- ^ Smith, Andrew F. (2001). The tomato in America: early history, culture, and cookery. Urbana, Ill.: University of Illinois Press. Preface. ISBN 978-0-252-07009-9.
- ^ Warner, Scott (2015-06-20). "The Not Always Sweet History of Sugar". Culinary Historians of Chicago. Retrieved 2026-06-23.