When I first heard the phrase “rhetoric of food,” nothing came to mind. It sounded very intellectual but was essentially void of meaning for me. After spending a semester studying this very topic, I have a better understanding of what the rhetoric of food means.

Rhetoric, simply, is the art of persuasive communication. This was my starting block for understanding the rhetoric of food. Through our class discussions, readings, and writing projects, I now approach a piece of writing differently. When I read a recipe, there is much to consider. Who is the author? Who is the audience? Where is this author coming from? What’s his or her religion, ethnicity, cultural upbringing? What is the author’s goal in writing? All of these questions drastically affect writing and they all play in to the rhetoric of writing.

When I now think of the rhetoric of food, I think about the discourse surrounding food; I think of the multitude of elements that vie for influence in a story; I think of the layers of meaning underneath the simple words on a page. The rhetoric of food is not a vague concept but the meaning infused in every piece of writing.