The Ethnic Restaurateur

Academic discussions of ethnic food have tended to focus on the attitudes of consumers, rather than the creators and producers. In this ground-breaking new book, Krishnendu Ray reverses this trend by exploring the culinary world from the perspective of the ethnic restaurateur.

Focusing on New York City, he examines the lived experience, work, memories, and aspirations of immigrants working in the food industry. He shows how migrants become established in new places, creating a taste of home and playing a key role in influencing food cultures as a result of transactions between producers, consumers and commentators.

Based on extensive interviews with immigrant restaurateurs and students, chefs and alumni at the Culinary Institute of America, ethnographic observation at immigrant eateries and haute institutional kitchens as well as historical sources such as the US census, newspaper coverage of restaurants, reviews, menus, recipes, and guidebooks, Ray reveals changing tastes in a major American city between the late 19th and through the 20th century.

Written by one of the most outstanding scholars in the field, The Ethnic Restaurateur is an essential read for students and academics in food studies, culinary arts, sociology, urban studies and indeed anyone interested in popular culture and cooking in the United States.

“In his book, Ray explores the history of how immigrants in the food industry have shaped American notions of good taste — even as they themselves may occupy the lower echelons of the social hierarchy … Today, seeking out ever more varied cuisine is still a mark of culinary sophistication.” –Maria Godoy, NPR’s The Salt

“After reading this book, I find myself paying much more attention to the ethnic restaurants in my neighborhood, and thinking about who owns them, who works in them, and why and how they arrived at their menus. This book will change the way you think about them too.” –Marion Nestle, Food Politics

“The Ethnic Restaurateur explores subordination and power in the domain of palatal taste which challenges standard theories of aesthetic taste and culture-making in an American city. … A very insightful sociological study on the American culinary world.” -Sarah Kahn, The Washington Book Review

“Ray...[sketches] the tiers of what he calls a 'global hierarchy of taste.' … Ultimately, [his] theory is addressing not just the construction of opinions about food, but about culture more generally.The global hierarchy of cultural taste is, in Ray’s eyes, arranged according to capital flows more than it is to any inherent beauty or virtue a culture may possess.” – The Atlantic

Mentioned in Live Mint

“Ray offers both macro and micro levels of study of contemporary relationships between the non-ethnic center and the ethnic others. … This book combines meticulous ethnographic descriptions with refined theoretical analysis of the social aspects of taste, culture and power relations. … It will be of great interest to scholars of food studies, sociology and anthropology of food, culture, taste and consumption; but also to anybody concerned with ethnicity, immigration and diasporic studies, urban studies and sociology and anthropology of the body.” - Rafi Grosglik, Brandeis University