This article examines why, despite its obvious importance, food receives so little academic attention, especially in traditional liberal arts disciplines like history.  Four historical factors seem to be involved: a residual Protestantism ethic, the feminization of food processing, technological utopianism, and corporate mystification.  I also discuss two courses that put food studies at the center of the liberal arts/humanities curriculum.  In conclusion, I advocate food study because it is highly interdisciplinary, requires a generalist orientation, involves intensive writing, and fosters moral responsibility.

Keywords: food studies, education, history