This book presents an overview of how we talk about food, how we interact in its presence, how we use food to communicate, and how social interaction feeds us. It takes linguistic and anthropological perspectives while also bringing in research from other related disciplines. "The human mouth is a paradoxical organ, used for opposed activities of speaking and eating, communication and commensality, meaning and materiality. This pioneering textbook, organized as a series of encounters between food and language, serves as a unique and welcome introduction to both linguistic anthropology and the anthropology of food." - Paul Manning, Trent University, Canada "This book by Kathleen C.Riley and Amy L. Paugh is an excellent and needed resource for scholars and students in Linguistic Anthropology and allied fields interested in the intersection of food and language. With sophisticated content written in clear and accessible language, the authors provide a valuable overview of contemporary approaches to studying the multidirectional influences between linguistic and cultural practices about and surrounding food and illustrate with effective ethnographic examples." - Alexandra Jaffe, California State University, USA