Following in the footsteps of the former editors, Yvonne R. Lockwood and William G. Lockwood, is a rather intimidating proposition. They have made the Digest into a professional quality journal that in its inclusiveness of content has represented scholarship from a variety of disciplines--culinary history, nutritional sciences, cultural and nutritional anthropology, sociology, folklore. It is this inclusiveness that I hope to continue, to provide a forum for the "interdisciplinary study of food and foodways."

I bring to this study a perspective grounded in folklore. As a graduate student of Don Yoder (among others) at the University of Pennsylvania, I was introduced to a vast array of food cultures, cuisines and ways of thinking about food. Folklore offers a perspective that approaches food and the human activities and meanings surrounding food as aesthetic, cultural, and social productions and communications. Theoretical models in folklore tend to deal with culture as a system of malleable resources for people to manipulate in their creation of meaning in their own artistic and social endeavors. While traditional foods (those having an historical continuity in a community and those whose production tends to be controlled by the individual rather than mass-mediated) have formed the basis of folklore foodways scholarship, these concepts are applicable to any type of food or food behavior.

In keeping with this inclusiveness, this issue contains articles on foods from popular culture as well as from more traditional communities. Spam and ramen, two items that represent the epitome of non-traditional, commercial foods, are examined by Sojin Kim and R. Mark Livengood in a revised version of their paper that won the Sue Samuelson Prize in 1995. Suzanne Waldenberger explores a commercially produced genre of bread, while Maurie Sacks muses on changing attitudes towards the definition of Kosher foods. Helen Tangires provides a photo essay on an ethnic pastry tradition in the U.S., and Amy Bentley re-examines a classic work in sociology and its relevance to contemporary foodways scholarship. Two syllabi for food courses are also included, and recent publications, conferences, and other food organizations are mentioned in order to keep foodways scholars informed about recent scholarship and activities.

Submissions for the 1996 issue of the Digest are now being accepted. In addition to critical and theoretical articles, I am particularly interested in receiving field reports of work in progress and would like to include reviews of exhibits, festivals, museums, and films as well. Course syllabi and book reviews are also welcome. And, of course, suggestions for additional subjects and formats are always useful.

In addition, I would like to thank the various individuals who have worked with me on this issue: editorial assistant, Cheri Goldner, associate editor, Dr. Marilyn Motz, and student assistants Elisabeth Nixon, Julie Clevidence and Marcella Bush. The Department of Popular Culture has provided institutional support, while Yvonne Lockwood has continued to provide well-informed advice and encouragement.

Lucy Long,
Editor