Yummy: A History of Desserts

Yummy is the first graphic novel I have ever read where food sprites are the narrators. Our main host is Peri, and she has great enthusiasm for all things sweet. She embarks on a highly engaging, deep dive into the history of desserts that also spans the globe. There are chapters about cake, pie, donuts, ice cream, gummies, brownies, cookies, and macaroons, and I learned a lot about each delicious sweet as well as world history and even some science. What is more, she is accompanied by two other food sprites who give insights into major innovators in the worlds of desserts and baking, like Fannie Farmer, as well as dispelling myths or exploring legends about the origins of specific foods like chocolate chip cookies, waffle cones, and nun farts (for real). There are even recipes for delights such as ice cream, snickerdoodles, and blueberry pie.

Along the way, I also saw lots of insight into how sociocultural matters have influenced dessert. At first, they were only really for special occasions or available to those either lucky enough to live in places where specific ingredients like vanilla or sugar could be cultivated. Also, the time and energy put into making some of these foods also meant that they were likely only for those rich enough to afford bakers to make them. Over time, innovations due to increased trade and travel meant that some foods evolved, such as egg tarts in China coming from goods originally traded from Portugal or the Persian beverage sharbat evolving into Italian sorbetto and eventually American sherbet.

There is so much jam-packed into this book that makes it rewarding to read and re-read. I suggest that it be approached in chunks, as there is a lot to take in, even for enthusiastic readers. Also, some sections are a little text heavy, but the colorful illustrations and characters bring a great sense of joy and energy to the proceedings. This book is a delight to read as well as a treasure trove of information.

This is the debut graphic novel by Victoria Grace Elliott, though she is not a newcomer to comics. She is best known for her webcomic Balderdash, or a tale of two witches. She speaks more about her work on this graphic novel in this interview and is currently working on the sequel, Yummy: A History of Tasty Experiments.

All of the reviews I have read of the book have been positive. Jason Flatt called it "smartly crafted, adorably illustrated, wonderfully rich." Steven Thompson observed, "Although ostensibly about foods we know, we also learn a considerable amount of geography, ancient history, and even more than a smattering of science." Lisa Gullickson wrote that the book is "charming beyond measure, and that is what makes the message so effective."

Yummy: A History of Desserts was published by Random House Graphic, and they offer more information about it here.