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Larry Olmsted
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Real Food/Fake Food: Why You Don't Know What You're Eating and What You Can Do About It Paperback – October 3, 2017

by Larry Olmsted (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 1,203 ratings
Goodreads Choice Award nominee
See all formats and editions
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“Olmsted makes you insanely hungry and steaming mad--a must-read for anyone who cares deeply about the safety of our food and the welfare of our planet.” —Steven Raichlen, author of the Barbecue! Bible series

“The world is full of delicious, lovingly crafted foods that embody the terrain, weather, and culture of their origins. Unfortunately, it’s also full of brazen impostors. In this entertaining and important book, Olmsted helps us fall in love with the real stuff and steer clear of the fraudsters.” —Kirk Kardashian, author of Milk Money: Cash, Cows, and the Death of the American Dairy Farm

You’ve seen the headlines: Parmesan cheese made from wood pulp. Lobster rolls containing no lobster at all. Extra-virgin olive oil that isn’t. So many fake foods are in our supermarkets, our restaurants, and our kitchen cabinets that it’s hard to know what we’re eating anymore. In Real Food / Fake Food, award-winning journalist Larry Olmsted convinces us why real food matters and empowers consumers to make smarter choices.

Olmsted brings readers into the unregulated food industry, revealing the shocking deception that extends from high-end foods like olive oil, wine, and Kobe beef to everyday staples such as coffee, honey, juice, and cheese. It’s a massive bait and switch in which counterfeiting is rampant and in which the consumer ultimately pays the price.

But Olmsted does more than show us what foods to avoid. A bona fide gourmand, he travels to the sources of the real stuff to help us recognize what to look for, eat, and savor: genuine Parmigiano-Reggiano from Italy, fresh-caught grouper from Florida, authentic port from Portugal. Real foods that are grown, raised, produced, and prepared with care by masters of their craft. Part cautionary tale, part culinary crusade, Real Food / Fake Food is addictively readable, mouthwateringly enjoyable, and utterly relevant.
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  1. Print length
    352 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Algonquin Books
  4. Publication date
    October 3, 2017
  5. Dimensions
    7.9 x 1.1 x 8.25 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1616207418
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1616207410
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

New York Times Bestseller
Washington Post Bestseller
National Post Bestseller (Canada)
 
“Olmsted’s well-researched exposé reveals how often what we eat isn’t what it seems. (Parmesan cheese made of wood pulp or fake lobster rolls, anyone?) Eye-opening.”
—PEOPLE magazine
 
“Olmsted boldly walks readers through a course in food authenticity that covers olive oil, cheese, Champagne, seafood, steak, coffee, and more. Readers will be inspired by his intensity and clarity, and floored by how far some counterfeiters go to fool consumers and some historic food institutions go to protect their products and their names. Olmsted’s research is impressive, and he lets no stone go unturned. He lets the terrifying facts speak for themselves, adding just a little humor . . . Olmsted’s sharp language will hopefully put fires under counterfeiters everywhere . . . With the guiding hand of a good friend and prose that keeps the reader’s eye moving, Olmsted insists that readers ‘shop better and cook more.’”
—Publishers Weekly, starred review
 
“Equal parts foodie chronicle and investigative exposé . . . Real Food / Fake Food is less treatise than guidebook, showing readers how to navigate an increasingly complex food system.”
—Outside magazine
 
“Required reading for cooks who genuinely care about quality and health . . . a fascinating read that sheds light on our under-regulated food industry. The book also serves as a handy guide to what items consumers should avoid, and how to find and identify the real deal.”
—CookingLight.com
 
 “A striking look at the food industry. It’s unnerving that so many people don't know what authentic olive oil or port wine tastes like because they’ve been undersold on some off-shoot knock off and no one is raising a flag — until now.”
—Ming Tsai, author, chef, and host of PBS’s Simply Ming

“Larry Olmstead makes you insanely hungry and steaming mad in this provocative account of how fraud threatens not just the world’s great craft foods (think caviar, Kobe beef, and Parmigiano-Reggiano) but our everyday diet. A must-read for anyone who cares deeply about the safety of our food and the welfare our planet.”
—Steven Raichlen, author of the Barbecue! Bible cookbook series and host of Project Smoke and Primal Grill on PBS

“Do not take another bite or swallow another sip of anything, for your sake and the sake of your children, before reading Real Food Fake Food. It is the health equivalent of Ralph Nader's expose Unsafe at any Speed. The content blows the doors off the kitchens.” 
—Michael Patrick Shiels, radio host and author of Invite Yourself to the Party

“Larry Olmsted’s meticulously researched tour de force is chilling for what he uncovers about the food industry. At the same time his love of great food and his skill in writing about it make me want to try every one of the real foods he recommends. A must-read for anyone with an interest in, well, eating.”
—Dan Dunn, author of American Wino: A Tale of Reds, Whites and One Man’s Blues

“The world is full of delicious, lovingly-crafted foods that embody the terrain, weather, and culture of their origins. Unfortunately, it’s also full of brazen impostors that are hard to identify. In this entertaining and important book, Larry Olmsted helps us fall in love with the real stuff and steer clear of the fraudsters. I'll never look at a menu the same way again.”
—Kirk Kardashian, author of Milk Money: Cash, Cows, and the Death of the American Dairy Farm

“In his solidly researched new book, USA Today food and travel columnist Olmsted, a well-traveled and knowledgeable food writer, takes readers on an enlightening but frequently disturbing culinary journey. While providing fascinating insights into where and how some of the most delicious food products are produced, the author also reveals how often these are imitated to detrimental effect…A provocative yet grounded look at the U.S. food industry.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“This is an important book to help all buyers shop prudently and with a wary eye toward the claims of food producers. Recommended for all consumers along with policymakers, those interested in food science, and marketing professionals.”
—Library Journal
 
“Olmsted gives us the lay of this seedy landscape with momentum and aplomb. He demystifies the process by which fake ingredients end up in your shopping cart, explains why some of these deceitful foods could be a real threat to your health, and sheds a light on the government policies and shortsighted commercialism that landed them there.”
—Mother Jones

From the Back Cover

Do not take another bite or swallow another sip of anything before reading Real Food / Fake Food. *

It's unnerving that so many people don't know what authentic olive oil or port wine tastes like because they've been undersold on some offshoot knockoff and no one is raising a flag--until now. Ming Tsai, author, chef, and host of PBS s Simply Ming

Larry Olmsted s meticulously researched tour de force is chilling for what he uncovers about the food industry. Dan Dunn, author of American Wino: A Tale of Reds, Whites, and One Man s Blues

This is the health equivalent of Ralph Nader's expose Unsafe at Any Speed. The content blows the doors off the kitchens. *Michael Patrick Shiels, author of Invite Yourself to the Party

Where's the Kobe Beef?: More than 99.9 percent of the so-called Kobe beef sold in this country is Fake.

Parmesan-Gate: Most Parmesan cheese sold in the United States, grated or whole, cheap or expensive, is Fake.

The Restaurant Scam: Restaurants can claim any food is organic or dry aged, heritage breed or wild caught. Even names of farms and types of fish are misrepresented to justify higher prices.

The Extra-Virgin Olive Oil Racket: Though widely considered the healthiest fat, 75 to 80 percent of the extra-virgin olive oil sold in this country is Fake, and some is even dangerous.

The Sushi Fraud: DNA testing was used to compare the fish that menus offered with the actual species brought to the table in New York City sushi restaurants. In the largest study, 100 percent of the restaurants had lied.

The Seafood Swap: A third of the seafood sold in this country is intentionally mislabeled.
"

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Algonquin Books; Reprint edition (October 3, 2017)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 352 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1616207418
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1616207410
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.4 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.9 x 1.1 x 8.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 1,203 ratings

About the author

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Larry Olmsted

Larry Olmsted

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Larry Olmsted is an award-winning journalist and bestselling author who has published several books and thousands of articles for major newspapers and magazines worldwide over the past 25-plus years. As an undergraduate at Georgetown University he was named a George F. Baker Scholar, and after graduate school at Dartmouth College he was honored as the annual distinguished alum speaker for the Masters in Arts and Liberal Studies program. He taught non-fiction creative writing to graduate students as a Visiting Professor at Dartmouth. He was named one of the “10 Most Extreme U.S. Journalists,” by the Society of Professional Journalists and Travel Writer of the Year by the State of Mississippi.

His newest book, Fans: How Watching Sports Makes Us Happier, Healthier and More Understanding has received critical acclaim, including the Wall Street Journal. Forbes called it a “must-read for every sports fan,” and it was ranked Number Two on a list of the most anticipated sports books of 2021.

His previous book, Real Food, Fake Food: Why You Don’t Know What You’re Eating & What You Can Do About It, was a New York Times hardcover bestseller, an audiobook bestseller, and a bestseller in Canada. It was named to Best Books of the Year lists by People Magazine, Outside Magazine, Apple iBooks and has been republished in several foreign languages.

Olmsted has been a long-term print columnist for two of America’s three national newspapers, Investor’s Business Daily and USA Today, and has written for many other prominent papers including the Financial Times, Los Angeles Times, New York Daily News, Boston Globe, Denver Post, South China Post, and others. He currently writes one of the most popular digital columns for Forbes, is a regular contributor to USA Today and USAToday.com, and is a longtime contributing editor for Cigar Aficionado magazine. His other magazine work has included Playboy, Popular Science, Outside, Men’s Health, Inc., Worth, American Airlines’ American Way, United Airlines’ Hemispheres, US Airways Magazine, Robb Report, Golf Magazine, Mastercard Luxury, and dozens more.

He is a frequent guest expert who gave a TEDx talk, has been a panelist at Austin’s South by Southwest festival, and appears on television and radio shows including CBS This Morning, ESPN SportsCenter, Inside Edition, Dr. Oz, The Doctors, numerous network news shows and NPR radio.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
1,203 global ratings
Great read if you love great food and are pissed ...
5 Stars
Great read if you love great food and are pissed ...
Great read if you love great food and are pissed at the crap you are too often served. Larry tells the tale of how special food has been created in special places by special people for centuries. And how the world has corrupted that great food into a fake mess of bad tasting "food" that has no real relationship to the label on the package. Love being a real foodie you will love the book. If your favorite foods are made by Kraft, Swanson or Little Debbie it's best to pass on this book.
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Top reviews from the United States

examiner
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Text: From a Gourmet/ Health Nut/ and Master of Detail!
Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2021
Verified Purchase
After reading a few pages, I was disappointed by Mr. Olmsted's considerable attention to detail in reporting his gourmet food fests in different countries. But soon, I realized my gross error.

In the last couple of years, I have learned how difficult it is to shop for healthy foods in the United States. Too much confusion--trickery--and unhealthy products on the market.
"
Real Food/ Fake Food" is a wonderful text. It more than meets my objective of learning to shop for healthy foods. True, I had to exercise a bit of patience in weaving through Mr. Olmsted's very detailed explanations of the underpinnings of healthy and gourmet foods in the United States and in other countries. But soon, even those explanations began to interest me. (The chapters on evaluating and buying health meats, alone, makes this text an excellent buy.)

An entire chapter on parmesan cheese? . . . Oh well. But I have a keen sense of taste, and I soon found that I was also learning quite a lot about certain foods that "do" interest me--simply because of their superior taste. For instance, I was very interested in the chapters on cheese and wine. My guess is that you will likely find one or more chapters on Mr. Olmsted's gourmet approach to and histories of specific foods that also interests you.

Thank-you, thank-you, Mr. Olmstead. In recent months, I have bought half a dozen books on healthy foods. But, surprisingly, yours is the most informative.
9 people found this helpful
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bootsie
5.0 out of 5 stars U must be brave if u seek truth, this book is a must read if u care about health
Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2024
Verified Purchase
I’m sick of what the FDA allows, which is EVERYTHING poison! They are a huge part of our Tax payers budget $2.7 TRILLION Annually, to be exact!?!?!Originally designed to protect Americans in what is allowable to consume (eat) they are instead, purposefully KILLING US, if you don’t prematurely die from the garbage you are purchasing at grocery stores with cancers, then you will purposefully b tied with chains to the Pharmacy industry ( did u know each dr who prescribes cancer drugs is paid thousands of dollars?!?!) as we all age sickly, due to the absolute poison allowed in our foods, WHERE DID THE FDA GO, WHAT HAPPENED TO OUR SAFTY NET? Let us not forget to mention the BIOENGINEERED groceries that line the store shelves. It’s increasingly hard to find healthy alternatives, not even your “fresh”,( fresh now forever) w/ the new poisoned sprays to elongate the life of fresh fruits n veggies! This book was intended for the brave of heart, unfortunately it will break your heart, injury your soul and forever damage what you thought about how our country has now become our enemy., on so many fronts it’s mind boggling!
4 people found this helpful
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R. Mesnard
4.0 out of 5 stars Narrow scope, but excellent information
Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2016
Verified Purchase
Our household is very careful about the food we buy, which is why I was quite interested in this book by Mr. Olmstead. I was fortunate to hear the interview of him on the Diane Rehm show as well. However, I found this book to be rather frustrating, though it does contain a wealth of interesting and, at times, compelling information. We tend to buy organic whenever possible, and constantly struggle with the budget challenges that presents. So I was hopeful this book would not only provide a sort of guide map for selecting high quality foods, but would also either reassure me that the organic brand is worth while, or dissuade me from spending the extra cash on organic labeled products.
Regarding the organic brand, it is never directly addressed. There are many comments that cast significant doubt on the organic label, and others that suggest you look for the label. Certainly, it depends on the food under consideration. In some cases, such as seafood, there is no organic standard. However, in others Mr. Olmstead presents the picture of a defined standard that is not enforced. I'm left pretty much where I started - choose organic when possible, even if it isn't 100% accurate. Further, it always pays to have some idea of the 'provenance' of the product - country of origin, farm, etc... even if that can be faked.
I was also a little surprised to see two entire chapters devoted to meat, an entire chapter on Champagne and Scotch, an entire chapter on wines. As a book on 'food', it is really a book about seafood, olive oils, kobe beef, wine and spirits, and cheese. Not much else. I think this book speaks more to the food preferences of Mr. Olmstead than a more comprehensive treatment of the thousands of food products you'll find in a typical grocery store. What he left out could fill volumes. His often long ramblings about regional culture, specific farms and villages, his travels and his food experiences tended to obscure what I was looking for based on the title of the book. A better title might have been: "Larry's World of Food" or something like that.
Bottom line - excellent information, but for a limited set of foods and beverages.
512 people found this helpful
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Zach and Deanna Hails
5.0 out of 5 stars Eye-opening read!
Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2023
Verified Purchase
Reading this book has forever changed the way I will shop for food. Mr. Olmsted did a great job of providing the reader with knowledge on how and what to look for when shopping for real ingredients.
4 people found this helpful
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E. D.
3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Read
Reviewed in the United States on February 29, 2024
Verified Purchase
Interesting read, informative, but seems a bit padded - information on a handful of often-faked items and interesting history behind them, but scope feels limited and written less for information than entertainment overall. Not bad - not as good as I had hoped either.
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Bob Battaglia
5.0 out of 5 stars A good read for anyone interested in food
Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2024
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The only problem is the material needs to be updated
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CARLOS LABASTIDA VILLEGAS
5.0 out of 5 stars la calidad de la información brindada
Reviewed in Mexico on January 31, 2024
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Para apoyo de proyectos académicos
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A.D
5.0 out of 5 stars Informative book
Reviewed in Canada on January 22, 2022
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This is a very informative book, arrived as promised, good quality used book
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Mrs. C. Hanson
5.0 out of 5 stars Read and learn......
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 8, 2019
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Good book, informative. I buy the occasional ready meal, but no more. I eat very little meat, but after reading this book it will be organic only. Read and learn.
One person found this helpful
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bbuser
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic book and lots of useful information
Reviewed in Canada on November 11, 2016
Verified Purchase
Fantastic book and lots of useful information. Haven't come across any conflicting information in the book yet. Would highly recommend this for someone who's health conscious and wants to improve what they intake in terms of food.
One person found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Eye opener
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 10, 2016
Verified Purchase
I never realised that food was so misrepresented. Fish, beef, olive oil - no one (i.e., government) is watching or monitoring the claims of food authenticity. That cheats us and the people that are providing it honestly. Well written book.
2 people found this helpful
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