The volume traces etymologies, unpacks recipes, explores translation strategies, and analyzes food-related cultural narratives. Topics range from Italian cookbooks and Persian bread-making to Portuguese loanwords in French food terms, Polish adaptations of Chinese cuisine, the origins of pastrami, Steinbeck’s wartime food descriptions, and fasting during the English Reformation. Spanning disciplines and continents, the contributions offer a rich exploration of food’s cultural and linguistic significance. As food studies continues to expand into new territories – interweaving linguistic, digital, and cultural approaches – this volume contributes to the ongoing conversation about the role of food in shaping our past, understanding our present, and influencing our future.