Dr. Eric C. Rath is a professor of history at the University of Kansas where he teaches courses on food history and premodern Japan. A leading specialist in Japanese food culture, Dr. Rath has authored more than thirty articles on Japanese food culture from ancient to modern times covering the history of food rituals, heirloom vegetables, confectionery, restaurants, tableware, and eating competitions. His books include
Food and Fantasy in Early Modern Japan (2010),
Japanese Foodways Past and Present coedited with Stephanie Assmann (2010),
Japan’s Cuisines: Food, Place and Identity (2016), and
Oishii: The History of Sushi (2021). He is on the editorial board of the
Oxford Research Encyclopedia for Food Studies and is a founding member of the editorial collective of
Gastronomica: The Journal for Food Studies. He has written for the popular publications
Sake Today and
The Sake Times.
His recent monograph, the topic for today’s conversation,
Kanpai: The History of Sake (Reaktion Books, 2025), is the first history of sake in English, exploring its evolution from homebrew to flavored varieties, and its cultural significance and global rise—including its growing popularity and production in North America and Europe.