Questions about what we eat and how it’s prepared have long been an important part of American culture, but until relatively recently most Americans were more likely to bite into a hot dog than to engage in spirited discussions about the finer details of food and its preparation. That’s no longer the case. Over the past decade, food and its preparation have become something of a national obsession. From restaurant reviews to discussions of the latest developments on the Food Network to articles in magazines such as Saveur, Bon Appétit, and Vegetarian Times, it’s hard to get through a week without encountering a review of something related to food.

In response to this interest, the “food review” has emerged as a popular form of evaluation. Like restaurant reviews, the writers of food reviews seldom define their evaluative criteria. They assume that readers share their values, such as taste and the use of healthy ingredients. Unlike restaurant reviews, which tend to focus on the context in which the food is prepared and served, food reviews tend to focus more on the food itself, often calling attention to the distinctive qualities of particular foods and the experience of preparing or eating the food.

In most cases, this focus reflects a desire to help readers understand the growing range of options — healthy and otherwise — that they can explore. Sometimes, as in the review that follows, food reviews are closely tied to location and culture. Travelers who are visiting a city for the first time, for example, will frequently want to learn about the cuisines associated with the area and their origins. Food reviews provide a response to their needs and interests.