While some cities owe their existence to lumber, oil, or steel, Kansas City is arguably – or perhaps not so arguably – built on food.

From its earliest days as a provisioner for pioneers and traders headed west, KC evolved into a major marketer of the nation’s meat and wheat. Thousands also have made a living providing meals and hospitality to travelers passing through. As restaurateur and adopted son Fred Harvey noted, “Travel follows good food routes.”

In a discussion of her fascinating book Kansas City: A Food Biography, culinary historian and Johnson County Community College English professor Andrea Broomfield explores how a frontier town grew into a major metropolis famous for great cuisine, iconic dishes, and crossroads hospitality and how those features continue to define the city.