Shows / The History of American Food
The History of American Food
Starting with the first English settlements in the 17th Century, this podcasts traces how we went from barrels of salted meat & peas to Korean bbq tacos and the largest grocery store selections ever seen anywhere in the world. We'll go everywhere - and it is full of surprises.
Show Notes: https://thehistoryofamericanfood.blogspot.com/
Email: TheHistoryofAmericanFood@gmail.com
Substack: https://thoafood.substack.com/
Internets: @THoAFood
Episodes
- The History of American Food
189 Is This the Episode Where We Get Cowboys? Cattle & Beef in the Late 19th Century
I wanna be a cowboy? Maybe? Anyway - there were 50 years of the Good Cowboy Years... and the way the interacted with the opening up of the Louisina Purchase…
- The History of American Food
188 Food Safety v. Dangerous Food - The Fight for Food Labeling in the 19th Century
Do your own research is quite the thing to say - but imagine if there were no laws... iand more importantly no regulations around what you could say about what…
- The History of American Food
187 New Pig Butchery in the Train Age - You SHOULD Know How the Sausage Gets Made
Thi week I argue that you should pay attention to how the sausage gets made. And not doing so resulted in the bland, mostly the same American sausages that…
- The History of American Food
186 Business Beer at the End of the 19th Century
Normally my episodes are not timely - but it is fun to be releasing an episode on the start of the Modern American Beer Style when two of the great beer cities…
- The History of American Food
185 New Ice in a New Age
There are lots of moments that have changed American Food - sugar imports, the discovery of sweet oranges, but nothing - to me is as defining as the mechanical…
- The History of American Food
184 Fats - Slippery
Last Science Episode for awhile. This one is all about fats. What they are, what they do in our bodies, and some wild speculation about what effects our solid…
- The History of American Food
183 Carbohydrates - Sticky
Come listen while I answer the important questions: What is a Carbohydrate? Tune in! Can you actually eliminate all sugar from your diet? Yes! But No in 3…
- The History of American Food
182 Proteins: Stringy - Updated
Science - it is back! America has long had a thing about thinking about food as components rather than ingredients. So to help you navigate through what some…
- The History of American Food
181 Milk Pail, Milk Bottle, Milk at Home
I'll just grab a glass of milk... When did that become a thing? Becasue - it is a VERY American thing. RIght up there with cold cereal for breakfast. Turns out…
- The History of American Food
180 America Goes on a Diet - Part 2 : It's Time to Learn About Cold Cereal & How You Don't Chew Your Food Enough
This week we bust open the most United States of America food of all. Cold Cereal My research has lead me to this - Cold Cereal is the first thing that can be…
- The History of American Food
179 Food in Paper, Food in Boxes
An important element essential to modern American food didn't happen until the end of the 19th century. But as with so many of the other elements that are…
- The History of American Food
Alas... a 3 Week Break
Hang in there ... and I'll be back. Hopefully - some interesting posts on the Socials Media Music Credit: Fingerlympics by Doctor Turtle Substack…
- The History of American Food
178 The History of Paper
This week we go back in time to learn about how we got paper. It's been with us for a long time, but until the end of the 19th century it was mostly old…
- The History of American Food
177 Bringing the Sea's Bounty to You - In a Can - But at what Cost?
Wanna see bears? goto Explore.org See how many Alaskan canneries there where? Or see more about the Diamond NN Cannery? Follow the links And then listen in to…
- The History of American Food
176 New Technology for American Corn
Today's corn episode I am reminded that my intial question of do I include corn in my logo or not? I made the correct decision. Corn is there - but it's…
- The History of American Food
175 New American Sugar
Sugar can reasonably be called "The White Stuff" It makes us happy - and yet people are willing to abuse it, and commit crimes to make it happen. The late 19th…
- The History of American Food
174 Foreign Salt, Local Salt, Industrial Salt
This week is the start of a few shows on the bad mic. And it is all my fault. But "A" mic is still better than no show at all. Let’s talk salt in late 19th…
The History of American Food173.5 BONUS Interview - The Pickled City
This week I talk to Designers, Authors and Storytellers Paul van Ravestein and Monique Mulder about their book The Pickled CIty Availible in Bookstores now! We…
- The History of American Food
173 Potatoes for Frontier & Factory
How did America become the land of Meat & Potatoes I don't have all the answers yet - but I think I've found the well spring of the "& potatoes" portion. I'm…
- The History of American Food
172 The Potato - A History
Po-tay-toes Where are they from? Why do we call them Irish? Are they poisonous? And what was the blight? I answer all these questions and more - as well as…
- The History of American Food
171 Iron Has New Jobs in Food
Iron is back and it has a bunch of new tricks up it sleeves. Sure we still cook on it - but it's doing lots of other new things it has never done before. And…
- The History of American Food
Season 6 Preview - I Wanna Go Fast
Let's Go Season 6 (last season was way more dreary than I had thought) All I can say is Ice Cream for Everyone - and let's road trip... Rail Trip? The end of…
- The History of American Food
170 Prisoner of War Food for - Wait How Many Guys? The Long Tail of War
The LAST Civil War Episode becasue I'm writing this - and have decided that is ENOUGH Civil War. And, yes I'm not happy about writing about war while there is…
- The History of American Food
169 Not Enough Railroads Will Make You Salty in the Bad Way
Every seasone needs a salt episode! And here it is. It's mainly about why the South was without salt - and how that meant they couldn't keep food around. That…
- The History of American Food
168 If Music Be the Food of Love, Are Drugs the Food of War?
How long has America been dealing with Opiod Epidemics? If you said - since the 1860's you get a piece of Hardtack! Yes - just as war came up with more…
- The History of American Food
167 The American Civil War, Thanksgiving & Eating Our Feelings
Yeah yeah - why a Thanksgiving Episode in April? Is this worse than Christmas in July? No, really, it makes sense. Especially becasue during the Civil War…
- The History of American Food
166 Feeding the Sick and Injured in The Civil War: Apparently You Can't Run a War Without Women
In the Last Big War we threw in America we still had "Camp Followers" to do the laundry, the nursing and a good amount of the cooking (not to mention helping…
- The History of American Food
165 Is This Enough Food to Feed an Army? & What Were They Thinking?
I am a producer on an Emmy Nominated Documentary. Check it out here: Women's Work - The Untold Story of America's Female Farmers The Emmy Nomination!!!!! Why…
- The History of American Food
164 Feeding an Army: A History with a Lot of Holes - On Purpose
This week we get to look back at more of why War is Awful - and it's not JUST becasue of the food. We also talk about why war food was predictably awful for…
- The History of American Food
163 The First Canned Food War
This week canned food is the main character. And it has the power to change the world, becaseu just like barrels of salted meat and ships biscuit - it's going…
- The History of American Food
162 The Army Says Eat Your Vegetables
Sure people complain about mashed potatoes made from potato flakes now - but dehydrated vegetables in their first iteration were far, far worse. In fact some…
- The History of American Food
161 Hardtack, Softbread & Meal - Daily Bread in the War of Rebellion
I'm Back and it's bread. The American Civil War (the War of Rebellion is where suddenly we start really naming American Bread. Sure yeah, hard bread is nothing…
- The History of American Food
160 Season 5 Preview: War Changes Everything Except it Never Does
Welcome back to American Food! Sorry about the big break, and even more sorry to be talking about war food ... during war. Blech But it is interesting, and my…
- The History of American Food
Season 5 Promo - War Food... but with Trains
I'm back and it's been so long. Find out why! Music Credit: Fingerlympics by Doctor Turtle Substack: https://thoafood.substack.com/ Email…
- The History of American Food
159.5 The Turkey History Episode... Just for Fun
It's been a little while since I put up this Tukey History Episode! Since Thanksgiving Week is also Episode Week - why not throw this one in for fun? Learn…
- The History of American Food
159 The Roots of Grocery Store Culture Lie in a Big Country
It's the last Episode of Season 4! And I think I've finally answered one of my opening questions - why did America make our grocery stores the way we did? As…
- The History of American Food
158 Are You Rich Enough or Poor Enough to Hunt in the Early 19th Century?
So far America is pretty hostile to everyday hunting - but for some reason we keep adding categories. And lets face it, for a country that keeps talking about…
- The History of American Food
157 More Plates You Say? Let's Make Dining More Complicated
After years of no plates, not enough plates and just enough plates - you suddenly have access to many plates and pretty plates. What's a hostess of fashion to…
The History of American Food156 The History of Plates
Every wondered how we got into this fix of needing so many plates - or more specifically why you’re supposed to put a set of plates on a registry for a wedding…
- The History of American Food
155 Whales - They Start to Bring the Kitchen Indoors and Change Dinner Time
As a child reader, I always thought it was so quaint that "dinner" was this old-timey word for lunch. It was a "Dinner Pail" - which was a crude Indian Tiffin…
- The History of American Food
154 Fashionable Vegetables from Europe & Stealth Ones from America
Celebrate National Public Lands Day by finding a place to visit and get involved at NEEFAUSA.og or NPS.gov And get into what was getting to be popular as…
- The History of American Food
153 Coffee Finds a New Home
Wake up America! Coffee is on its way to becoming the drink of the people. Sure Cider and Beer are out there... but coffee is coming up on the outside. But how…
- The History of American Food
152 Early 19th Century Tea - Still Extremely Fashionable
Last show on the substandard mic - but the paper towel as popfilter helped some. Let's talk tea - what tea were people drinking in the early 19th century? The…
- The History of American Food
151 The First Chinese Food in America
First of all - sorry about the diferent mic. But this way we get the episode. I'll see what I can do to make things better for next ep - and all will be back…
- The History of American Food
150 Lobster - From Poor Man's Chicken to Fancy Canned Good
Think you're fancy with your lobster roll... or did you get it from a Massachusetts McDonalds? All are possible... and much more - including death by lobster…
- The History of American Food
149 Trains & Buying Stuff in the Early 19th Century - The Birth of American Consumer Culture
Have you ever thought how we got here - that farm land is all AWAY and houses are all in close? That products come to you... and packaging is often more…
- The History of American Food
148 Making Beef for Dinner - Increases in Early 19th Century Cattle
What happens when you grow more cows to make more milk to make more cheese and butter? You end up with more oxen that can't make milk - but are useful as a…
- The History of American Food
147 How to Survive Drinking Milk in the Early 19th Century
So you are a typical early 19th Century American type... Is there a dairy scene? Yes. But are you drinking milk? Maybe... and probobly only for breakfast…
- The History of American Food
146 What Was Early 19th Century America's Problem with Mushrooms?
Check out the NCPTT... while it's still there, and maybe find an unexpectedly cool place to live. Or maybe a cool woodworking job…
- The History of American Food
145 Mushroom History - Food Edition & What Eactly is a Mushroom Anyway?
While last episode was drowning in information - this week when hunting down mushroom info... it's a bit of a desert. But no worries, there's still fun stuff…
- The History of American Food
144 Early 19th Century Apples - the Fruit of Progress & Propaganda
This week - it’s time to look at the connection between westward American Expansion and the apple. How is the apple all tangled up with our creation of the…
- The History of American Food
143 Oats & Hay - Grass Powers the Early 19th Century World
As odd as it sounds, there was a time in American Food before oatmeal. And while that's wild on it's own, even more impossible to imagine is how much of…
- The History of American Food
142 Are Chickens Alternate Reality Pigs?
Finally - Recipes for early 19th Century Fried Chicken - sorta. IT's time to learn some chicken history and face the reality about what chickens were really…
- The History of American Food
141 The Forking of America - When We Start to Stop Eating with our Hands
Ever notice that fabulous dinner parties depicted on screen rarely take place earlier than the 1800's - and in America pretty much always after the Civil War?…
- The History of American Food
140 Tasty Preseerved Pork - Early 19th Century Ham & Sausage plus Scrapple
Yes yes... tasty pigs. But as you might have gathered I'm not entirely OK right now. Will there be a National Park Service -NPS.gov by next episode? Will I…
- The History of American Food
139 How to Eat Pork in the Early 19th Century
Turns out all I was able to squeeze in to this episode was the fresh pork - more or less. How to keep pork will be around next time. But the big lesson is -…
- The History of American Food
138 19th Century Pigs - Greasng the Way to the Future
To Market to market to buy a fat pig Home again home again jiggety jig... But how did those pigs get to market in the first place? On their own 4 feet! That's…
- The History of American Food
137 American Crackers – Biscuit by Another Name or Another Thing?
This week I've gone crackers. I've wondered for awhile why it's biscuits everywhere else - but sometimes ... it's crackers. I mean, the most British of British…
- The History of American Food
136 America is Made of Bread & Steel
Sure - people say America is built on A LOT of things, but the rise of Industrial America depends on two things - Bread and Steel. Steel to make the Great…
The History of American FoodCrossover… PART 16 - Is This too Many Locations? Zorro S1E6 on Amazon Prime
For those of you listenting along at home - a little reminder, these are just filler episodes from the other podcast project I was playing around with. If you…