The History of American Food

Margaret Hardin

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
Internets: @THoAFood

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221 episodes
Updated July 24

Episodes221

Newest first

July 24 · 2 min
Alas... a 3 Week Break
Hang in there ... and I'll be back. Hopefully - some interesting posts on the Socials Media
July 22 · 24 min
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 clothes. To find out what paper used to be and how we got to paper from trees - tune in. Also -...
July 15 · 27 min
177 Bringing the Sea's Bounty to You - In a Can - But at what Cost?
Wanna see bears? gotohttps://explore.org/ See how many https://www.nps.gov/articles/alaska-cannery-cultural-landscapes.htm there where? Or see more about the https://www.nps.gov/articles/aps-19-1-9.htm? Follow the links And then listen in to the...
July 9 · 38 min
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 invisible - it helped feed the beef. Because this is the episode where corn changes from an...
July 1 · 29 min
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 century is when America goes from eating a similar amount of sugar as the rest of the up...
June 24 · 31 min
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 century America. It used to be all about food but isn’t any longer. Listen along as we look...
June 17 · 49 min
173.5 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 dive into the history, culture and importance of place of pickles. I also learn a...
June 10 · 32 min
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 about to sneak up on the big answer to the meat. But in the meantime, we look at...
June 3 · 34 min
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 providing you with a link to a really cool paper published about the origins of potatoes 9...
May 27 · 29 min
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 that is going to change the way we eat - because what food we get, and how much we have to...
May 20 · 18 min
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 19th Century is exciting, colorful and yeah full of mistakes. But we are Doing...
May 13 · 27 min
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 a "we are pretending it's not a war" going on. My poor brain has said enough. That said -...
May 6 · 30 min
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 is - if they had been making enough. Which they were not. This is also the last time I...
April 29 · 24 min
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 destructive weapons, the medical profession came up with the hypodermic syringe. While the...
April 24 · 38 min
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, when everything was an Agrairain Society, Thanksgiving planning was on the mind in April...
April 15 · 35 min
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 with loading guns). And George Washington hated having these women around so much that Army...
April 8 · 30 min
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: https://www.womensworkdocumentary.org/ https://natasnw.org/emmy-awards/nominees/ Why are military staffs so bad at predicting war length? And when they do boy-oh-boy does that...
April 1 · 23 min
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 everyone everywhere for approximately 5000 years. Biology - and mainly the stupid microfauna...
March 25 · 23 min
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 to change how the fighting man (and the women along side) are fed. Wild to think that...
March 18 · 21 min
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 of the first mass quantities of dried vegetables prepared using forced hot air drying - and...

The History of American Food

Alas... a 3 Week Break

178 The History of Paper

177 Bringing the Sea's Bounty to You - In a Can - But at what Cost?

176 New Technology for American Corn

175 New American Sugar

174 Foreign Salt, Local Salt, Industrial Salt

173.5 BONUS Interview - The Pickled City

173 Potatoes for Frontier & Factory

172 The Potato - A History

171 Iron Has New Jobs in Food

Season 6 Preview - I Wanna Go Fast

170 Prisoner of War Food for - Wait How Many Guys? The Long Tail of War

169 Not Enough Railroads Will Make You Salty in the Bad Way

168 If Music Be the Food of Love, Are Drugs the Food of War?

167 The American Civil War, Thanksgiving & Eating Our Feelings

166 Feeding the Sick and Injured in The Civil War: Apparently You Can't Run a War Without Women

165 Is This Enough Food to Feed an Army? & What Were They Thinking?

164 Feeding an Army: A History with a Lot of Holes - On Purpose

163 The First Canned Food War

162 The Army Says Eat Your Vegetables