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

Dec 21, 2022 · 29 min
069.5 Bonus - Ice Science, Fire Science & Energy
OK - No regular episode, just a bonus one. But the season of Misrule is just going to do that to us here in the 18th Century. It's kindof a chemistry class - but worry not - no tests and no homework. This feels like a timely episode for those of us...
Dec 14, 2022 · 32 min
069 18th Century Deer are Somehow Rustic & Fancy & Money
Deer are really cute. Well baby deer are cute. We've been making pictures of them for ages. We've been making pants and shoes and stuff of deer generally for even longer though. And while people generally agree that deer are darn tasty, Americans...
Dec 7, 2022 · 26 min
068 Wood Part II - Charcoal, BBQ & Mellowed Spirits & a Peek at War
Wood continues to do it all! But this time, mainly as charcoal. It makes iron, it ages booze, it's necessary for barbecue, it makes gunpowder. Charcoal - where did it come from, how does it happen, and a whole list of things it can do....
Nov 30, 2022 · 23 min
067 Wood Part I - Money in Masts & Barrels
Wood! It is back, and now it's worth money. You get to hear about how the iron industry wrecked English wood stocks, the King's Broad Arrow, crusty New Hampshire-ians & the Pine Tree Riot, fancy woodworking and just how there were so many MANY...
Nov 23, 2022 · 24 min
Reprise! 030 Turkey - No Disasters - Just the Bird
I was almost done with this super cool look at wood and charcoal - and then my computer went down. I have to completely rewrite the 6 pages I already had - AHHHHH! Even the outline I wrote for myself went POOF! But enough doom and gloom. Instead...
Nov 16, 2022 · 26 min
066 You Call That a Biscuit?
Biscuit Biscuit Biscuit There are few baking words that can elicit so much general consternation. Cupcake - maybe? But mostly not since most of the world can agree on cupcake, but biscuit is a word that means so many and yet also some deadly...
Nov 9, 2022 · 25 min
065 Cream & Pudding & Cake that is Not a Lie
By the end of the 18th century - we are SO CLOSE to ice cream - but we are not there yet. But I want to set the scene that dessert is becoming a thing, and that all the pieces are there. Sitting there, just waiting to be ice cream. I mean...
Nov 2, 2022 · 21 min
064 Milk & Butter Money
Enter the Dairy Maid - or Milk Maid, I'll accept either answer. They were one of the these groups of women who used to be a skilled worker, but that pesky no being able to sign contracts or own stuff really stifled the ability to do any business...
Oct 26, 2022 · 24 min
063 Beef - It's American Food Now
This week the ox stops being fancy food for fancy people and becomes workaday food for city people and sailors alike. But it also became manly party food all at the same time. I explain why its ox, not cow - but will be cow again. Here's Bugs...
Oct 19, 2022 · 29 min
062 Rice - In the Carolina Kitchen
So many Links this week! But great places to visit - a blog, a rice foundation, a shop for all things (many things?) Carib - I admit I'm excited about that one. There's not much Caribbean representation on my Global Shopping Street. But most...
Oct 12, 2022 · 24 min
061 18th Century North American Rice - A History
American Rice - Voyage the First Some of the rice might have started from Asia, but all of it came directly from Africa. But which side - the West, or from Madagascar? How from Madagascar - isn't that all the way over on the east side? Yes...
Oct 5, 2022 · 27 min
060 Cider - The Drink of Liberty! Only Royalists Drink Beer
For more of Me & Jess talking about Spice Visit: https://theflakyfoodie.com/ Watch: https://youtu.be/K_2pZ3VhbwQ Listen: https://theflakyfoodie.com/2022/09/447/ For Juneteenth -...
Sep 28, 2022 · 24 min
059 Beer - That Good Civilized Drink, Cider is for Rubes!
Beer! It's as American as apple pie. Or maybe its English? Or German? OK - Colonial Beer has a bit of an identity crisis. Can you call it beer if it doesn't even contain malted grain? Anyway spruce is the trendy thing - or hop tea? Anyway,...
Sep 21, 2022 · 28 min
058 Tarts & Sweet Pies
We have the bored rich to blame for tiny little bite size tarts. As busy colonials with outdoor ovens and too many things to do, we made our tarts big - and to go at meal times. We will, alas have to wait for the coffee cake. The liver pudding...
Sep 14, 2022 · 35 min
057 Pie - Savory Kinds & the Original Hot Pockets
Spelling Guide: PIE & PYE Sea Pie - the English version with no fish. Fancy or only 2 meats as you will. Cipaille, Cipâtes (spelling like the filling is up for debate, if not inviting argument) - Quebecois. 3 meats is most common. Regional...
Sep 7, 2022 · 40 min
056 Wheat & Barley - The Rise of 18th Century American Tech
America has long been known as a Destination for Innovation. But what if I told you the innovation was ... a) just editing on the hard work of many individual from many civilizations? & b) lots of the hard scut work was done in colonies before...
Aug 31, 2022 · 24 min
055 18th Century Legumes - Creating the American Bean
What a disappointment, beans. The green bean - the French bean - how this quintessential American food got that name, I'll explain - is the only fancy tasty bean. The rest, and sad stand-ins for when there's no meat. And since the British...
Aug 17, 2022 · 29 min
054.5 Bonus Scurvy - What it is, How to Cure it & Why Modern Society Keeps Bringing it Back
What better time to explain scurvy (a very gross disease) - than right after my paean to the 18th century orange? Learn it's causes, what it looks like, how to prevent and how to cure it - including, eat your cabbage! This is the first in what...
Aug 3, 2022 · 33 min
054 18th Century Oranges - Bitter, not Sweet
Orange - a strange word, and important fruit - not just in the kitchen, but as a political symbol as well. Come hear about it all, and some mythbusting about the origins of marmalade - and the defense of onion marmalade as well. Link to...
Jul 20, 2022 · 27 min
053 18th Century Gardens - For Use or Delight
Mary Mary, Quite Contrary , How does your Garden Grow? Or more importantly what grows in it, is it geometric or naturalistic, and who's doing the spade work? Gardens in 18th century America run the gamut from pure survival to combining pleasure...

The History of American Food

069.5 Bonus - Ice Science, Fire Science & Energy

069 18th Century Deer are Somehow Rustic & Fancy & Money

068 Wood Part II - Charcoal, BBQ & Mellowed Spirits & a Peek at War

067 Wood Part I - Money in Masts & Barrels

Reprise! 030 Turkey - No Disasters - Just the Bird

066 You Call That a Biscuit?

065 Cream & Pudding & Cake that is Not a Lie

064 Milk & Butter Money

063 Beef - It's American Food Now

062 Rice - In the Carolina Kitchen

061 18th Century North American Rice - A History

060 Cider - The Drink of Liberty! Only Royalists Drink Beer

059 Beer - That Good Civilized Drink, Cider is for Rubes!

058 Tarts & Sweet Pies

057 Pie - Savory Kinds & the Original Hot Pockets

056 Wheat & Barley - The Rise of 18th Century American Tech

055 18th Century Legumes - Creating the American Bean

054.5 Bonus Scurvy - What it is, How to Cure it & Why Modern Society Keeps Bringing it Back

054 18th Century Oranges - Bitter, not Sweet

053 18th Century Gardens - For Use or Delight