The History of American Food

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 (well prboobly earlier) But follow along as to why Thanksgivng really came to National Attention during the Civil War either as something to get behind - or something to hate. And - look you have to start raising your Turkey in the Spring if you want one in Novenber (April is actually probobly too late - maybe?) Anyway - Here's the Link to Lincoln's Address. Johnson had to submit it b/c well, you know... Lincoln's 1863 Thanksgiving Proclamation Music Credit: Fingerlympics by Doctor Turtle Show Notes: https://thehistoryofamericanfood.blogspot.com/ Email: TheHistoryofAmericanFood at gmail dot com Threads: @THoAFood Instagram: @THoAFood & some other socials... @THoAFood

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 practice - and new war philosophies got rid of most of them. But then, the American Civil War started producing injured guys in the 1000's. Suddenly having women around to do nursing and laundry was important. And they had to call the women back. To be fair - they did it more officially this time. To find out who these women were - and what they fed you - listen in. Also - Spoiler: Still better to be an officer. Music Credit: Fingerlympics by Doctor Turtle Show Notes: https://thehistoryofamericanfood.blogspot.com/ Email: TheHistoryofAmericanFood at gmail dot com Threads: @THoAFood Instagram: @THoAFood & some other socials... @THoAFood

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 are military staffs so bad at predicting war length? And when they do boy-oh-boy does that mean things are going to go poorly for the people in charge of planning food. It goes even worse, when nobody on staff has cooked Gumbo for 80. Come listen to all the pitfalls facing the people planning for war food in the middle of the the 1800's. But also a whole bunch of links. A Collection of Unmitigated Pedantry - the source documents for the Donkey Problem The Charge of the Light Brigade - that catchy verse that keeps getting people killed for dumb reasons Music Credit: Fingerlympics by Doctor Turtle Show Notes: https://thehistoryofamericanfood.blogspot.com/ Email: TheHistoryofAmericanFood at gmail dot com Threads: @THoAFood Instagram: @THoAFood & some other socials... @THoAFood

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 of the Earth. Understanding what war food was before the Civil War helps inform how such crazy supply errors and choices were made during the Civil War - and you can start to see how this is going to change war planning - and food system planning going forward. Also also - here's where you can view The National Parks: America's Best Idea Love your Library! Watch it on Kanopy (free with your Library Card) If your Library doesn't have Kanopy - PBS - With Subscription Other Options: Amazon - alas with an ad-on You Tube - but for a price Music Credit: Fingerlympics by Doctor Turtle Show Notes: https://thehistoryofamericanfood.blogspot.com/ Email: TheHistoryofAmericanFood at gmail dot com Threads: @THoAFood Instagram: @THoAFood & some other socials... @THoAFood

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 Civil War logistical problems were key to sweetened condensed milk becoming part of the whole world. Oh - and if you don't know what Vienetta was - or just want to relive the splendor, check this out. Vienetta Advertisement Music Credit: Fingerlympics by Doctor Turtle Show Notes: https://thehistoryofamericanfood.blogspot.com/ Email: TheHistoryofAmericanFood at gmail dot com Threads: @THoAFood Instagram: @THoAFood & some other socials... @THoAFood

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 hydraulic pressing for more compact storage were produced for the civil war. And boy were they nasty. All the same - they were still better than what happed to you if you didn't eat any vegetables at all. (And no - at this point there were no vitmin or fiber supplaments - you had to get it from the source) Music Credit: Fingerlympics by Doctor Turtle Show Notes: https://thehistoryofamericanfood.blogspot.com/ Email: TheHistoryofAmericanFood at gmail dot com Threads: @THoAFood Instagram: @THoAFood & some other socials... @THoAFood

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 new, but the Fast Bread of fast moving America starts to become a thing. So in order to talk about the bread of the American Army... we have to do a roll call of American Bread. So come find out how Civil War Bread is the most American Bread so far. Music Credit: Fingerlympics by Doctor Turtle Show Notes: https://thehistoryofamericanfood.blogspot.com/ Email: TheHistoryofAmericanFood at gmail dot com Threads: @THoAFood Instagram: @THoAFood & some other socials... @THoAFood

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 ever growing fascination with American Food and how it keeps embracing emerging technology is not let down. So here we go. Music Credit: Fingerlympics by Doctor Turtle Show Notes: https://thehistoryofamericanfood.blogspot.com/ Email: TheHistoryofAmericanFood at gmail dot com Threads: @THoAFood Instagram: @THoAFood & some other socials... @THoAFood

I'm back and it's been so long. Find out why! Music Credit: Fingerlympics by Doctor Turtle Show Notes: https://thehistoryofamericanfood.blogspot.com/ Email: TheHistoryofAmericanFood at gmail dot com Threads: @THoAFood Instagram: @THoAFood & some other socials... @THoAFood

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 about the wild history of an American bird with a huge travel resume and names that all think it came from somewhere else. Enjoy the name Chaos! Music Credit: Fingerlympics by Doctor Turtle Show Notes: https://thehistoryofamericanfood.blogspot.com/ Email: TheHistoryofAmericanFood at gmail dot com Threads: @THoAFood Instagram: @THoAFood & some other socials... @THoAFood

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 soon as Americans could, we ignored the food on the ground (unless it was familiar like deer or duck or pigeon) and instead brought our own provisions. But when you do that, and don't develop local talent - the selection end up terribly limited. So now in modern America - we seem to be attempting to make up for lost time... by making our grocery store selection even larger. Check out this last episode before I go study the terrible food of war. Music Credit: Fingerlympics by Doctor Turtle Show Notes: https://thehistoryofamericanfood.blogspot.com/ Email: TheHistoryofAmericanFood at gmail dot com Threads: @THoAFood Instagram: @THoAFood & some other socials... @THoAFood

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 how we don't need roaylty, we do seem to keep mimicking aritocrats. the early 19th century loves some fox hunting - so much so that we imported foxes (even though there are plenty already here). Hunting keeps happening everyday - but we like to say it's not cool. Unless you are doing it for leisure... or to earn money. Yes - the early 19th century brings the birth of the Market Hunter - which needed the railroad to create itself. The Buffalo may cease to roam - and the Passenger Pigeon darken the skies by the end of the century - but the seeds of their destruction are planted here... at the start of the 19th cenutry. But worry not, it's not all bad news - you can still get a giant game pie. Music Credit: Fingerlympics by Doctor Turtle Show Notes: https://thehistoryofamericanfood.blogspot.com/ Email: TheHistoryofAmericanFood at gmail dot com Threads: @THoAFood Instagram: @THoAFood & some other socials... @THoAFood

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 do? Obviously - upend the way food is served. Obviously if you have access to more artificial light - you can make meals longer. Especially on dark, chilly, wet nights when no one wants to be outside anyway. Luckily - cookbooks are up to the challenge. With all sorts of ideas of how to roll out this new style of multi-course dining. So come check out the complications. And if you are interested in seeing what American pottery looked like - pre-China and pre-imported porcelain - look at the Workshop of the Poor Potter in Historic Yorktown! Music Credit: Fingerlympics by Doctor Turtle Show Notes: https://thehistoryofamericanfood.blogspot.com/ Email: TheHistoryofAmericanFood at gmail dot com Threads: @THoAFood Instagram: @THoAFood & some other socials... @THoAFood

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 that you are never gonna use? Or at least why did people do that on the regular ,even just 20 years ago? And now it means you have relatives that are trying to push off plates on to you that you never got to eat off as a kid - and now why in the world would you want to lug them around now? For what’s at the bottom of these mysteries, and how we got into this fix - I look at the history of plates from my particular American Food History vantage point. Music Credit: Fingerlympics by Doctor Turtle Show Notes: https://thehistoryofamericanfood.blogspot.com/ Email: TheHistoryofAmericanFood at gmail dot com Threads: @THoAFood Instagram: @THoAFood & some other socials... @THoAFood

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 - only 1 chamber - vs. a Lunch Box. But I had never spent any tme thinking about why and how Dinner was the big meal of the day, and supper was toast dipped in cooling stew. Until I thought about it in terms of cooking in the dark. When the sun goes down at 4:25 pm, why was anyone making all manner of food they can't see!? But - the Whale as Light in the early 1800's started to make it's mark. Sure factories were changing the rhythm of life, but without artificial light to support the change, it never would have taken. The age of sail was also the Age of the Pursuit of the Whale. So come join the chase. Music Credit: Fingerlympics by Doctor Turtle Show Notes: https://thehistoryofamericanfood.blogspot.com/ Email: TheHistoryofAmericanFood at gmail dot com Threads: @THoAFood Instagram: @THoAFood & some other socials... @THoAFood

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 vegetables in the early 19th century. How did Avocado Toast become a thing? Well, it would never have gotten the traction it did with out practice runs by spinach or even more glamourously by celery. And those would have never had a chance if not for the propensity for food fads developed by the early 19th century Americans who had lost their food traditions and were now looking for something new. Join me on the journey to see what was cool in plant foods in the early 19th century. We can't all be spring peas after all. Music Credit: Fingerlympics by Doctor Turtle Show Notes: https://thehistoryofamericanfood.blogspot.com/ Email: TheHistoryofAmericanFood at gmail dot com Threads: @THoAFood Instagram: @THoAFood & some other socials... @THoAFood

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 did one brew coffee in the 19th century? And just how weak was it? To find out, tune in. Music Credit: Fingerlympics by Doctor Turtle Show Notes: https://thehistoryofamericanfood.blogspot.com/ Email: TheHistoryofAmericanFood at gmail dot com Threads: @THoAFood Instagram: @THoAFood & some other socials... @THoAFood

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 answer was almost uniformly, "bad tea". Ignorance lead to people needing sugar in their tea b/c they were drinking the bad stuff. In fact a whole grade of "export quality" tea was invented to fulfill the growing global/European/American demand. Just in this case - "expot quality" mostly meant the dregs. Or the dust anyway. Understanding that most tea Americans were drinking in this age was somewhere between stale and adulterated, and only became more so as time went on, the swing to coffee starts to make more sense. It had less to do with feelings towards England, and more to do with the tea just not tasting that good. To understand just what tea was then, join in... Music Credit: Fingerlympics by Doctor Turtle Show Notes: https://thehistoryofamericanfood.blogspot.com/ Email: TheHistoryofAmericanFood at gmail dot com Threads: @THoAFood Instagram: @THoAFood & some other socials... @THoAFood

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 to normal by the one after that. Anyway - 19th Century Chinese Food? What can I tell you? It would have looked much the same as lots of the food you will find right now around the Pearl RIver Delta, the old district of Canton - now known as Guangzhou. But this episode is not just about the food - it also looks a bit into how the US and China started dealing with each other. How did that stream of labor from China - that would be essential in the gold fileds and then the construction of the US railroads get a foot hold in California. While there is much made of the Chinese presence in New York - and how they influenced east coast culture - there is the less well known story of China and the early west. So grab your dried fish, pickled vegetables, boiled millet and see what's there. Music Credit: Fingerlympics by Doctor Turtle Show Notes: https://thehistoryofamericanfood.blogspot.com/ Email: TheHistoryofAmericanFood at gmail dot com Threads: @THoAFood Instagram: @THoAFood & some other socials... @THoAFood

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 poisoning. To get more of the story - tune in to early 19th century lobster Music Credit: Fingerlympics by Doctor Turtle Show Notes: https://thehistoryofamericanfood.blogspot.com/ Email: TheHistoryofAmericanFood at gmail dot com Threads: @THoAFood Instagram: @THoAFood & some other socials... @THoAFood