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.comSubstack: https://thoafood.substack.com/Internets: @THoAFood
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Sep 30, 2026 · 28:04
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 past had on our…
Sep 17, 2026 · 31:15
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 ways. and Can you truly…
Sep 9, 2026 · 26:59
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 of these parts are -…
Sep 2, 2026 · 27:33
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 - it became…
Aug 26, 2026 · 31:12
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 claimed as the…
Aug 19, 2026 · 25:54
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 underpinnings of…
Jul 24, 2026 · 2:05
Hang in there ... and I'll be back. Hopefully - some interesting posts on the Socials Media Music Credit: Fingerlympics by Doctor Turtle Substack: https://thoafood.substack.com/…
Jul 22, 2026 · 24:18
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…
Jul 15, 2026 · 27:24
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 rise of canned…
Jul 9, 2026 · 38:00
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…
Jul 1, 2026 · 29:11
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…
Jun 24, 2026 · 31:42
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…
Jun 17, 2026 · 49:00
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…
Jun 10, 2026 · 32:05
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…
Jun 3, 2026 · 34:57
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…
May 27, 2026 · 29:10
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…
May 20, 2026 · 18:28
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…
May 13, 2026 · 27:09
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…
May 6, 2026 · 30:24
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…
Apr 29, 2026 · 24:45
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…
Apr 24, 2026 · 38:54
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…
Apr 15, 2026 · 35:40
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).…
Apr 8, 2026 · 30:28
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…
Apr 1, 2026 · 23:40
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…
Mar 25, 2026 · 23:32
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…
Mar 18, 2026 · 21:47
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…
Mar 11, 2026 · 29:13
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…
Mar 4, 2026 · 20:21
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…
Feb 25, 2026 · 2:38
I'm back and it's been so long. Find out why! Music Credit: Fingerlympics by Doctor Turtle Substack: https://thoafood.substack.com/ Email: TheHistoryofAmericanFood at gmail dot…
Nov 27, 2025 · 24:04
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…
Nov 26, 2025 · 24:15
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…
Nov 12, 2025 · 25:13
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…
Oct 29, 2025 · 19:14
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 -…
Oct 15, 2025 · 26:17
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…
Oct 1, 2025 · 23:07
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 -…
Sep 17, 2025 · 33:14
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…
Sep 3, 2025 · 34:11
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…
Aug 20, 2025 · 30:45
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…
Aug 6, 2025 · 38:34
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…
Jul 23, 2025 · 23:31
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…
Jul 9, 2025 · 27:00
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 important than the thing…
Jun 25, 2025 · 32:45
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 source of beef. And…
Jun 11, 2025 · 33:38
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. Ok... but is it Raw…
May 28, 2025 · 28:14
Check out the NCPTT... while it's still there, and maybe find an unexpectedly cool place to live. Or maybe a cool woodworking job. https://www.nps.gov/subjects/ncptt/index.htm…
May 14, 2025 · 28:55
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 to be learned -…
Apr 30, 2025 · 32:59
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 19th century tall…
Apr 16, 2025 · 32:21
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 agriculture used to be…
Apr 2, 2025 · 40:51
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 for in the early 19th…
Mar 19, 2025 · 35:43
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? Well! That's…
Mar 5, 2025 · 33:18
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 have access to the…
Feb 19, 2025 · 30:55
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 - boy do we need our…
Feb 5, 2025 · 26:29
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 right, there's more…
Jan 22, 2025 · 29:53
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 claymation -…
Jan 8, 2025 · 35:00
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 American Dessert into…
Dec 27, 2024 · 1:04:02
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 want that feed and…
Dec 18, 2024 · 34:28
Welcome to the messy alcoholic beverage scene in the early 19th century. Migration, mechanization and new profit centers are all going to shift how alcoholic beverages are made…
Dec 13, 2024 · 1:14:01
*THIS* is the don't listen at work part of the feed. I'll include this for all the naughty episodes. And Zorro - he's a Bad Boy? Bad Girl? Oh heck... it's just how bad people can…
Dec 4, 2024 · 39:09
This episode wwas one for the books. So many many books. And the reading and researching of all those recipes showed me that - once again - some of the assumptions I went in with…
Nov 29, 2024 · 40:08
This episode is a not a love letter, more of a crush note about Romania. I’m at the point of fascination. I don’t know a lot about Romania, really, and they definitely know…
Nov 20, 2024 · 26:51
Did you know there was no "stew" before the 18th Century? OK - there was stew, it's just that it went by all sorts of other names. While the concept of stew is old, the word…
Nov 13, 2024 · 58:10
This week’s bonus episode is an interview I did with Rich Napolitano of the delightfully dark and decidedly educational podcast highlighting the Age of Sail - Shipwrecks and Sea…
Nov 6, 2024 · 28:56
Can I just be a black cat now? Anyway - what are Baked Beans really, how did they come about, and why, in my opinion are they America's first influential fusion food? Also, why…
Nov 2, 2024 · 1:16:39
Look - I should really plan better when I take an unexpected trip to Romania. But I did not. Enjoy all the same. #NSFW Things just get more. More more. Oh you were confused last…
Oct 23, 2024 · 36:12
Have you ever thought about how there are so few North American foods that are globally available - or even regular foods for people living in North America? Well wonder no more.…
Oct 18, 2024 · 1:09:17
As long as you remember... this is the NSFW Bonus part, come on along. We are back in Alta California when the wine was Spanish, and the churches were all adobe. Americans were…
Oct 9, 2024 · 40:23
This week - First a tribute to the forever changed Blue Ridge Parkway. But mainly a look at how little American Diet Culture has changed in almost 200 years. We came up with some…
Oct 4, 2024 · 1:11:00
In case you are new here - these are the NSFW Eps. Not serious food content, fit for sharing with everyone. Instead, we are being silly about media - mostly about the 19th…
Sep 25, 2024 · 24:27
Women's Work - The Untold Story of America’s Female Farmers has its PBS Premier on September 26 on KSPS serving the Spokane, WA area! And heads up Western Washington - it will be…
Sep 18, 2024 · 15:41
May 8, 1886. American pharmacist John S. Pemberton sells the first glass of Coca-Cola at a pharmacy in downtown Atlanta, a drink he originally bills as a cure-all tonic. This…
Sep 11, 2024 · 31:58
A BUSY WEEK! 1st hooray - Women's Work - The Untold Story of America’s Female Farmers has its PBS Premier on September 26 on KSPS serving the Spokane, WA area! But seriously -…
Sep 6, 2024 · 1:17:28
In case you are new here - these are the NSFW Eps. Not serious food content, fit for sharing with everyone. Instead, we are being silly about media - mostly about the 19th…
Aug 28, 2024 · 31:52
Join me for a journey through the end of old world cake to find what the first true American cake would really be. Find out what is at the root of American cake mixes - and why…
Aug 23, 2024 · 1:00:34
In case you are new here - these are the NSFW Eps. Not serious food content, fit for sharing. Instead, we are being silly about media - mostly about the 19th Century. Though…
Aug 14, 2024 · 29:52
We still have all the puddings - we just came up with more awsome names for them. Popover is way more awesome than "drippings pudding" and nobody ever turns down a proper coconut…
Aug 9, 2024 · 1:07:45
In case you are new here - these are the NSFW Eps. Not serious food content, fit for sharing. Instead, we are being silly about media - mostly about the 19th Century. Though…
Jul 31, 2024 · 32:09
Why is American bread like that? Why did we swoon of "Old Fashioned Bread" during the pandemic? What happened so that our bread is these nice neat rectangular loaves with close…
Jul 27, 2024 · 1:15:38
This is NSFW or small children. You know the drill. If you want to get to the end - and to more fun stuff - go check out the regular feed at Prizefighters, Circus Freaks &…
Jul 18, 2024 · 33:46
So there are a few fish we eat... and a few ways we eat them. Breaded and fried of course, but as sushi, and then baked in the oven or fried on the stove - with this spice mix or…
Jul 12, 2024 · 1:16:07
This is NSFW or small children. You know the drill. If you want to get to the end - and to more fun stuff - go check out the regular feed at Prizefighters, Circus Freaks &…
Jul 3, 2024 · 35:38
If we are ever going to cryogeneically preserve humans, we have got to learn a lot more about Oyster Liquor. Sci-Fi aside, come along and discover how much 19th cenurty America -…
Jun 28, 2024 · 1:14:07
As long as you know... ehhhhh not so safe for work. But this means something even when there's no ep this week! TIme to do the WAR! And come join us over on Prizefighters,…
Jun 26, 2024 · 57:43
Is it just too hot? Then come along for this talk about Frostbite by Nicola Twilley on the history & future of refrigeration. You can read up on some outtakes and extra stuff at…
Jun 19, 2024 · 25:02
Histroy Cookbook you say? Check out The History of the World in 10 Dinners by Victoria Flexner & Jey Reifel to figure out how to make your dinner table a time machine. Appreciate…
Jun 12, 2024 · 35:43
Now that America is on the road to getting involved with the world and becoming a mechanical, industrial company, it's time to ramp up salt production and get in on the chemical…
Jun 7, 2024 · 1:24:10
As long as you know... ehhhhh not so safe for work. But this means something even when there's no ep this week! But Let's go earthquakes. And come join us over on Prizefighters,…
May 29, 2024 · 29:48
Corn is so hot right now. No other crop even comes close in the 19th century. This week corn grows up and shows up everywhere but on the fanciest of tables. It's mush, it's…
May 23, 2024 · 2:40
I have an ENOURMOUS back catalog. Get in there. But for the future, I have plans for about 10 seasons. To make sure I don't absolutely turn myself into a quivering lump of jelly,…
May 17, 2024 · 1:26:33
Heads up! NSFW, Not E for Everyone. Think - F for Fun Want to get more of the Shogun? Head over to Prizefighters, Circusfreaks & Gangsters - we're up to Ep 7! BUt in the…
May 15, 2024 · 28:46
It's officially the appearance of the Mason. Jar in American Food. You get to learn about how lack. of child labor protections made it possible, and how inventing stuff in the…
May 8, 2024 · 28:26
(Want more Shogun? - jump over here to Prizefighters, Circus Freaks & Gangsters - shortcut: PCG) Silly me, I thought I could encompass the whole can and glass jar thing in one…
May 3, 2024 · 1:00:13
Heads up! NSFW, Not E for Everyone. Think - F for Fun Look you guys... Ep 4 & Ep 5 are already up on the other feed. No need to wait! I'm super glad you are digging this bonus…
May 1, 2024 · 29:16
(Want more Shogun? - jump over here to Prizefighters, Circus Freaks & Gangsters - shortcut: PCG) This week it’s glass - a history. We talk sand (SAND!) fire, volcanos and sharp…
Apr 26, 2024 · 26:05
Does war make people innovate? Sure sometimes, but profit and shortages can often do more. In this case, Mercantilist sentiments crossed with Napoleon losing wars and causing a…
Apr 19, 2024 · 1:27:44
Heads up! NSFW, Not E for Everyone. Think - F for Fun OK - Episode 1 of Shogun... A bunch of you tuned in. I have SACRIFICED my CLEAN rating on Apple Podcasts for this. So here's…
Apr 17, 2024 · 23:18
It's the 19th Century and the whole show is about to change - and it's Iron that makes it possible. How we cook, how we get around and what is going to be available to even make…
Apr 10, 2024 · 22:00
For those of you looking for the Shōgun review - the unhinged 19th Century - and our take on it at Prizefighters Circus Freaks & Gangsters is what you are looking for… even…
Apr 3, 2024 · 1:23:37
Heads up! NSFW, Not E for Everyone. Think - F for Fun It is KILLING me that I get featured while on a research break! I mean yes - head for the back catalog... but if you are a…
Mar 27, 2024 · 4:53
The 19th Century - when America starts to really take shape as the America we recognize (more or less) today. It starts to be more diverse - and gets mad about it right away. The…
Feb 28, 2024 · 22:34
End of Season 3 Hot Take - American food is the way it is becasue we became obsessed with enough food - more food just as we were becomeing a country. How do we feed ourselves…
Feb 21, 2024 · 24:35
Well here's a weird little detour for you - not food exactly, but ingested by early Americans all the same. Not so much by soldiers and adventurers on the road - but often when…
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