The History Kitchen - Food History Archives

An archive of posts related to food history and culinary anthropology, written by Tori Avey and her contributors. From the history of popcorn to Mark Twain's "Little Bill of Fare," what Abraham Lincoln ate to edible aphrodisiacs, a variety of fun and fascinating topics are explored here. This category covers the background of popular ingredients, what famous historical figures were eating, the stories behind our favorite recipes and more.

History of the Mint Julep

It is the very dream of drinks, the vision of sweet quaffings. The Bourbon and the mint are lovers. In the same land they live,Read More

Do These Natural Foods Fight Cancer?

Cancer Fighting Natural Foods – Nourishing nutritional foods to boost health and support healing. This post is syndicated in my column The History Kitchen onRead More

Turmeric – The Ancient Healing Spice

Learn the ancient history of turmeric spice, a powerful healing food and natural coloring used for thousands of years. Includes turmeric recipes.

Foods of the California Gold Rush

A forty-niner gold panning in California’s American River, 1850 Photo: L.C. McClure. Source: Wikimedia Commons When James W. Marshall discovered gold at Sutter’s Mill in Coloma,Read More

A Tribute to Gil Marks

A tribute to Gil Marks – cookbook author, culinary historian, James Beard Award winner and my dear friend.

Mark Twain – Recipes from A Little Bill of Fare

Recipe roundup inspired by Mark Twain’s “A Little Bill of Fare” from “A Tramp Abroad,” 1891.

Magical Mushrooms: The Allure of Edible Fungi

Delicious, deadly, magical, intoxicating, mysterious. Throughout history mushrooms have gained many varying reputations, considered both food and foe. Today it is easy for us toRead More

Edible Aphrodisiacs

Learn about the history of foods that are historically described as aphrodisiacs, and try recipes inspired by these culinary aphrodisiacs.

From Pythagorean to Pescatarian – The Evolution of Vegetarianism

Valentyn_Volkov/Depositphotos.com “Good food is a celebration of life, and it seems absurd to me that in celebrating life we should take life.” Anna Thomas, TheRead More

The History of Gingerbread & a Recipe for Gingerbread Cookies

The History of Gingerbread and a Recipe for Gingerbread Cookies with link to Royal Icing tutorial.

A Slice of Pumpkin History

flashon/Depositphotos.com From The Great Pumpkin to pumpkin pie to pumpkin spice lattes, the pumpkin is an American icon. Nothing signals the start of autumn likeRead More

Popcorn: A “Pop” History

HandmadePicture/Depositphotos.com First, the sound hits you—“pop, pop, pop”—slow at first, then a firestorm of kernels as they magically morph into billows of crunchy white deliciousness.Read More

The Secret History of Okra – Okra Soup

Learn the history of okra, from its ancient origins to its African American roots, then try a historically-inspired recipe for peppery okra soup.

Food Will Win The War: History of Meatless Mondays

USFA Poster, Artist Charles Edward Chambers. Source: Library of Congress Meatless Mondays is a recent global campaign aimed at lowering our overall meat consumption forRead More

A Brief History of Hamburgers

iStock.com/nitrub A soft, toasted bun… crisp, cool lettuce… sweet, vine-ripened tomatoes… and in the middle of it all, a juicy seasoned beef patty. Widely hailedRead More

Banking on Butterfat – The History of Häagen-Dazs

duskbabe/Depositphotos.com Growing up, I enjoyed Häagen-Dazs ice cream as an indulgent treat reserved for special occasions. It was pricier than the ice cream sold at ourRead More

What was Cooking in Leonardo da Vinci’s Kitchen?

Leonardo da Vinci self portrait, c. 1512. Source: Wikimedia Commons Born in the town of Vinci in 1452, Leonardo da Vinci came from humble beginnings.Read More

What Lewis and Clark Ate

Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. Source: Wikimedia Commons. Captain Meriwether Lewis and Lieutenant William Clark, better known as Lewis and Clark, led one of theRead More

Coffee – A Caffeinated History

belchonock/Depositphotos.com Second only to oil, coffee is the most valuable legally traded commodity in the world. We love it, we rely on it, and weRead More

Who Is Betty Crocker?

Photo Courtesy of General Mills Archives Before Betty Crocker was synonymous with boxed cake mix and canned frosting, she was a “kitchen confidante,” a maternalRead More

Speakeasies, Sofas, and the History of Finger Foods

Boarding2Now/Depositphotos.com Super Bowl Sunday is just around the corner. For most football fans, that means covering the coffee table with a variety of miniature, caloric,Read More

The History of Chicken and Waffles

iStock.com/Lauri Patterson If you’ve ever tried the unlikely pairing of chicken and waffles, you understand the appeal. It’s a delectable union of sweet and salty,Read More