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FOOD IN AMERICA: CULTURE & HISTORY

Websites discussed below include a variety of food culture/history information which focuses on the United States, and include the influence of specific foods on American life, regional food ways, food economics, ethnic cuisines, and timelines.  See also JWU Library's webguide FOOD WORLDWIDE: CULTURE & HISTORY.  For websites which look at the role of ethnicity in nutrition, see NUTRITION.


America the Bountiful

•  Exhibit of the role of “ten enduring foods” in the development of American cuisine; developed by the Nutrition Department, University of California-Davis, under the guidance of Professor Louis Grivetti
•  Links to essays on the following foods: beef, chicken, turkey, pork, potatoes, corn, greens, wheat, beans, apples
•  Each essay examines the role of a specific food in its historical context as an important dietary factor during the development of America; includes sidebars, illustrations, timeline and “Further Resources”
•  Outstanding; does an admirable job of tracing the role of these basic foods on the diet and culture of America


America’s Eating Habits: Changes and Consequences

•  Edited by Elizabeth Frazao for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service (USDA-ERS)
•  This extensive (484 p.) 1999 report examines American dietary and nutrition habits, primarily for the last 25 years
•  Entire report (or chapters) may be downloaded in PDF format
•  Divided into 20 chapters, the report covers such topics as eating patterns, food supply trends, “Healthy Eating Index,” dietary practices vs. dietary recommendations, government food/nutrition policies, related topics
•  Links to USDA-ERS sitemap, which offers an array of documents/reports relating to many aspects of nutrition, agricultural economics and food research
•  Outstanding; this report presents an in-depth analysis of this important health and social topic


American (United States) Regional Cooking

•  Maintained by the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
•  Directory of links to sites for American regional cooking and food ways
•  “Resource Guide: Food and Cooking” links to additional sites for 32 food-related topics and 16 national/regional cuisines
•  Excellent annotations accompany most links
•  Searchable
•  Excellent resource for American regional food; easy-to-navigate


Americans at the Table – Reflections on Food and Culture

•  Sponsored by eJournal USA: Society & Values, an electronic journal of the U.S. Department of State
•  This July 2004 edition of the journal presents a cultural/historical overview of cookery and food consumption in the U.S., from colonial times to the present
•  Essays examine such diverse subjects as immigrant background on the development of American cuisine, multicultural approaches to Thanksgiving dinner, barbecuing, table etiquette, the obesity epidemic
•  “Internet Resources” link(s) to sites on prominent American chefs/food innovators, journals, American food history, “Fast Food Facts,” cookbook projects, nutrition, timelines
•  Excellent annotations accompany most links
•  Outstanding; one of the best introductions to American food in its cultural, historical and nutritional manifestations


An American Feast: Food, Dining and Entertainment in the United States

•  “Exhibition at the Hugh M. Morris Library, University of Delaware, June 21 – September 30, 1994”
•  “Focuses on American culture and attitudes toward food and dining from the 1796 publication of the first American cookbook and the 1931 publication of Erma Rombauer’s kitchen icon, The Joy of Cooking”
•  “Materials documenting these aspects of American food culture are eclectic and include cookbooks, etiquette manuals, architectural handbooks, periodicals, diaries, manuscript recipe books, menus, trade catalogs, and guidebooks”
•  Includes an excellent narrative history of American food culture/history; topics discussed include “American Cookbooks,” “Technology and Change,” “American Drinking Habits,” “Dining, Etiquette and Social Meaning”
•  Annotations accompany many (but not all) of the cookbooks, trade catalogues and other print resources which comprise the exhibit
•  Excellent; very well-written analysis of the development of American food preparation and dining; only drawback is the absence of visual material


Culture of Southern Food

•  Site developed as a project for an applied anthropology course at the University of West Florida, under the guidance of professor Terry Prewitt
•  “Our Immigrant Ancestors,” an excellent narrative, traces the influence of the Native-Americans, English-Americans, Scottish-Irish Americans, African-Americans and Cajun-Americans on the development of Southern cuisine; includes links to bibliographic sites
•  Also links to students’ projects
•  “Good Reading: An Annotated Bibliography” is a short but excellent guide to general Southern food culture/history; also includes titles which highlight the contributions of the specific groups named above
•  Excellent; does an admirable job for the topic which it covers


Dining Through the Decades: 100 Years of Glorious American Food

•  “First appeared in the “Chicago-Sun Times,” December 29, 1999”
•  Chronological review of America’s food habits and food fads from 1900 to the present
•  Does an admirable job of relating each decade’s food trends into the context of the decade’s social and historical developments
•  Highlights cookbooks and recipes for each decade
•  Excellent article; covers a century of American food culture/ history succinctly and entertainingly


Ethnic Cuisine: United States

•  This essay by Nancy Freeman, a freelance food writer, is posted on “Sally’s Place,” a culinary-oriented “gateway”
•  Offers a fascinating look at the influence of various ethnic groups on regional American cuisine
•  Links to “Sally’s Place,” which also includes articles, news, writing on international cuisines, commercial products/services, free newsletter
•  Not extensive, but does an admirable job of organizing a complex subject into a coherent and incisive analysis


Feeding America: The Historic American Cookbook Project

•  Created and maintained by the Michigan State University Library and the MSU Museum; funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services
•  “An online collection of some of the most important and influential American cookbooks from the late 18th to early 20th century”
•  A total of 75 cookbooks have been digitized; all are full-text
•  “The Authors” includes a profile for each author and additional “Sources” (when available)
•  “Browse the Collection” provides access by title, date and “Interest” (20 topics, including charity/church cookery, “ethnic influences,” homemaking, regional cooking)
•  “Museum Objects” provides digital images to over 100 cooking utensils and related kitchen equipment (many are in color)
•  Searchable by author, title, recipe name, ingredient
•  Outstanding; this site is one of the best currently online; it’s high-resolution and easy-to-navigate


Food Consumption, Prices and Expenditures, 1970-1997

•  Prepared by Judith Jones Putnam and Jane E. Allshouse for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service (USDA-ERS)
•  This extensive (196 p.) report “… presents historical data on food consumption, prices, and expenditures by commodity and commodity group, supply and use, prices, total expenditures, and U.S. income and population”
•  “Includes 29 charts dealing with food consumption trends, from changes in per capita consumption, to share of income spend on food”
•  Entire report (or chapters) may be downloaded in PDF format
•  Links to ERS site map and other ERS pages “Food Consumption Briefing Room,” “Per Capita Food Consumption Data System”
•  An excellent presentation of historical data on the economics of food in America


Food Timeline: Traditional State Foods & Recipes

•  “Traditional State Foods & Recipes” is a sub-page of the “Food Timeline,” compiled and maintained by Lynne Olver, Chief Librarian, Morris County Library (New Jersey)
•  This extensive (over 100 pp.) sub-page profiles the culinary history of all 50 states
•  Each state entry includes a brief history, representative recipes and, when available, information on “official state foods”
•  Comprehensiveness of resources varies from state to state
•  Includes tips/strategies on conducting research
•  Outstanding; an impressive array of resources for American culinary history by state


Great American Potluck

•  Maintained by the Library of Congress; part of its “American Memory Project”
•  Site features recipes which draw upon the immigrant experience
•  Recipes browsable by title, category (breakfast, lunch, dinner, etc.) and region
•  Recipe information includes commentary on its cultural/historical background, ingredients, and preparation directions
•  Welcomes recipe submissions
•  Excellent site for this most important part of America’s food culture/history


Groceteria.com: Did You Bring Bottles?

•  Developed and maintained by David Gwynn
•  “Groceteria.com is a site about supermarket history and architecture, roughly covering the period from the 1920’s through the 1970’s”
•  “It is NOT a site about current supermarket issues and locations, except in historical perspective, and it is not connected with nor owned by any supermarket chain, past or present”
•  Highlights histories of supermarket chains which are no longer in existence; includes photos
•  Includes stories/essays, timeline/overview, historic preservation, bibliography, message board
•  Not extensive, but does an admirable job for what it covers; easy-to-navigate


Historic Cooking Resources

•  Maintained by David L. Langeberg, University of Delaware Library
•  “Provides information on strategies for finding historic recipes as well as resources for putting them in context”
•  The “Finding Historic Recipes” and “Putting Recipes in Context” provide advice and strategies on constructing productive searches in online catalogs; especially useful are tips on locating information on “foodways,” which profile food habits, food consumption and the social aspects of food
•  Includes limited links to Internet resources and “Selected Bibliography of Materials in Special Collections”
•  Excellent; a great place to begin research on the history of cooking in America


Key Ingredients: America by Food

•  Sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service and the Federation of State Humanities Council
•  “The online educational companion to the Smithsonian Institution’s traveling exhibition “Key Ingredients: America by Food,” which emphasizes “regional traditions and international influences”
•  Includes exhibition’s tour schedule “… which will travel to over 150 venues across the country between 2003 and 2008”
•  “500 Years of American Food,” the exhibit’s first section, includes essays with links to the following: “Time Periods” (1600-2000), “Themes” (growing, preparing and celebrating with food) and “Regions”
•  “American Cookbook Project,” the second section, allows users to browse recipes by “recipe type” (appetizers, salads, etc.), “story type” (family traditions, religious observances, etc.), “heritage type” (ethnic sources), “State;” recipe submissions are welcome, because “… this is not simply an online cookbook but a collection of memories and recollections of great meals from the past”
•  “Eating Across America,” the third section, profiles food traditions of the towns/cities hosting the exhibit; profiles will include local food events, “Places to Eat” and images; this is currently “under construction” and will expand as the exhibit’s tour progresses
•  Includes “Teacher’s Guide” for educators interested in incorporating the exhibit’s resources in the classroom
•  Outstanding; this multi-faceted resource highlights the historical development of America’s cuisine, its regional influences and its recipes; an excellent, easy-to-use chronicle of American food’s culture/history


Milestones in U.S. Food and Drug Law History

•  Maintained by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA)
•  Timeline of food and drug regulation in the U.S. from 1820 to the present
•  Great source for a quick review of this topic


Not by Bread Alone: America’s Culinary Heritage

•  Sponsored by the Division of Rare Book and Manuscript Collection, Cornell University Library
•  Site is an online version of an exhibition at the Carl A. Kroch Library, June 6 – October 4, 2002
•  “Explores the influences and inventions that have shaped American food habits over the past two hundred years”
•  “Highlights rare books, photographs, menus, and other early documents that trace the history of gastronomy in America”
•  Excellent; while not exhaustive, this exhibit does an admirable job of showcasing culinary trends in America; images are especially interesting


Vegetarian Museum

•  Founded in 2006 by Karen Iacobbo, journalist/faculty member, Johnson & Wales University, and Michael Iacobbo, journalist
•  “A virtual museum, located only in cyberspace, and the only museum in the world, on or off the Internet, dedicated to vegetarianism”
•  Includes news/articles/essays, links (including two online books), recipes and excellent visual content
•  Relies heavily on “primary and secondary sources such as writings, ephemera, and artifacts”
•  Welcomes “ideas, contributions”
•  Outstanding; this attractively designed site is an excellent resource for the history of vegetarianism in the U.S.


When Did It Happen? Restaurant Franchise Timeline

•  Maintained by Dacy Nottingham
•  Links to basic information for over 225 restaurant franchises from Nathan’s Famous Hotdogs (1916) to Rockfish Grille (2005)
•  Each franchise profile includes the following: founding date, founder(s) (when available), original location, link (when available)
•  Searchable
•  “Other” links to additional franchise links in which founding dates have not been verified
•  Links to other “When Did It Happen” pages for automobiles and hotels/lodging; other pages are “currently being prepared” for food brands, consumer products, retailing, media, services
•  Outstanding; a great place for information on many restaurant franchises; almost all are still in business and links to them are “live”


Websites discussed on this page are for informational purposes only. Johnson & Wales University Library is not responsible for the accuracy, content or stability of any websites linked to this page.

Compiled by Rick Keogh, 4/02; revised 5/08

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