The History of American Food Podcast By Margaret Hardin cover art

The History of American Food

The History of American Food

By: Margaret Hardin
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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: @THoAFoodCopyright Margaret Hardin Art Food & Wine Social Sciences World
Episodes
  • 166 Feeding the Sick and Injured in The Civil War: Apparently You Can't Run a War Without Women

    166 Feeding the Sick and Injured in The Civil War: Apparently You Can't Run a War Without Women
    Apr 15 2026
    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.

    Books Referenced:
    A Mother's Work: Mary Ann Bickerdyke by Mary Vangorder

    The Big Burn by Timothy Egan

    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
    Show more Show less
    36 mins
  • 165 Is This Enough Food to Feed an Army? & What Were They Thinking?

    165 Is This Enough Food to Feed an Army? & What Were They Thinking?
    Apr 8 2026
    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
    Show more Show less
    30 mins
  • 164 Feeding an Army: A History with a Lot of Holes - On Purpose

    164 Feeding an Army: A History with a Lot of Holes - On Purpose
    Apr 1 2026
    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
    Show more Show less
    24 mins
All stars
Most relevant
Rabbit holes I never knew existed have been opened up for me. Greedily consuming this starting at the beginning. 💖

Love the attention to detail

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As a chef and history buff, I love this podcast. It is informative and very enjoyable to listen to.

Entertaining and well researched

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The information is interesting - I’ll hang around. Delivery... it’s early days. But I want to hear the whole story.

Getting Started

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bringing history to life with wit and sometimes science! best listened to from the begining.

fun and quirky

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