Alyssa Myers:Changing Food in America- How the food sources, cultivation, and preparation changed American society
By anmy
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Seafood
One of the common foods in the New Plymouth Colony from 1620-1691 was seafood. One type of seafood that was often consumed was cod, which is a grey or green, speckled fish. It was what the colonists depended on for their survival. -
"Treating"
One custom in the Chesapeake colonies from 1650-1750 was “treating”. Political candidates would “treat” the voters with different foods and beverages. Unfortunately, the cost of providing the voters with the food and drinks only allowed the wealthy to run for assembly. -
Coffee
One of the luxuries from 1650-1800 in France was coffee. It was first marketed in the Turkish style, which did not work. The French then tried adding sugar to the coffee, which did not improve the taste. Finally, the French mixed milk into the beverage, which is how coffee was drunk until 1800. Coffee houses were created in cities such as New York, Philadelphia, and Boston. -
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In the 1690s King Louis XIV realized that coffee could become profitable, and help cover the cost of the Nine Years’ War. He began supporting the trading of coffee in 1692. It played an important role in French culture, and was instrumental in the country’s history of cross- cultural trade. It continues to play an important role in the nation’s trade today. -
Imported and "New World" goods
. “New world foods” and imported foods were some of the influences present in the North American colonies during the 1690s. The newfound access to the foreign foods allowed the colonists to expand their diets. They could make different foods with the new ingredients. -
Taverns
One of the spots that became a social gathering place in England during the 1690s was taverns. For example, Alexander Hamilton says that he “returned to [his] lodgings at eight o’clock, and the post being arrived, [he] found a numerous company at Slater’s [tavern] reading the news…[and their] chit-chat kept [him] awake three hours after [he] went to bed”. While drinking their beer, men would discuss the events of the time. -
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They would also relate their political opinions and beliefs, and peruse pamphlets. Events would also be held at taverns. By listening to other opinions, the men who went to the taverns were politically influenced. Their thoughts and actions were partially shaped by what they heard at the taverns. -
Connecticut Indians eating habits
One of the methods used by the Connecticut Indians in 1690 was the use of hawks to watch over one’s field. The hawks would protect the field and crops from other birds and farmers. The Connecticut Indians used the land available to them. They were farmers and hunter-gatherers. They produced a variety of crops by using simple tools such as sticks or clamshells. The women were given the responsibility of taking care of the crops, other than tobacco. -
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The Connecticut Indians depended largely on nuts and berries. They also hunted wild animals such as deer, moose, raccoon, and beaver. They would often decorate the clothes they wore and themselves. Both the women and the men would wear earrings, necklaces, and bracelets. -
Paper Packaging
One of the helpful innovations in Germantown, Pennsylvania in 1690s was packaging products using paper. It is possibly the oldest type of what is known today as “flexible packaging”. The technique originated in China where treated mulberry bark was utilized to wrap foods. The earliest forms of paper packaging used flax fibers and old linen rags at a later point in time. Paper created from wood pulp was not developed until 1867. -
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Luckily, the glued paper sacks and the gusset design were invented in the 1870s. By inventing the glued paper sack, one no longer had to use expensive cotton flour sacks. The use of paper packaging helped maintain the freshness of the food for longer periods of time. -
Jamestown Riverfront
One of the important ports in 1690s was the Jamestown Riverfront. Located in Jamestown, the harbor was used to unload imported products. It was also used to load goods that would be sent by boat across the Atlantic Ocean. Throughout the century, laws were occasionally passed that made Jamestown the colony’s only port of entry. -
Frozen creams
One of the treats during the 1690s in France and Naples was frozen creams. The sweet had a finer and less crystalline structure. The frozen creams were considered a delicacy and a luxury. They were a cool, and refreshing treat during the hot summer months. Originally, they were only available to the aristocrats and royalty. They did not appear in the more common homes until the end of the eighteenth century. -
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After becoming more commonly consumed, frozen creams were sold to the public in the city’s streets. The snow to make them was sometimes brought down from the mountains .Frozen creams were the beginning of what is known today as ice-cream. -
Pudding cloth
One of the inventions used in the 1690s in England was the pudding cloth. The pudding cloth allowed people to make pudding any time of the year. Pudding could be made using different techniques such as boiling or baking. There were also different types of pudding. As a result of the pudding cloth and the increased convenience of making pudding, pudding consumption increased. Pudding eventually replaced the pottages that were earlier consumed. -
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The process of using a pudding cloth can be explained as using “ a piece of sturdy cloth, dipped in water as hot as one’s hands could bear and then well-floured, could be tied up around a suety or batter mix- savory or sweet- and boiled without the contents leaching out as they swelled”. -
Celery continued
It originally only came in red or white. One of the reasons the vegetable became popular was that people began consuming different cooked dishes regularly. It also complimented different dishes such as mutton or roasted fowls. -
Tomato continued
Some crops belonging to the Nightshade family actually are poisonous. The tomato was also regarded as unfit to eat because of the odor the leaves and stems gave off. One well- known person who owned his own tomatoes was Thomas Jefferson. -
Jamestown Riverfront continued
L Since the Jamestown Riverfront was so depended on by the English and the colonists, only a select number of cities or trading centers were created in the Chesapeake Region. Jamestown was established in 1607 by a group of entrepreneurs from London. They colonized Jamestown in order to discover gold, and a water route to the Orient. As a result of the attacks from the Algonquian Indians, the settlers were forced to build a wooden fort to protect themselves. -
Celery
Another food consumed during the 1690s in England was celery. Celery is a vegetable that needs soft, rich soil to grow properly. As a result of the cool climate of the north, the crop grew in the north year-round. It is also an excellent resource for vitamin C. The two types of celery include the domestic and stalk celery. In England during the 1900s, stalk celery was considered a new vegetable. It grew wild in Europe close to water, and along marshes and the sides of ditches. -
Tomato
One of the foods that were widely used in coastal Southern Cuisine in the Southern hemisphere in the 1690s was the tomato. Although evidence shows that that it was eaten before the 1690s, there is not proof that it was largely consumed. To parts of the world other than the Southern hemisphere, the tomato was considered poisonous. The myth that it was poisonous arose from the plant family the tomato belongs to, which is called the Nightshade family. -
Tea
One of the drinks present in the 1690s in England was tea. It was originally consumed in China before it was widely drunk in England. At first, tea was extremely expensive. One may pay as much as f26 per pound of tea. It was regarded as fashionable and beneficial for one’s health. Unfortunately, smuggling tea was widespread during the 1700s because of tea’s price. The colonists eventually protested during the Boston Tea Party. -
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During the Boston Tea Party, the colonists boarded three English ships and calmly poured 340 chests of tea into the Boston Harbor. As a result of the Boston Tea Party, parliament passed five bills to punish Boston and Massachusetts for their behavior. Eventually, tea became a significant aspect of every ‘fashionable’ woman’s social gatherings and functions. -
Corn
One of the prominent foods of the 1690s in the Northern American colonies was corn. Corn originated in Cuba when it was discovered by Christopher Columbus; however, it is not clear when the crop was introduced to Europe. It began as simply an amusement, and not as a food source. Some different types of corn include dent corn, flint corn, popcorn, and sweet corn. -
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It may also be the most domesticated field crop. Eventually, the different parts of the country played different roles in the production of corn. The Middle colonies were responsible for growing the corn, which was only one of the many crops it grew. The Southern colonies exported the corn to the rest of the Northern American colonies. -
Rice Cultivation
- Rice cultivation was an important source of food for the colonists in Georgetown County, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina in 1690. The climate was perfect for growing a large amount of the crop, which increased the amount of labor needed to harvest the rice. Since African-Americans were thought to be well-suited for the job, the number of slaves used as labor increased. Slaves were also needed because the planters knew almost nothing about how to successfully grow rice.
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The majority of the slaves were bought from West Africa. The slaves were responsible for “building the [rice] fields, planting the crops, flooding and draining the fields, watching the crops.” The slaves then had to harvest and thresh the fields, and prepare the rice so that it could be sold. -
Trivet
One of the devises used in the 1690s in the North American colonies was the trivet. It was a three-legged stand that was used to hold utensils near the hearth. They were generally made by a blacksmith. The earliest trivets were made out of brass, and the owner’s initials were incorporated into the design. The three-legged trivets were created in Pennsylvania and had common hearth-and-barn symbols in the design. -
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Cast-iron foundries began producing trivets around 1850. More elaborate designs replaced the simpler designs after 1860. Trivets allowed the user to have increased control over the temperature of the food and maintain a cleaner work area. -
Fish flakes
One of the devices used in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692 was fish flakes. They were structures outside that large amounts of fish were laid on to dry. As a result, the fish did not spoil as easily and could be stored during the months when food was scarce. They were crucial in the process of drying fish where the climate was cold and damp. If the weather was too warm, the fish would boil and fall off the bone when picked up. -
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There were sometimes so many fish to dry that one could walk from one end of the town to the other side of town on top of the fish flakes. If the fish flakes were entirely covered, the villagers may be forced to use rocks as temporary drying spots. -
Wheat
. Another staple in the diet of those in England and Whales from 1693-1700 was wheat. Wheat is generally grown in harsh climates that are often wind-swept. It originated in southwestern Asia. Wheat is classified into the categories of growing habits, color of the kernel, and texture of the grain once it is ripened. Some different types of wheat include hard-red spring, hard-red winter, and the durum wheat. -
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There was a large market for the crop, and it could be used in different cereals of the time. Wheat can also be found in bulgur, wheat germ, wheat bran, wheat berry, and cracked wheat. Wheat is also easily contained and can be used as the base ingredient for numerous other foods. It also contains nutrients such as protein, minerals, and vitamins. -
Molasses
One type of food that New England, New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore had access to in 1700 was molasses and a byproduct of molasses. The triangular trade was the source of the newfound molasses and rum created from molasses. One Act that raised the price of molasses was The Molasses Act of 1733. The Act had raised the price of molasses to six cents per gallon. Unfortunately, smugglers managed to only pay off the customs official at the price of one and one half cents per gallon. -
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John Hall was the first person to turn the creation of rum into a business. His business was operated sometime between 1715 and 1720 on his own property. He used the still he built over a spring and molasses to create his rum. -
Pig
One of the animals consumed in 1700 in England was the pig. It was relatively inexpensive to own a pig because their digestive systems could handle ‘waste’ or cheap plants. Pigs could also graze on what they found in the forest. As a result, pigs were generally kept in the forests or wooded areas. Pigs were also not very bothersome to own. Pigs were also profitable because they would fertilize poor quality soil if crops were planted on the soil. -
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For example, a farmer may plant peas on a patch of poor quality soil and allow the pig to eat the peas freely. One of the more common recipes for pork entailed soaking the sack-covered pork in mint water. It was branded after soaking in regular water overnight.
