American food culture – from the Thanksgiving feast to space food and obesity crisis 4219-SD0084

This course provides listeners with an extensive overview of the history of American food culture. It starts with the colonial cuisine: foods brought to America by the first settlers. The participants discover their diet and try to figure out if it was truly American, or rather British in its essence and get to know the real story of the first Thanksgiving feast. We take a look at the first American cookbook, Amelia Simmons’ “American Cookery," called “the culinary declaration of independence” and analyze the food culture and cookbooks from the 19th century: visions of a “frugal housewife," the differences between the middle-class foods and ethnic foods of the indigenous people, as well as slave diet. Moreover, this course allows participants to discover the history of the rapidly growing branches of industry: ready-made meals, functional foods, especially the rise of newly invented processed and manufactured ones at the beginning of the 20th century (breakfast cereal, formula milk, canned and dried products). It helps to explore how the diet and culinary customs have changed since the beginning of World War 2, and get acquainted with technological and cultural inventions of the 1950s (advertisements, new home appliances), space food for astronauts – a NASA creation, as well as the emergence of huge businesses and brands like McDonald’s, Coca-cola, Nestle, and PepsiCo. Furthermore, we take a look at the changing dietary guidelines, using the theories of Marion Nestle and Melanie DuPuis, and try to discuss the interplay between the government and the above-mentioned companies. We focus our attention on contemporary American social problems related to food: the growing obesity crisis, food deserts, and the prices of organic “whole foods”. We discuss the question of individual responsibility for food choices vs. the one of food industry: who is to blame for social crisis, if not the overall food culture created by giant corporations - their intrusive advertisements, school meals, and fast food? Additionally, we take a look at how food is portrayed in American pop culture, famous movies and cartoons.

During the course, participants will get acquainted with the following topics:

- Pre-colonial cuisine and the food of the first settlers: The Thanksgiving feast myth, indigenous ingredients and British provisions

- Culinary Declaration of Independence: Amelia Simmon’s „American Cookery”. The birth of American recipes: „pumpkin pie” – 18th century recipe analysis.

- 19th century woman’s ideal: Cookbook discourse analysis - „The American Frugal Housewife” by Lydia Maria Child. Ethnic cuisines: slave diet.

- Roaring twenties: the emergence of fast-food chains and prohibition. How Coca-Cola was invented. The birth of manufactured foods (Baby Ruth Candy Bar, Wonder Bread, Yoo-Hoo Chocolate Drink).

- Post-war food system of the 1940’s and 1950’s: Fast Food chains and drive-thru’s. The rise of Convenience. Taylorism, optimalisation, canned products, military rations.

- 1950’s: Food-related stereotypes: Middle class „perfect housewife” stereotype (old-school advertisements), „The chicken” and other stereotypes about black people.

- space food invented by NASA – a technological ideal? Food and High Modernity. The „meal in a pill” and futuristic visions from „the Jetsons”.

- The emergence and secularization of dietary guidelines in the USA: from God’s messengers to dietary experts – the changing discourse of dietary advice

- 1980’s: The growing problem of obesity. Introduction of Dietary Guidelines and food pyramid. The interplay between institutions and the government (USDA, FDA).

- 1990’s: Food as counter culture: veganism, freeganism, punk cuisine, back-to-the-land movement

- Immigrant Food – the Mexican, Jewish, European and other ethnic cuisines in the USA. Taco Bell vs Slow food

- Foods for the kids in the 21st century: School meals, advertising (to kids). Luncheables & pop tarts. Food in popular culture (comics, cartoons: South Park).

- Food, mass media, globalisation and other contemporary problems: the GMO’s, food deserts, income inequalities, food fads, instagram quality food porn, the rise of cooking shows.