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Food ‑ Stories

Food is an integral part of human history, serving as both sustenance and a symbol of culture, trade and power. From the earliest days of hunter-gatherers to modern-day globalization, what people eat has influenced the course of history.

a plate brimming with homemade chocolate chip cookies

8 Defining Moments in the History of the Chocolate Chip Cookie

Americans consume 7 billion chocolate chip cookies annually—and not just top seller Chips Ahoy! and its numerous packaged cookie competitors. Chocolate chip cookies also represent nearly half of all homemade cookies baked in the U.S. The comforting treat got its start during the Great Depression, when “cookies were a way of maintaining some normalcy while […]

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Marines drinking coffee, circa 1944.

How Coffee Fueled US Troops During World War II

Coffee increased energy and alertness on the battlefield, improved morale and was even used by medics to help prevent shock.

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Chinese dim sum at a restaurant.

What’s Behind the Jewish Tradition of Eating Chinese Food on Christmas?

Dim sum for Christmas? The experiences of immigrants in New York explain how the tradition of Jews eating at Chinese restaurants on the Christian holiday began.

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A clerk removes cans of cranberry from the shelves in a supermarket in Jackson Heights, Queens, Nov. 10, 1959.

How the Great Cranberry Scare of 1959 Set Off a Thanksgiving Panic

On November 9, 1959—just two‑and‑a‑half weeks before Thanksgiving—the U.S. secretary of Health, Education and Welfare made a startling announcement: some cranberries grown in the Pacific Northwest may have been contaminated by a weed killer that could lead to cancer in rats. This meant that cranberry sauce, a popular staple of Thanksgiving dinners, might not be […]

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A milk bottling plant, circa 1950.

9 of the Worst Foodborne Illness Outbreaks in America

From contaminated raw milk to tainted meat, outbreaks have spread rapidly through the country’s food supply chain, with deadly consequences.

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Red velvet cake

7 Juneteenth Foods and Traditions

From eating red foods to promoting activism, Juneteenth traditions pay tribute to the liberation of America’s enslaved.

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Historic Food Mascots

From Betty Crocker to Ronald McDonald, companies have used human mascots as the ‘face’ of their products. Not all have stood the test of time.

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Traditional lunar new year food.

Noodles and Citrus? Symbolic Foods of Lunar New Year

Foods enjoyed during New Year are similar to those eaten throughout the year, but with symbolic emphasis on bringing good fortune.

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How Upton Sinclair’s ‘The Jungle’ Led to US Food Safety Reforms

The 1906 bestseller was one of the most influential books in American history—but not in the way its author intended.

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Boy and girl eating ice cream

Who Invented Ice Cream?

The origins of ice cream, sorbet and other chilled dairy treats are difficult to pin down—but span back to antiquity.

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People in 1904 standing outside a refreshment stand

How the 1904 World’s Fair Showcased New American Foods

Peanut butter. Ice cream cones. Cotton candy. The 1904 St. Louis exposition popularized some of America’s favorite foods.

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M&M's and Hershey

7 Iconic American Candies Through the Decades

Some confections even played a role in U.S. history.

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