Ever wondered why Americans are obsessed with peanut butter? Or how the hamburger became a national icon? ”America’s Eats” is your passport to the fascinating world of American food history. Join us as we uncover the surprising stories behind your favorite dishes, exploring their cultural significance, regional variations, and the quirky characters who shaped their destiny. From classic comfort foods to modern culinary trends, ”America’s Eats” will leave you hungry for more!
The bizarre true story of General Tso's chicken — a Cold War refugee chef, a Manhattan rivalry, Henry Kissinger, and a dish its own inventor called "crazy nonsense."
12 Aug 2026
How Jell-O Conquered America
How did Jell-O go from an elaborate luxury to one of America’s most famous convenience foods—and eventually to tuna suspended in lime gelatin?
In this episode of America’s Eats, we trace the surprising history of Jell-O from Peter Cooper’s nineteenth-century gelatin experiments and Pearle Wait’s 1897 product through mass advertising, recipe booklets, home economics, electric refrigeration, savory Jell-O salads, Ring-Around-the-Tuna, and Bill Cosby’s long association with the brand.
Along the way, Jell-O reveals something larger about American food history: how our ideas about convenience, modernity, good cooking, and sophisticated taste can change completely from one generation to the next.
America’s Eats tells the surprising history of America through the food Americans eat. Follow the show for new episodes every Tuesday.
22 Nov 2024
EP. 10 I Brought the Green Bean Casserole!
Campbell's Soup employee Dorcas Reilly shares the fascinating history of the green bean casserole, from humble beginnings to iconic Thanksgiving tradition.
8 Nov 2024
EP. 9 The Proof is in the Jell-O
Get ready to jiggle with delight as we dive into the wonderfully weird world of Jell-O! From its humble beginnings as a 19th-century flop to its mid-century reign as America's favorite dessert, we'll uncover the surprising history of this wobbly wonder. We'll explore Jell-O's rise to fame, its iconic flavors and molds, and those questionable "congealed salads" that thankfully faded into the past (mostly). So grab a spoon and join us for a nostalgic trip down memory lane as we celebrate the jiggly, wiggly, and undeniably delicious history of Jell-O!
15 Nov 2023
EP. 8 Thanksgiving Turkey
Turkeys have been the most iconic part of American dinner tables on Thanksgiving for well over a century now. But just how did they come to be there and did it really start with the first thanksgiving between the Pilgrims and American Indians in 1621? Listen to find out!
1 Nov 2023
EP. 7 General Tso’s Chicken
You'd be hard pressed to find a Chinese restaurant in the United States that does not serve some version of General Tso's Chicken. It might also be called General Gao's Chicken or another similar name. But who was General Tso, and why do American's eat a dish named after him? Listen to this episode to find out!
25 Oct 2023
EP. 6 Candy Corn
Candy Corn is one of the most controversial candies of Halloween. Some love it and other hate it. Whether you like it or not, it's certainly among the most recognizable of American candies with its history dating back to end of the nineteenth century.
24 Feb 2021
EP. 5 Chocolate Chip Cookies
What came first, the chocolate chip cookie or the chocolate chip? The answer may surprise you. In this episode of America's Eats we explore the storied history of the chocolate chip cookie.
23 Dec 2020
EP. 4 Eggnog & Candy Canes
What would Christmas be without eggnog and candy canes? This week we cover a brief history of how these sweet holiday treats entered American Christmas tradition.
16 Dec 2020
EP. 3 Hamburgers
Hamburgers are a global food phenomenon enjoyed by billions of people each year. In this episode we explore the history of the hamburger and it went from rags to riches.
28 Nov 2020
EP. 2 Hot Chocolate
Hot chocolate. It's warm, it's wonderful, but just how did this rich warm drink become an American wintertime favorite? Today, we explore the history of hot chocolate.
22 Nov 2020
EP. 1 Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin pie has graced festive American tables for centuries, but just how did this classic American dish become what we know it as today?
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Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
3 ratings
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