“If you love food history and want to understand how modern American eating habits took shape between the Gilded Age and World War II, this book is for you. Casual weeknight cooks looking for quick dinner recipes or glossy step-by-step photos will be disappointed.
📝 Description: Food in the United States, 1890-1945
From the Gilded Age to the end of World War II, what, where, when, and how Americans ate all changed radically. Migration to urban areas took people away from their personal connection to food sources. Immigration, primarily from Europe, and political influence of the Caribbean, Latin America, and the Pacific brought us new ingredients, cuisines, and foodways. Technological breakthroughs engendered the widespread availability of refrigeration, as well as faster cooking times. The invention of the automobile augured the introduction of "road food," and the growth of commercial transportation meant that a wider assortment of foods was available year round. Major food crises occurred during the Depression and two world wars. This book documents these changes through the period to explain what foodways say about our society. This narrative is enlivened with numerous period anecdotes that bring American history alive through food history.
💎 Expert review
“
🍳
Eatbook Family editorial team
Cookbook desk
This book serves as a broad historical overview rather than a practical guide for home cooks or bakers. It is ideal for academic researchers or history buffs seeking context on how infrastructure and politics influenced American eating habits between 1890 and 1945. However, it will not suit readers looking for recipes, kitchen techniques, or specific dietary advice.
✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW
⭐ Reader reviews
The starting rating comes from the team Eatbook Family —
If you love food history and want to understand how modern American eating habits took shape between the Gilded Age and World War II, this book is for you. Casual weeknight cooks looking for quick dinner recipes or glossy step-by-step photos will be disappointed.
Reader rating
4.4
Based on 1 reviews
5
0
4
1
3
0
2
0
1
0
E
Eatbook Family editorial team
This book serves as a broad historical overview rather than a practical guide for home cooks or bakers. It is ideal for academic researchers or history buffs seeking context on how infrastructure and politics influenced American eating habits between 1890 and 1945. However, it will not suit readers looking for recipes, kitchen techniques, or specific dietary advice.
❓ Frequently asked questions
No, this is a historical narrative exploring American food culture and society rather than a collection of kitchen-tested recipes with photos.
The book centers on the years between the Gilded Age and the conclusion of World War II.
📖 Who should read this
If you love food history and want to understand how modern American eating habits took shape between the Gilded Age and World War II, this book is for you. Casual weeknight cooks looking for quick dinner recipes or glossy step-by-step photos will be disappointed.
📜 Historical context
This volume explores the evolution of American foodways from 1890 to 1945, a transformative era marked by urban migration, waves of immigration, and rapid technological advancements like refrigeration and the automobile. It examines how major historical events, including the Great Depression and world wars, fundamentally reshaped what and how people ate.
![Fast Food and Junk Food: An Encyclopedia of What We Love to Eat [2 Volumes]](/img/fast-food-and-junk-food-an-encyclopedia-of-what-we-love-to-eat-2-volum-93938-scene.webp)
![The World Cookbook: The Greatest Recipes from Around the Globe [4 Volumes] (Revised)](/img/the-world-cookbook-the-greatest-recipes-from-around-the-globe-4-volume-94681.webp)
