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.

Introduction -- Foodstuffs -- Food preparation -- Eating habits -- Concepts of diet and nutrition and food crises.