Food
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.
Start Here
Coffee increased energy and alertness on the battlefield, improved morale and was even used by medics to help prevent shock.
Nathan 'Nearest' Green, who taught Jack Daniel the art of whiskey distillation, went unacknowledged for more than 150 years.
The origins of ice cream, sorbet and other chilled dairy treats are difficult to pin down—but span back to antiquity.
Peanut butter. Ice cream cones. Cotton candy. The 1904 St. Louis exposition popularized some of America’s favorite foods.
3 Iconic Food Mascots
Combat Rations
Combat Rations in WWII
During World War II, feeding thousands of troops in enemy territory wasn't easy. Discover how soldiers carried rations into battle.
Explore All Related Topics
Clarence Birdseye took note of how Indigenous Canadians 'flash froze' their fish—and forever changed the way Americans ate.
Some confections even played a role in U.S. history.
Dim sum for Christmas? The experiences of immigrants in New York explain how the tradition began.
It's America's favorite condiment, but ketchup's long history dates back to imperial China—and at one point it was completely tomato-free.
Eggs offer an amazing package of nutrition—and humans have been poaching wild bird eggs since time immemorial. Keeping chickens to eat their eggs is a more recent (but still ancient) practice.
Coffee increased energy and alertness on the battlefield, improved morale and was even used by medics to help prevent shock.
They didn't come from China.
From ancient Egypt to colonial America, the humble pie has been feeding humans for thousands of years.
Humans in the subarctic have ice fished on lakes for survival for thousands of years.
