Nearly 250 years have passed since the first Independence Day and I can’t help but wonder how the dining habits of our forefathers differ from today's traditions. The first food fad arguably didn’t roll around until the Boston Tea Party in 1775 when most of the country traded in their teacups for coffee mugs. Perhaps it isn’t ironic, then, that only after gaining independence did we began to see small revolutions in American food culture as well. Thomas Jefferson, in particular, led the way.
Jefferson, signer of the Declaration of Independence and third president of the United States, helped propel both our governmental and culinary independence. So strong were his epicurean ideals, they often influenced his political opinions. In fact, he thought it “a great error to consider a heavy tax on wines as a tax on luxury. On the contrary, it is a tax on the health of our citizens.” Guests of Jefferson’s estate, Monticello, reaped the benefits of this outlook and left many written accounts describing the elegance and opulence of meals served at the home. The president cared so deeply about the quality of his food that he sent a slave, James Hemings, to France for three years as a cooks’ apprentice. Upon his return, one guest reported that "never before had such dinners been served in the president's house."
But Jefferson’s obsession didn’t end with eating. His curiosity led him to raise his own vines, brew his own beer and grow some of the first tomatoes in the country. Dinner guests were routinely shocked when their host served the red fruit, which at the time was thought to be poisonous. Jefferson is also credited with the creation of macaroni and cheese. As popular legend goes, Jefferson created his own pasta machine and ordered the cook to bake the pasta with large amounts of cheese. The veracity of the tale remains unclear, but such stories solidify the fact that food was largely important to Jefferson’s lifestyle.
Looking back over the past two centuries, it seems as though America’s culinary traditions have come full circle. Many Americans have now returned, with Jeffersonian attention, to the quality of their food. Strangely enough, the anniversary of our countries birth is also the anniversary of Jefferson’s death. So this fourth, light your fire works and grill to your hearts content. I'm sure both would make the “original American foodie” proud.
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