This might be one of my only, and definitely the most forceful hot take I've had so far: The variety of food depends almost entirely on the vegetables - well the plant foods. After all, there are only so many ways to cook meat - roast, boil, fry, braise... all the interesting flavors come from the plant additions. But also - going on the move, and the "hurry up" of American culture made our food bland. Not everyone in new America had bland food, but note, they stayed in place! Pawpaw & sweet corn pudding vs. baked beans. I ask you... Books by William Woys Weaver: The Christmas Cook: Three Centuries of American Yuletide Sweets Pennsylvania Dutch Country Cooking American Eats: Forms of Edible Folk Art Sauerkraut Yankees Country Scrapple: An American Tradition Videos on Typical Early American Diets via Townsends: The Poor Hunter The Poor Fronteirsman The Poor Farmer The Poor Sailor The Poor Soldier Also check out: Prizefighters, Circus Freaks & Gangsters! There's Fighting, Food, Fashion & Fraud (we swear... we laugh, we tease, it's fun) Music Credit: Fingerlympics by Doctor Turtle Show Notes: https://thehistoryofamericanfood.blogspot.com/ Email: TheHistoryofAmericanFood at gmail dot com Threads: @THoAFood Instagram: @THoAFood