New technology has revolutionized how we cook in the last 200 years. In this primary source activity, students compare historical recipes from American Cookery (1796) by Amelia Simmons to modern recipes to answer the essential question – How has technology changed how we cook over time?  Students  “taste” the difference between life in the 18th century and today and discuss how technological change impacts every aspect of our daily lives.

Before class, download this document and copy for students. Recipe Comparison Worksheet
This document includes the following:

  • Student note-taking and discussion guide (this can be completed individually or in groups)
  • 6 historical recipes from American Cookery by Amelia Simmons (1796)
  • 6 modern recipes equivalent to the historical recipes; the teacher may choose to collect packaged mixes for these items for analysis instead of recipes

Procedure in class for the primary source activity

  1. First, introduce the essential question – How has technology changed how we cook over time?
  2. Ask your students to list the technology used to prepare food at home. An example to trigger discussion is the kitchen microwave. Invented in 1945 and purchased by American households in the 1980s and 1990s, the microwave revolutionized how we cook and eat in just a few decades.
  3. Distribute the student note-taking and discussion guide and historical recipes as indicated on the worksheet.
  4. Distribute the modern recipes or packaged mixes after students have analyzed the historical recipes.
  5. After students have analyzed and compared the historical and modern recipes, revisit the essential question –How has technology changed how we cook over time?

The following information will be useful to explain the historical recipes to students:

  • American Cookery (1798) by Amelia Simmons was the first cookbook written by an American, for an American audience, and published in the United States. Before its publication, only British cookbooks or American reprints of British cookbooks were available. Full text of her cookbook available at the Library of Congress website.
  • Prior to the invention of the cast iron wood or coal heated stoves in the early 1800s, most food was prepared on an open hearth. Most dishes were boiled, steamed or baked in pots for long periods of time over the fire or hot coals.
    • Baking temperatures were not indicated as thermometers were not available for the home cook.
  • Before mechanical refrigeration and the technological advances in transportation of the 1800s and 1900s (railroad and trucks on interstate highways) ingredients were limited. Ingredients in early America were usually limited to what was produced by the household or what could be produced within the immediate region. Items imported from long distances or overseas were usually too expensive for the average household. The majority of the ingredients in these early American recipes were produced at home.
    • Cows, pigs and chickens were raised and slaughtered.
    • Eggs were usually abundant.
    • Fresh milk, which soured quickly without refrigeration, was made into butter and cheese which kept for longer periods of time.
    • Herbs such as marjoram, savory, parsley, sage were grown in the garden and dried.
    • Grains (corn, wheat, oats and rye) were grown and ground into flour in local mills.
      • Indian meal was a uniquely American ingredient; modern cooks call it corn meal.
    • Spices such as pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mace had to be imported.
    • Sugar was imported from the West Indies and while it was less expensive for Americans than for Europeans in the 1700s, it was still a highly valued commodity.

Historical cooking vocabulary

  • Gill – a unit of measure equal to approximately 1/2 cup or a teacup
    • Measurements were not indicated or were very vague in early American recipes because measuring cups and spoons were not standardized and mass-produced until the late 1800s and early 1900s.
  • Mince or mincemeat – Mincemeat pies are still prepared for fall or winter holidays in some regions. Historically, mincemeat was prepared when hogs or cattle were slaughtered in autumn when the weather cooled. Less desirable parts of the animals and fat were cooked, mixed with various fruits available at the time or dried fruits, spices, sugar or molasses, brandy, and sometimes vinegar. Sugar, brandy and vinegar helped to preserve the mixture.
  • Pudding –In English and early American cooking pudding was not the modern sweet, dairy based dessert we eat today. Pudding was a heavy bread cooked by steaming or boiling. The batter was placed in a fabric bag and hung over a pot of water boiling at the hearth. The pudding steamed for several hours and required little attention from the cook. Since the batter was high in butter or lard, the leftovers would keep for several days.
  • Syllabub –A drink that combined fresh milk and sweet apple cider. Sweet apple cider was fresh apple juice. Hard apple cider was a fermented drink like beer that was very popular and had a much longer shelf life. The milk, straight from the cow, would have had a high cream content; the froth was whipped cream.
  • For more activities and activity flash cards of historical food terms – see Food through Time: Exploring Social History with Etymology

For more about the history of food see Investigating Family, Food, and Housing Themes in Social Studies

For more about the history of daily life, historical primary sources, and instructional activities by Cynthia W. Resor, see:

Books
Primary Source Bazaar Blog Posts
Classroom Activities
American Cookery (1798) by Amelia Simmons
American Cookery (1798) by Amelia Simmons