Appetizing Muse

Years ago I wrote an article about American food and culture for Savorys by Shenanchie (now known as American Food & Culture from the Food Fare Culinary Collection). Near the end of the piece, I made lists of culinary milestones.

The invention and branding of certain foods in America is of particular interest to many. The more well-known foods are listed below, along with the year they made their debut in America.

• A & W Root Beer (1922)

• Alka Seltzer (1931)

• Animal Crackers (1902)

• Banana Split (1904)

• Betty Crocker (1921)

• Bird's Eye Frosted Foods (1930)

• Bisquick (1930)

• Bugles (corn snacks) (1964)

• Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup (1934)

• Campbell's Tomato Soup (1897)

• Canned Tuna (1903)

• Coca-Cola (1886)

• Coffee Mate Non-Dairy Creamer (1961)

• Cracker Jack (1896)

• Crisco (1911)

• Green Giant Frozen Vegetables (1961)

• Hamburger Helper (1970)

• Hershey's Chocolate Bar (1900)

• Hershey's Kisses (1907)

• Instant Coffee (1901)

• Instant Mashed Potatoes (1946)

• Jell-O (1897)

• Kellogg's Corn Flakes (1906)

• Kool-Aid (1927)

• Lipton Instant Tea (1958)

• Lipton (Loose) Tea (1890)

• M & M's Peanut Candies (1954)

• Malt-O-Meal (1919)

• Mike & Ike's (1927)

• Minute Rice (1949)

• Morton Table Salt (1912)

• Oreo Cookies (1913)

• Oscar Meyer Weiner (1929)

• Peanut Butter (1904)

• Pepsi (1902)

• Popcorn (1904)

• Pop Tarts (1964)

• Ramen Noodles (1972)

• Reese's Peanut Butter Cup (1923)

• Rice-A-Roni (1958)

• Ritz Crackers (1934)

• Saran Wrap (1952)

• Shake-n-Bake (1966)

• Snickers (1930)

• Spaghetti-O's (1965)

• Sprite (1960)

• Swanson's Pot Pies (1951)

• Swanson's TV Dinners (1954)

• Sweet 'n Low (1957)

• Tea Bag (1910)

• Tuna Helper (1972)

• Twinkies (1930)

• V-8 Juice (1933)

• Velveeta (1928)

• Wonder Bread (1920)

• Wrigley's Gum (1921)

*From American Food & Culture (Food Fare Culinary Collection).

All I can say is thank God for Coffee Mate Non-Dairy Creamer and Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup. I fancy Bugles, too.