1940 - Sponge Candy
The general concensus of newspaper articles and Web sites place the origin
of "sponge candy" in upstate New York. Buffalo appears to be the epicenter.
We find much information about the current product but scant details regarding
the history of the recipe. Many sources (including company Web sites)
vaguely date the recipe in the 1940s. The origins are family secrets.
1941 - M & M's
Chocolate lovers around the world have none other than Forrest E. Mars, Sr. to
thank for the milk chocolate candies that “melt in your mouth, not in your hand.”
The candy, of course, is M&Ms®, and not only did Mars invent, patent, and
market the creation but he also built a chocolate candy empire via the multinational
conglomerate that would become M&M®/Mars, Inc.
1942 - Corn Dogs & Pronto Pups
The earliest reference we find for corn dogs is from the 1920s. According
to the description of the Krusty Korn Dog baker (circa 1929), the first
corn dogs were not deep-fried hot oil, they were made like waffles.
1943 - Nachos
Nachos, as we know them today, descend from traditional Central
American culinary traditions. Tortillas, versatile and cheap,
provided the base for daily meals in endless combinations.
1944 - Tortilla Soup
Food historians tell us the history of soup is probably as old as the history of cooking.
The act of combining various ingredients in a large pot to create a nutritious, filling,
easily digested, simple to make/serve food was inevitable. This made it the
perfect choice for both sedentary and travelling cultures,
rich and poor, healthy people and invalids.
1945 - Monkey Bread
Monkey bread (aka pull-apart bread, bubble bread, Christmas morning delights)
descends from traditional sweet, yeast rolls with centuries of history.
Food historians tell us the first peoples to make sweet, buttery
rolls with cinnamon were ancient Middle Eastern cooks. These recipes
and spices traveled to Europe in the Middle Ages with
crusaders, travellers, traders and explorers.
1946 - Nutella
Nutella® spread, in its earliest form, was created in the 1940s by Mr.
Pietro Ferrero, a pastry maker and founder of the Ferrero company. At
the time, there was very little chocolate because
cocoa was in short supply due to World War II rationing.
1947 - Betty Crocker's Cake Mix
Dry baking mixes of all sorts were a product of the Industrial Revolution.
They were promoted by companies as convenience foods. The first dry
mixes (custard powders) were produced in England in the 1840s. Packaged
mixes for gelatin (Jell-O, Royal, Knox) were introduced in the late 19th
century. Pancake mixes (Aunt Jemima) were available in the 1890s. Our
sources indicate packaged mixes for cake were introduced in 1920's. Packaged
mixes for biscuits (Bisquick/General Mills) were introduced in the 1930s.
Betty Crocker/General Mills made them famous in the late 1940s. Now we
have mixes for Tiramasu, Pineapple-Upside-Down-Cake and even more complicated items.
1948 - Frozen French Fries
The J.R. Simplot Company [Idaho]gets the credit for making and marketing the
first commercially produced French fries in the United States. Their product
debuted in 1948. McCain (Maine) launched in 1956; Ore-Ida went national in 1965.
1949 - Jolly Ranchers
Dorothy Harmsen, who died Aug. 29 at age 91, created the hard candy that
became internationally famous as Jolly Ranchers, named after the
Colorado confectionery company she established with her late husband.
1950 - Frozen Pizza
The earliest print reference we find to manufactured frozen pizza (in the USA) is
patent 2,688,117, "Method for Making Frozen Pizza," filed by Jo Bucci, Philadelphia PA,
August 10, 1950. We also find evidence of refrigerated pizza products penetrating
grocery stores. It was just a matter of time before frozen pizzas were competing
with TV Dinners for space on the consumer's ubiquitous living room feeding tray.
The general concensus of newspaper articles and Web sites place the origin
of "sponge candy" in upstate New York. Buffalo appears to be the epicenter.
We find much information about the current product but scant details regarding
the history of the recipe. Many sources (including company Web sites)
vaguely date the recipe in the 1940s. The origins are family secrets.
1941 - M & M's
Chocolate lovers around the world have none other than Forrest E. Mars, Sr. to
thank for the milk chocolate candies that “melt in your mouth, not in your hand.”
The candy, of course, is M&Ms®, and not only did Mars invent, patent, and
market the creation but he also built a chocolate candy empire via the multinational
conglomerate that would become M&M®/Mars, Inc.
1942 - Corn Dogs & Pronto Pups
The earliest reference we find for corn dogs is from the 1920s. According
to the description of the Krusty Korn Dog baker (circa 1929), the first
corn dogs were not deep-fried hot oil, they were made like waffles.
1943 - Nachos
Nachos, as we know them today, descend from traditional Central
American culinary traditions. Tortillas, versatile and cheap,
provided the base for daily meals in endless combinations.
1944 - Tortilla Soup
Food historians tell us the history of soup is probably as old as the history of cooking.
The act of combining various ingredients in a large pot to create a nutritious, filling,
easily digested, simple to make/serve food was inevitable. This made it the
perfect choice for both sedentary and travelling cultures,
rich and poor, healthy people and invalids.
1945 - Monkey Bread
Monkey bread (aka pull-apart bread, bubble bread, Christmas morning delights)
descends from traditional sweet, yeast rolls with centuries of history.
Food historians tell us the first peoples to make sweet, buttery
rolls with cinnamon were ancient Middle Eastern cooks. These recipes
and spices traveled to Europe in the Middle Ages with
crusaders, travellers, traders and explorers.
1946 - Nutella
Nutella® spread, in its earliest form, was created in the 1940s by Mr.
Pietro Ferrero, a pastry maker and founder of the Ferrero company. At
the time, there was very little chocolate because
cocoa was in short supply due to World War II rationing.
1947 - Betty Crocker's Cake Mix
Dry baking mixes of all sorts were a product of the Industrial Revolution.
They were promoted by companies as convenience foods. The first dry
mixes (custard powders) were produced in England in the 1840s. Packaged
mixes for gelatin (Jell-O, Royal, Knox) were introduced in the late 19th
century. Pancake mixes (Aunt Jemima) were available in the 1890s. Our
sources indicate packaged mixes for cake were introduced in 1920's. Packaged
mixes for biscuits (Bisquick/General Mills) were introduced in the 1930s.
Betty Crocker/General Mills made them famous in the late 1940s. Now we
have mixes for Tiramasu, Pineapple-Upside-Down-Cake and even more complicated items.
1948 - Frozen French Fries
The J.R. Simplot Company [Idaho]gets the credit for making and marketing the
first commercially produced French fries in the United States. Their product
debuted in 1948. McCain (Maine) launched in 1956; Ore-Ida went national in 1965.
1949 - Jolly Ranchers
Dorothy Harmsen, who died Aug. 29 at age 91, created the hard candy that
became internationally famous as Jolly Ranchers, named after the
Colorado confectionery company she established with her late husband.
1950 - Frozen Pizza
The earliest print reference we find to manufactured frozen pizza (in the USA) is
patent 2,688,117, "Method for Making Frozen Pizza," filed by Jo Bucci, Philadelphia PA,
August 10, 1950. We also find evidence of refrigerated pizza products penetrating
grocery stores. It was just a matter of time before frozen pizzas were competing
with TV Dinners for space on the consumer's ubiquitous living room feeding tray.