The 4 foods that define America

The history of steak, milk, apples and sandwiches.
I got some help with the animations in this one. Shout out to:
Isaac: / isaacs.bail
and madebyabra: / madebyabra
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Some music by:
Craig Henderson- / @craighendersonmusic
ComradeF- / comradef ,
HASHTAGS: #food #history #america

[@gordonstearns2232]

I think JJ's primary skill as a researcher is finding entire books on the history of extremely specific topics. I think he could assemble a really fun library that's just histories of every food.

[@JJMcCullough]

I'm just impressed that someone has always written a book!

[@dl2725]

It seems like about 15 years ago, every second book published was a monograph, many about foods. Salt! Beef! Coffee! The potato! Should keep JJ in good shape for years 🙂

[@subparnaturedocumentary]

and never using wikipedia!

[@thomasgebert6119]

@@JJMcCullough I used to work for a convention management company. One thing I learned is that you can take nearly any noun, and there's a good chance that a conference or convention of some variety exists for it. I remember that I once handed out badges for a graphing convention. As in, the act of plotting mathematical relations on 2D paper. There was apparently enough interest in that particular niche of mathematics that it had a whole conference dedicated to it.

[@JustAManFromThePast]

Not to denigrate JJ's skills as a researcher, but I wouldn't say these books are extremely specific. Just by the covers you can see they were designed as mass market popular books. The really crazy and niche stuff is academic stuff you'll never see popularly published, but is often used in these popular works, with names like, "The Behavior and Effect of the Weevil on Grain Production Meant for Cattle in Illinois from 1870-1885".

[@miatamarine1210]

One of my favorite examples of anglicization of Spanish words is the transformation from “Vaquero” to “buckaroo”.

[@nostaldec4705]

Our cowboy equivalent in Australia was called a jackaroo, and I would have just assumed that was modelled on ‘kangaroo’.

[@samsowden]

Why have i never realised this?

[@Mpshfromlowell64]

Also juzgado becomes hoosegow…..

[@dylanbh1]

Ah man I commented this without knowing someone else did first. Tough

[@Holtkid13]

I'm 6th generation nevaden, a lot of my family were buckaroos

[@chrisbeynon8700]

JJ McCullough ✅ American culture ✅ Food culture ✅ 28 minutes long ✅ Peak evening viewing, great video as always!

[@Sorcerers_Apprentice]

As it relates to the rise of the middle class

[@KelsieJG__they-them]

Contains the phrase "harnessing these mighty udders" ✅

[@elizabethduplat5835]

The steak part of the video really hit close to home for me. My grandparents and great-grandparents immigrated from Sicily and all of our traditional family recipes are meatless. But within 2 generations, beef (and lots of it) have been added. My grandmother used to get upset that her grandchildren were changing things and explained that they didn't have beef because they were poor. One of my cousins expressed suprised and she shot back "Do you think we would have left that f*cking island if we had as much beef as you?!" I'll never forget that. It put my American meat/beef consumption into context.

[@EvilParagon4]

That doesn't sound very nice. She should be happy her leaving of 'that fucking island' lead to her family being so fortunate enough as to have so much beef.

[@bhavs398]

@@EvilParagon4 i mean... old people are also just people. if i had to leave my beloved homeland just because of poor living conditions and access to food, then i think id also be bitter, even years later

[@TimothiusBelmont]

Milk was a staple growing up as a poor Appalachian boy. Steaks were an occasional luxury, but Dad worked to provide and we got to have them on a fairly regular basis. Sandwiches are the ideal food to pack when working underground in the mines; their portability and the need to not have silverware to eat them.

[@ninjaman815]

What about apples?

[@TimothiusBelmont]

@@ninjaman815 My pawpaw actually grew a lot of fruits and veggies, so apples, peaches, pears, and plums were common snacks. I stayed with my grandparents a lot and used to picked tomatoes straight off the vine and eat them.

[@WildBill-yj6ch]

This is yet another reason why JJ needs his own show on PBS. Great work I thoroughly enjoy your content.

[@erinmalone2669]

Yes!

[@davidlacalle4011]

Cool fact about longhorns! As the Spanish had their cow farms, naturally over time a handful of them escaped and went out into the wild. Over time, natural selection in the wild enabled those cows with the best defense against predators (aka longer horns) to survive, and that's where those massive horns came from!

[@JJMcCullough]

Very cool! Some of the horns are A JOKE!

[@il-dottore]

Is that also where the idea of "cow skulls in the desert" came from?

[@Skeloperch]

@@il-dottore Possibly more to do with Apache raiders. The Apache, who mainly inhabited modern day Texas, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Arizona, and New Mexico, would regularly raid Spanish ranches and missions to "liberate" them of their supplies. They would often steal hundreds of cattle and disappear into the wilderness at great speed. They didn't have much of a taste for settled agriculture, so they'd often discard the bones of cattle in the wilderness as they went rather than trying to breed their own herds. The Apache problem was so bad that that's why the Mexicans invited Americans to settle in Texas, thinking - correctly might I add - that the Americans and their gun culture would stem the flow of Apache raids. That was very much the case, but the Americans, now Texans, wound up outnumbering the Mexicans in the area massively, and the Texans went and declared independence. Mexico didn't really control the territory they lost to America in the Mexican-American war. No, that was Apache territory that they couldn't possibly hope to control, and only claimed the land on paper.

[@HayTatsuko]

And some of them are NO JOKE! @@JJMcCullough

[@amadeotrevino6690]

@@Skeloperch That sounds like kind of a delusional version of histroy... "American Gun Culture" in the 1800s north of México? It wasn't like it is today, Mexico had literally just gone through independence, everyone had guns, it wasn't just an american thing. Noone was begging Americans to please come help with their big gun, they were allowed to migrate to Texas by their own request and under certain conditions, namely becoming Mexican Citizens, I'm not sure if apaches had much to do with it. Oh and you forgot to mention that the reason the american immigrants wanted independance was because they still wanted to own slaves, which was abolished and ilegal in México.

[@SamuelLopez-ew7es]

I could definitely see the extra time put into this video! This is some of your best work JJ, and I wouldn't mind less uploads if it meant getting more videos of such quality. Either way, I love your stuff.

[@JJMcCullough]

Thanks so much my friend!!

*Fewer uploads

[@nathangale7702]

I agree, I think JJ has established his audience, so he shouldn't feel obligated to stick to the one video per week quota. We'll wait. I also think part of the reason this video took more work than others is because JJ is inching his way towards the most fundamental aspects of U.S./Canadian culture. As anyone who has even passingly studied philosophy/theology/linguistics might observe, it is often the most ubiquitous things in our lives that take the most time to understand analytically. I didn't realize apples, sandwiches, milk, and steak were so central to the soul of this country, but now it makes perfect sense. I feel a little nervous to continue this journey, jajaja.

[@chuck1804]

It is safe to assume it had already won an award.

[@LucasBenderChannel]

You can really notice, that you took more time for this video. The "two weeks" truly paid off! 👏 Especially the switch to your kitchen and the real life showcase of the products, nicely broke up the video and made it into a really pleasent watch. Good job :)

[@JJMcCullough]

Thank you sir!

[@PrawnAddiction]

30 minutes of JJ seems like a good pay off if you ask me!

[@critterjon4061]

Would love to see a series where you did this for various other countries

[@JJMcCullough]

How about you watch this video first

[@red1613]

@@JJMcCullough I watched it at 10x speed with some subway surfers

[@racsoleerf124]

​@@red1613wow only 10x? What are you? A superhuman?

[@MTLYev]

I believe that JJ's shtick is mainly discussing American culture cause it's the only one he's really been exposed to :/

[@SA3Future]

My man just got iced by JJ

[@SA3Future]

I am absolutely loving the low-poly PS1 floating food items. I would love to see more of that in your videos and generally in my life

[@frogonhead]

Honestly, this has got to be one of the most entertaining and educational (edu-taining?) videos you’ve made, and it’s likely because of the extra few days you had to spend on it to make it so high-quality. This short-vid/long-vid cycle seems like a great idea! Keep up the good work

[@GalacticPossum]

First of all, Jazz apples fo' life. I'm a 70s kid, and I still remember having a milkman come. We had a galvanized steel box with a thermal lining outside the porch door, and he'd brave the spiders that liked to move into it to leave us our goods. It was a happy day when he'd accidentally (or "accidentally") include a bottle of chocolate milk.

[@JJMcCullough]

Where did you live?

[@StephanieJeanne]

We did, too. A little earlier than you. (Mid-60s)

[@ToastieBRRRN]

Are there still local milkmen delivering in parts of the US? Because here in the UK it's still a thing where they leave them on the doorstep in a milk bottle holder.

[@yowayde]

I lived in Dearborn Mi as a kid and we had a milkman! Early 2000s Era.

[@amandabaker4678]

​@@yowayde Calder Dairy still offers home delivery in most areas of Metro Detroit. They even have the option of getting it in glass bottles!

[@maryhildreth754]

The four food groups are caffeine, sugar, alcohol and fat. Therefore, Irish Coffee is the perfect food.

[@Warriorcats64]

Forgot about salt.

[@maryhildreth754]

@@Warriorcats64 what kind of monster puts salt in Irish Coffee?

[@acemobb2k222]

What about meth? 🤪

[@Alterraboo]

I was secretly hoping JJ would bake an apple pie from all of those apples he bought. Then the bleak kitchen reminded me that it will never happen

[@pelletrouge3032]

I thought he was going to eat a smoked apple steak sandwich dipped in milk

[@joylox]

I recently was visiting Ireland and the UK, and I got a burger from a nice place in Dublin, which had apple relish on it. Out of all the things I've had on burgers, it was odd to me that something like apple relish wasn't more common in North America. I'd never even heard of it, but now I want to learn how to make it. It was kind of like a spiced apple sauce, but a bit different. If I can figure it out, that would be a great way to use up old apples.

[@pelletrouge3032]

@@joylox find the recipe?

[@jljordan1]

@@joyloxit was probably a chutney

[@user-tm7im8qm9g]

Love your videos J.J., especially the American Cultural Canon series! One topic I think would be really interesting would be the big seven American holidays (New Years, Valentines, Easter, Independence, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas) or something related. Regardless, keep up the award-winning videos!

[@JJMcCullough]

That’s a great idea

[@PockASqueeno]

@@JJMcCulloughI know you’re not the biggest fan of distinguishing the USA from Canada, but now I’m curious how those compare to big Canadian holidays. Obviously all of the Christian world loves Christmas and Easter…but Canada has a different Independence Day and Thanksgiving. So it would be cool to compare those holidays between the USA and Canada.

[@MrCanadatom]

Labour Day. And the 24th of May, if we don't get a holiday we'll all run away

[@alecduncan3483]

Don’t forget St Patrick’s Day!

[@JJMcCullough]

@@PockASqueeno I actually did a video all about Canadian holidays

[@realkingofwales3917]

Your videos are always some of the best on KZbin in terms of cultural education. Your usage of other peoples categorizations and groupings rather than your own has always stood out to me because it avoids the sort of bias which is all-to-frequent in cultural commentary videos of this kind where self-selection of what is even being discussed often causes such an issue. However, with how unbiased you are I would be shocked if even your own self-selected categories were skewed! Another amazing video

[@JJMcCullough]

Thanks so much for the kind words. I am really drawn to other people's "groups" of things. I'm always just a bit nervous about trusting my own judgement, I like to defer to what "other people" think matter.

[@realkingofwales3917]

​@@JJMcCullough I would say your videos benefit greatly from it! They tend to get a lot closer to reflected actual cultural consensus vs. a very particular modern middle-class American millenial-zoomer mentality which I see elsewhere. Ironic given that the subject of most of your videos are the American middle class yet do a much better job at avoiding it's clichés than others with subjects mostly unrelated lol

[@JJMcCullough]

@@realkingofwales3917what do you mean??

[@realkingofwales3917]

@JJMcCullough I just mean that while the subject of your videos is the american middle class, you don't fall into the assumptions of that middle class. I've seen other commentaries on other subjects (like video games for example) that do tend to fall into those assumptions (like that everyone had an American middle class childhood for example)

[@JJMcCullough]

@@realkingofwales3917 ahh gotcha! Yeah I try to explicitly acknowledge as many things as possible and not make too many assumptions.

[@rogerknights857]

Here’s a novel “take” on the history of the American sandwich. It is an extract from an article titled Hot Dogs by H.L. Mencken, originally a Newspaper column of November 4, 1929. It is reprinted in a couple of Mencken anthologies, one being “The Impossible H.L. Mencken.” “When I was a boy [around 1890] there were only three types of sandwiches in common use-the ham, the chicken, and the Swiss cheese. Others, to be sure, existed, but it was only as oddities. Even the club sandwich was a rarity, and in most eating houses it was unobtainable. The great majority of people stuck to the ham and the Swiss cheese, with the chicken for feast days and the anniversaries of historic battles. “Then came the invasion of the delicatessen business by Jews, and a complete reform of the sandwich. The Jewish mind was too restless and enterprising to be content with the old repertoire. It reached out for the novel, the dramatic, the unprecedented, as it does in all the arts. First it combined the ham sandwich and the cheese sandwich-and converted America to the combination instanter. Then it added lettuce, and after that mayonnaise-both borrowed from the club sandwich. Then it boldly struck out into the highest fields of fancy, and presently the lowly sandwich had been completely transformed and exalted. It became, as the announcements said, “a meal in itself.” It took on complicated and astonishing forms. It drew on the whole market for materials. And it leaped in price from a nickel to a dime , to a quarter, to fifty cents, even to a dollar. “The rise in price, far from hurting the business, helped it vastly. The delicatessen business, once monopolized by gloomy Germans, who barely made a living at it, became, in the hands of the Jewish reformers, one of the great American industries, and began to throw off millionaires. Today it is on a sound and high-toned basis, with a national association, a high-pressure executive secretary, a trade journal, and a staff of lobbyists in Washington. [He’s being facetious.] There are sandwich shops in New York which offer the nobility and gentry a choice of no less than a hundred different sandwiches, all of them alluring and some downright masterpieces. And even on the lowly level of the drug-store sandwich counter the sandwich has taken on a new variety and a new dignity. No one eats plain ham anymore. At its worst it at least has a dab of coleslaw to set it off. At its best it is hidden between turkey, Camembert and sprigs of endive, with anchovies and Russian dressing to dress it.”

[@mindstalk]

Something rather funny in the idea of Jews inventing a ham and cheese sandwich, given the kosher prohibition of ham, and of any meat with cheese...

[@vonjoris2153]

I liked the 3D animation thing of the steak

[@ironbanana2253]

1:58 steak 8:54 mlik 14:40 samich 21:22 aple

[@JamesOKeefe-US]

I get so frustrated that these videos don't have a million views like they deserve. JJs videos are so well researched and produced, I look forward to every new one like I used to wait with baited breath for the next commercial TV episode :) Thank you JJ for taking the time to share these wonderful videos and essays with us. You are very much appreciated!

[@JJMcCullough]

Aw thank you so much! Your words mean a lot to me

[@Blagmafuga]

I feel like you can combine them all to make the ultimate American-sounding meal: Apple crisp buttermilk steak sandwich (with fries)

[@malaquiasalfaro81]

Absolutely delicious

[@HayTatsuko]

I still think Ace of Bass is good, and am not going to apologize even a little for that. Love your deep dives into U.S. and Canadian culture, man. Always a treat to watch! I wish kefir had become a thing much earlier in the US than it did. Would have been a much more wholesome way to get dairy goodness back then. Also enjoyed the "paste-ries" joke -- but some say grains were even more important as a beer source back in the day. After all, the ancient Egyptians used a weak but very nutritious form of beer as part of their staple diet (and payment for the _skilled artisans_ and the unskilled ones who built the Pyramids). Also the Ploughman's Sandwich is one of the greatest lowbrow culinary inventions ever conceived. AND FINALLY, the low-poly Amiga aesthetic of those cutscene animations sang to my oldskool computing heart so much. THANK YOU!

[@nibrocgeck7508]

You comparing Cosmic Crisps to the Hope Diamond is really fitting. I remember what a craze those things were when they came out. How weird of a memory is that? Remembering when a new apple "came out."

[@JacobLaurenzana]

You are the only KZbinr that I could watch talk about 4 basic foods for half an hour and still be entertained

[@TheOtherMwalimu]

You are an archaeologist of American memorabilia!

[@yg6484]

The best one at that!

[@queenvitamin21]

Love how JJ always makes his props a part of the story of the episode. Really is interesting to study things like canonical foods through actual, physical sets found in things like decorations, etc.

[@mintjaan]

I remember in Kindergarten we had apple day where we'd bring in our favorite apples, I brought in Honey Crisps and I didn't realize how new they were in the 90s because a number of parents never saw them before

[@Sam_on_YouTube]

The history of Honey Crisp is a great legal story. It was the first apple name that was trademarked. Before then, there was no way to profit from new types of apples because anyone who got their hands on a cutting from your tree could start their own orchard. And developing a good new apple variety is expensive and time consuming. So it was a hopelessly money losing endeavor. And they still can grow your apples without asking... but with the idea to trademark the name, they can't be called Honey Crisp unless they pay to license the name and follow the brand requirements. Since that successful business model, new apple varieties exploded.

[@williamjongeward8672]

The difference between the apples I grew up with and the apples I eat today is why I love modernity so much

[@SeaBassTian]

JJ really went "balls to the wall" with the research for this clip. I love that the original aristocrat sandwiches resemble our modern low-end options. Well done!

[@BeefinOut]

Let me just say that I find it incredibly charming whenever you show some sort of factory footage and play that "clank clank clang" song

[@TheMetaMoss]

If you want to find it for yourself, it's the track "Magitek Research Facility" from Final Fantasy VI.

[@jordan1192]

JJ was very dedicated for this video! It’s a half hour long and he welcomed us into his kitchen. Also he bought a bunch of food not to eat of course but to use as a cultural reference! Which seems very JJ

[@Interrobang2626]

Great video. Just forgot to mention that the term "brand" also comes from the great cattle companies as a brand was the burned-in logo on the cattle hide that let you know what ranch that cow came from.

[@52max]

I had a chuckle when you said all the newfangled apples were all bred in the last decade. Only 2 of the 5 were, for the others it's been nearly 3 decades! This is a thing I noticed a lot lately, where somehow in our minds it's still just the turn of the century but it's already been 23 years...

[@GoodCourage]

JJ -- Of course this was well researched and thought out as always. But man, your production values on this video -- particularly the animation, was off the chain. I cannot imagine the hours of work you put into this. It paid off for me. Well done!

[@JJMcCullough]

I got help with some of the animation to be fair!

[@ethanstewart9970]

This video was incredible - the fact you read multiple books just to provide additional sources and stories just proves just how good your videos are. Also shocking to see JJ outside his desk environment lol.

[@Hungry4Brussels]

JJ, you don’t need me to tell you this, but you are so incredibly talented at creating this type of content. The work you put into it is so clear when viewing. I particularly love these “sets” of cultural items that you review. Probably my favorite type of content you make. So unique and you always teach me something. Thanks!

[@JJMcCullough]

Thanks so much!!

[@benzo-diazepine]

I will always admire JJs ability to turn a simple topic like food into an in depth analysis of American history.

[@Zakalwe___]

Hey JJ! I’m the one who called you the other day about finding your property down by the ocean! Hope you found your notebook unharmed! Keep up the great content!

[@JHZech]

Kind of random, but I love the way your kitchen looks. Very modern without looking cold. You could do a video on the history of kitchen design one day.

[@arthuruppiano3211]

Living all my life in the main apple producing state in the union has given me a special love for and appreciation of this particular fruit. Some of my fondest childhood memories are going with my family to Cloud Mountain Farms, a local orchard, for their annual tasting day, where we would sample dozens of different cultivars of apple, among other fruits. The different varieties of apple would be served in slices on little plates, with a small placard next to each one describing where and when it was first cultivated. Obviously, this included a lot of extremely sweet novelties like the Honeycrisp, but also some surprisingly delicious varieties that were said to have originated in the early 19th or even late 18th Century; naturally, these were a lot closer in flavor and appearance to crab apples. Incidentally, I also have a particular fondness for those "aggressively Anglophile" high teas you mentioned, because an old family friend--who was like an aunt or grandmother to me--would on occasion treat me to tea at a local tea shop. She passed her appreciation for such things onto me, which has shaped my personality to a significant degree.

[@LivingLaughingLoving897]

I love the videos about the American cultural canon, I think it's one of the most fascinating topics I've seen covered. The sandwiches in particular made me think of a potential idea for some sort of American canon for bread types. I've found that most places offer a handful of standardized breads (White, whole wheat, rye, Italian, etc.) and then if more than 5-6 breads are offered they typically vary heavily. No idea if there's enough content for a video about that but I thought it was interesting

[@JJMcCullough]

I had breakfast at a place this morning and my choices were white brown sourdough or rye. Some places I’ve noticed include “English muffin” as an option too. And don’t get me started on the jams!

[@sammack1890]

I’m glad you’re spending more time on each video, you can really notice the difference. This video was really well made and I can’t wait for more like it

[@TheSteelDialga]

The content in this video was definitely a step above! The info and discussion of culture was great and the production quality was really nice. The animations were especially interesting, which I'm assuming was thanks to your collaborators, Isaac and madebyabra. Worth the wait for sure.

[@supraguy4694]

These types of videos are my favorite of yours! Concepts like these are household names and embedded in the minds of so many people, yet hardly anyone has given much thought as to why that is the case! Then you come along and give fun, interesting deep dives into their history and I am so grateful for it! Keep it up, JJ!

[@kellitrevino650]

Great video! Thanks! Cosmic apples are definitely a fave for me. Also, living in Texas after being a displaced Midwesterner, I pretty much exist on sandwiches during the summer due to not wanting to cook in the heat!

[@UnicornsForSale]

My kindergarten in Kansas featured a unit on apples. We learned about wholesome Mr. Johnny Appleseed, drew pictures of him dropping seeds throughout the countryside, and we held a tasting of red delicious, yellow delicious, and granny smith apples. This video is the first time I've learned of the more adult side of John Chapman 😂

[@jljordan1]

We did the same thing in Wichita. Our class made a cookbook for different apple recipes.

[@The_Libationist]

As someone who is really into cider and cider brewing. It is quite sad to hear about the fate of the American cider culture. We could have had our own rich cider culture to equal Somerset or Normandy, but no, we’re just now seeing a comeback. I hope to do my part.

[@ToastieBRRRN]

Hopefully it becomes more of a fad similar to how gin and tonics got popular. Tbh, might be harder to compete when you have other fruit cidres like kiwi etc.

[@minuteman4199]

I'm an apple grower (I have two very productive trees in my garden) and a cider drinker, but I haven't made my own cider. Just like craft beer has taken off over the last 30 years, in Canada at least cider has as well. When I was young you could get imported English Strongbow cider, and that was about it. Now there is a huge selection of cider being produced in Ontario at least, available at every wine store and most bars and restaurants.

[@The_Libationist]

@@minuteman4199 yeah I’m in Virginia and it’s one of the big centres of the cider renaissance along with Washington and New York. It’s been great to see more cider on the shelves even if it’s still nothing compared to beer or wine

[@corruptedcola393]

West country cider and scrumpy is unrivaled in my definitely not unbiased opinion...

[@Fiebich]

I love the low-poly foods introducing each segment. Nice touch!

[@strawberryshortcake4810]

I absolutely adore all ur graphics and drawings u do, even the labels for the sandwich items, great work as always !

[@FullOfMalarky]

JJ got that Sopranos fit

[@MrMultiPat]

Great video, I can tell you put a lot of effort into it. I'm glad I watched it instead of just listening to the audio.

[@stfn4472]

I love the production quality of this video! You have truly created such a nice aesthetic with your visual style, J.J.

[@Tpcool]

Great video, JJ! It's easy to take for granted the amount of research that goes into your videos, so thanks for spending an extra week on this to make sure it is complete. It is a simple premise, but each of these foods have their own fun backstories to learn about. I also appreciate the brief mention of the ethical and health concerns of dairy and its production, as I think it is becoming a more relevant and necessary issue to confront.

[@krgoodrich1]

That was very thorough video! While I knew about the existence of alcoholic cider, I didn’t know anything about the importance of alcohol in the history of apples. Love the graphics! I live in a dairy rich area of the US and I think that dairies get an unfair bad rap based in many ways on the deserved bad reputation of the 19th century urban dairies. According to childhood history classes, milk played a pivotal, if not happy, historical role in the development of my state’s most celebrated resident, Abe Lincoln, whose mother died from milk sickness.

[@gerardacronin334]

Two thoughts. 1. What about the tomato? Surely it’s a key fruit in North American culture, even if McDonalds didn’t make a tomato toy. 2. These four foods are not just staples in North America, but in Western Europe too. For example, growing up in Ireland, I never understood the saying “as American as apple pie” because apple pie, apple cake, apple sauce and tasty edible apples were everyday foods there. My uncle was a milkman and every morning left 3 pints of milk at our door. And a half pint of cream on Saturday, to serve whipped cream with Mom’s apple pie (made with Bramley apples) that we had for dessert on Sunday.

[@Nifirin]

Tomatoes are interesting because they went from being regarded as nothing more than a poisonous decoration to a key component of one of (if not the most) eaten dish in the world. The story involving a lot of interplay between the New and Old Worlds.

[@LeoMidori]

As with other new world foods tomatoes have a long, interesting history! They were primarily grown in Mexico and then imported to Europe where they tended to get along well with Mediterranean climates. Most early tomatoes were small, similar to cherry and grape tomatoes of today, and a lot of work has gone into making larger and better tasting varieties.

[@gerardacronin334]

Yes, interestingly, tomatoes are not native to Italy. They were imported from the Americas and the Italians incorporated them into their cuisine. Prior to the 1600s they didn’t have any tomato sauces for their pasta and pizza. Max of Tasting History has done an interesting episode on this.

[@JBaum55]

In fairness for not including tomatoes (Besides it not being featured as a McDonald's toy), while they are often a big feature for many American dishes and foodstuffs (Italian-American cuisine, ketchup, salads, etc.), they aren't often a "main" staple food like those others? Similar to what he mentioned about bread, tomatoes are more often components for a dish than a main star, outside of ketchup which is a condiment. They definitely are an important and unique crop, though, and worthy of their own discussion.

[@gerardacronin334]

Sure, but the same can be said of apples!

[@Zultzify]

i love these styles of videos, genuinely a topic i hardly would talk about. its very interesting to learn about who popularises foods in certain areas, reminds me of the donair being popularised in the maritimes by a greek immigrant in the 1970s

[@laowhy86]

Absolutely fantastic episode. Loved it.

[@StudioSnakepit]

Fancy seeing you here! You probably get this a lot but I really appreciate your amazing reporting. You're my number one source of information on China and I always recommend you to friends who want to know more about what really happens over there. Keep up the great work!

[@jiukumite]

Hey JJ! Love from Raleigh! Take care bro!

[@spadinnerxylaphone2622]

I love this type of niche information content. Symbols I took for granted my whole life being explained and broken down.

[@gavincstewart]

Incredible, JJ! This video is so well-done! I enjoyed every second of this; you are so talented and thank you so much for sharing your gift with the world.

[@erichatch912]

Really, thanks, JJ… you always give your “friends” a great context to culture. It amazes me how you use old obscure toys, etc. to challenge us to think about how/why we got here as a “society writ large”. God bless you this Labour/Labor Day… and always!

[@Ska_fan_1996]

yet another award winning video from jj!

[@NickR0]

This is one of your best videos in recent times, JJ! Thank you for teaching us about the foods we take for granted in such a fun way.

[@houseofpibb1435]

I really enjoyed the new way you took to approaching this video the cut to your kitchen threw me off (in a good way) I’m so use to just looking at your face and the background. Great video as always!

[@coffeegator6033]

The two-week format seems good. I liked the animations. The shrimp and sardine sandwich construction segment had me cracking up. It looked very....tidy....and British. lol

[@coleburnett9101]

I would love an exploration of chicken, its become a staple food of America almost as big as these 4. Anyways keep up the good work!

[@halfsourlizard9319]

The transition from 'special thing reserved for Sunday dinner' to the cheapest, most-generic thing that 'evereything tastes like' is, indeed, fascinating!

[@JosRocks410]

Very well made video, many little details in how they're made that make me enjoy these videos just a bit more :)

[@thebionicledude]

Your videos are the absolute best j.j thanks for making some of my favorite entertainment

[@m2pt5]

Sandwiches are super fun because every single component is endlessly variable, but the result is still "a sandwich". That said, if a sub/hoagie/grinder/etc. can be considered a sandwich, so can a hot dog.

[@saboorazad9835]

Such a avid viewer of your amazing content often the first JJ.

[@hughsalter7769]

thanks for your transmission

[@johns4858]

Great video, JJ! All that extra time really shows

[@StephanieJeanne]

"Milk...it does a body good" the old slogan. Great in-depth dive into these 4 foods! I definitely remember my lunchbox often having pretty much all four at a time, except my "steak" was bologna. Ironically, now I'm 99% vegan. I loved the parts in the kitchen, too! 😁 Thanks for another award-winning video, J.J!🤩

[@nelly5954]

Could you do a video on the most popular modern dinosaurs? e.g. tyrannosaurus, stegosaurus, triceratops, brachiosaurus, and pterodactyls (not actually dinosaurs). Why did those in particular end up in the plastic-toy bucket?

[@JJMcCullough]

That’s a fun idea

[@christinashelby6083]

I can definitely tell you spent more time on this video. Well done, J.J. That is one well-traveled little cow you've got in that first segment!

[@frogonhead]

Only a minute in, and JJ already throws in an Ace of Base jump-scare

[@maxmetodiev641]

I love I saw the signs

[@mattcelder]

Clearly you didn’t see the signs

[@frogonhead]

@@mattcelder well, at least now it’s opened up my eyes…

[@ow4744]

I know you've said before that you dont like to cook JJ, but my god man, that kitchen needs some love 😂

[@davidsradioroom9678]

Most interesting. Thanks!

[@arahasserjian6658]

Excellent work. The extra effort shows.

[@xicanosfxicanosf4433]

Watching this while eating an apple “salad”-pink lady, ambrosia, gala, honey crisp-all mixed up. So delicious! How did I even tolerate Red Delicious apples-a misnomer if there ever was one-as a kid? When I got those Red Delicious apples while trick or treatin’-it was an immediate toss across the street! 😂 Now they hand out Honey and Cosmic Crisps! These kids don’t know how good they got it! 😂

[@BadDadio]

Another excellent video JJ.

[@michaelsimons1489]

Love the editing in this video!

[@lainnorcal]

Speaking of food, have you ever done a video on GMO'S? That would be an interesting video due to its controversy and how much its been used etc. Awesome content, keep it up. 🙂👍

[@t_ylr]

I remember in elementary school if you forgot or didn't have money for lunch they gave you an apple, a glass of milk, and a sandwich. I assume it was paid for by the teachers or the lunch ladies.

[@benjaminwatt2436]

there's no way the teachers were paying, i bet it was your parents through local taxes

[@dersitzpinkler2027]

All the sandwiches you were throwing around gave me a laugh. I appreciated the commitment to showing all the foods on camera

[@rebralhunter6069]

I like this shift into longer more in depth videos about topics, it's looking like a good idea so far. Kinda sucks theres fewer videos overall but oh well.

[@PyrotechNick77]

Not me rocking to "The Sign" by Ace of Base at this exact moment

[@pinkpools]

yes we thought Ace of Base was good because they were!

[@inwalters]

I'll have to try an Ambosia apple from your home province. I could never stand store bought red delicious. They always tasted like apple flavored styrofoam to me. My uncle had a few red delicious trees and you can't compare the taste of an apple bought in the store to the taste of one you picked from the tree and ate right then. But maybe they've improved the taste and texture.

[@xXkainhighwindXx]

This was a fun and informative Video. Thanks JJ!

[@AndromedaCripps]

I love this video, I’m super interested in food history and it’s role in cultural history. I especially loved your insights on the modern sandwich compared to its origins, and when you pulled out The Botany of Desire I geeked out 😂😂 I’ve not read it but I’ve seen the film and studied it in university 😂😂✨✨✨

[@EpicgamerwinXD6669]

As an American, I can confirm that tasty food is our greatest weakness. That and being taxed, we hate that.

[@ReaperCH90]

Then explain me American bread

[@ashkitt7719]

@@ReaperCH90 Which type of American bread? Wikipedia lists a good number of them.

[@EpicgamerwinXD6669]

@@ReaperCH90 while there is always a market for what’s good, there will always be a much larger, though probably less profitable market, for what’s cheap. The same in every society.

[@mind-of-neo]

As an American, it always struck me as strange that Americans would spend such absurd amounts of money on a relatively simple and inexpensive food (steak) just because it made them feel like they were giving appropriate weight to a "special occasion"

[@ashkitt7719]

>steak >inexpensive pick one

[@PanzerTank_]

Steak is not inexpensive. Cow meats in general aren't expensive, but when you get to specific cuts and parts of the cow, it starts getting pricey.

[@gulapula]

Although steak from the grocery store is pretty inexpensive, it's a pretty far cry from the quality of like a 80$ tomahawk steak that's cooked perfect medium rare with high quality meat. There is a lot of truth to the phenomenon of spending lots of money for something you can get cheaper for the sake of an occasion but in my experience, you usually get what you pay for with steak.

[@Jamesaepp]

>everyone in this comment thread somehow missed the word "relatively"

[@corey2232]

But it's not "inexpensive" in comparison to many other foods, and it's something all cultures do. Why do you think there's all the hype around Japanese Wagyu? Other cultures have their own "steak" type foods, while also finding ways to incorporate steak into their own dishes (often making it more expensive too).

[@matthewanderson1916]

I love these food history/culture videos, please make more! ❤

[@neatoman5367]

Thank you JJ! The ending of the video made me quite emotional, I never put much thought in the fact that regardless of where you are in America, everyone is able to enjoy and experience the joys of these four types of food. Made me proud of this place I call home!

[@RandomDudeOne]

McIntosh apples are not "literal puke", they are delicious.

[@dl2725]

A mealy one is literal puke, but a good one 🤌💋

[@Hungry4Brussels]

Does anyone here have recommendations as to other channels which “cultural education” KZbin channels like this? JJ is absolutely brilliant, but I can watch much faster than one man can produce.

[@JJMcCullough]

I can name two that are very similar to me: Phil Edwards and Linus Boman

[@randy918]

Always cheer up when you come on!

[@jonathanhernandez9181]

I love this channel and this dude's editing style. Keep it up! 😊

[@Alan.Endicott]

As a corn-fed Midwesterner, I'm a bit surprised that corn didn't feature more prominently in this video. After all, corn is a "New World" commodity. Corn, and products derived from corn, is rife throughout the American diet. It got some mention as cattle feed, but it feeds plenty of people, too.

[@halfsourlizard9319]

In the US, steak is usually just cow-processed maize🤷‍♀️

[@TheAlexSchmidt]

Of course another factor in American milk culture is that many Europeans evolved the ability to digest lactose into adulthood, making it possible for them to drink milk in larger amounts than people from other parts of the world.

[@austinnpruneda3629]

Not just Europeans, but also middle easterners, south Asians, and west Africans, which created a huge sampling bias for dieticians and scientists, who just took it for granted that people consumed dairy