MOUNTAINSIDE — Most people enjoy a good meal. And presidents are no different.
In a recent Zoom presentation at Mountainside Public Library, Greg Caggiano presented “History of Food: What Presidents Ate.” Caggiano is an award-winning historian, lecturer, author, filmmaker and consultant. His presentation took a fascinating look at how food reflects the personalities, politics and times of the U.S. presidents. He shared stories of their favorite meals, notable state dinners and how presidential tastes have evolved from the nation’s founding to the modern era.
“If you’re not hungry now, you will be,” said Caggiano. “A palate cleanser for me, combining history and food together.”
Caggiano went through nearly all the U.S. presidents, but skipped ones that favored foods he considered boring.
He began with the first U.S. president, George Washington, who ate on the softer side because he had bad teeth. “He had dentures,” said Caggiano. “Horrible dental health.” Washington’s fine dinners were mashed up. He enjoyed a dish called “hoecakes,” which is cornmeal pancakes. Washington also drank a bottle of Madeira wine each night.
John Adams was also a drinker. He began each morning with a pint of hard cider and a boiled dinner every night – corned beef, potatoes, carrots.
Thomas Jefferson loved ice cream and macaroni and cheese. During his time in Europe, he became fascinated with pasta. He had imported pasta-making equipment sent to his estate.
James Madison liked Virginia ham.
John Quincy Adams just liked to have fruit. “Probably the healthiest president,” said Caggiano.
Andrew Jackson enjoyed green beans cooked in bacon.
Martin Van Buren ate oysters daily; and boar’s head on Christmas.
William Henry Harrison and James Garfield both consumed squirrel stew. “Today, people still eat squirrel,” said Caggiano, explaining that 1.8 million hunt squirrels, mostly in southern states.
Zachary Taylor enjoyed calas-tous-chauds, deep fried rice fritters. He also loved to eat fruit and drink cold raw milk. He reportedly consumed a large number of cherries and iced raw milk during a holiday celebration. He then became severely ill and died of gastroenteritis.
Millard Fillmore was president during the pre-refrigerated world. He liked a dish called Resurrection Pie, which was leftovers from the night before.
Franklin Pierce enjoyed fanny daddies, which are fried clam fritters.
James Buchanan loved sauerkraut. He ate bowl after bowl and even wrote a love letter about it.
Abraham Lincoln was not a big eater. Sometimes he would forget to eat dinner and have just an apple. He ate corn cakes more frequently than anything. He also had a fondness for gingerbread.
Andrew Johnson liked a dish called Hoppin’ John – a stew of black-eyed peas, peppers and tomatoes.
Chester Arthur enjoyed eating turtle steak, now largely illegal, but Caggiano said turtle soup can be found in Pennsylvania, in the Philadelphia region.
Grover Cleveland liked corned beef and cabbage and pickled herring.
Theodore Roosevelt was big on fried chicken and would eat a whole chicken at a time.
William Howard Taft, the largest president, weighed 332 pounds. He ate 12-ounce steaks for breakfast.
Caggiano described Calvin Coolidge as “the most boring president.” He said, “He didn’t like to talk. He sat on a rocking chair on the porch. He once sat three hours without talking.” Coolidge had a sweet tooth for apple pie and jelly roll.
Franklin D. Roosevelt loved grilled cheese. His housekeeper was an awful cook, but she was friends with his wife, Eleanor, so he couldn’t fire her. Instead, he got used to ordering grilled cheese.
Dwight D. Eisenhower loved to cook and was known for his beef stew. He’d add cayenne pepper. “Thae American palate was not into spicy yet, at this time,” said Caggiano.
John F. Kennedy was not a big eater, but he liked fish chowder.
Lyndon B. Johnson liked barbecue ribs and Mexican food. “He was from Texas and loved the flavor,” said Caggiano. “He brought in a personal chef from Texas to cook for him.”
Richard Nixon favored a bizarre mixture of ketchup and cottage cheese.
Ronald Reagan loved jellybeans. He had 3.5 tons of red, white and blue delivered to Washington when he was inaugurated in 1981.
Bill Clinton lived on fast food. He had several health scares and became a vegan.
Barack Obama likes nachos and is also known for snacking on almonds.
Joe Biden loves ice cream.
Donald Trump is big on fast food and favors McDonald’s fish filet.
To learn more about Greg Caggiano, visit: https://www.gregcaggiano.com/.
Visit Mountainside Public Library at: https://www.mountainsidelibrary.org/.
Photo by Maryanne Christiano-Mistretta
