4th of July Food Origins

When you think of the 4^th of July, you probably think of ice-cold drinks, delicious food, laughs with family and friends, and great weather. Your favorite thing could be your grandma’s potato salad, or it could be your uncle’s barbecue.

Food has been such a big part of Independence Day that many dishes have quickly become an American tradition over the years. I’ve compiled a few food traditions and some background on where they originated and how they came to be.

1. Barbecues

Many believe that barbecue originated in the Caribbean and later made its way through the American South.

Today, more than 74 million people barbecue in America for this holiday. While this can include pork, chicken, or beef, a barbecue isn’t the same without a classic hot dog.

July is actually National Hot Dog Month, and it sets the record high for an estimated 150 million hot dogs that are eaten on any given day of the year.

2. Budweiser

This “all-American” beer was created by a group of German immigrants in St. Louis.

Before this beer became a nationwide sensation to most Americans, they were drinking a much darker and heavier ale in the summer time. Adolphus Busch wanted to create something that was lighter, leading Budweiser to hit shelves and become an American staple.

3. Corn on the Cob

Corn is known to be the most cultivated grain in the United States and has been around for thousands of years. It is also known as an ancient grain of the New World where it is believed to have originated over 9,000 years ago in southern Mexico. When Native Americans discovered corn and how versatile it was, they grew and harvested it in the United States.

4. Pie

Many American holidays have been jam-packed with pies as a dessert staple. English colonists were the first to introduce pie to America.

Pies in England, meat pies to be specific, were very popular. It is said that the first pie was a cherry pie and was made by Queen Elizabeth I.

It's also interesting to note that the colonists only used the crust to hold in the filling during baking and rarely ever ate it. In fact, the term crust was not in use until the American Revolution.