Category: Us history

The black currant was once nicknamed the 'forbidden fruit' in the United States, as cultivation was banned for decades due to its association with a tree-killing fungus. While the native variety is known as American black currant, the European variety is sometimes called 'cassis' in the US.

First introduced to North America as a food crop in the 1700s, chicory is now a common perennial found across much of the US, recognized by different names depending on its form. This diverse plant is known both as a wild roadside weed and a cultivated culinary green, with a rich history in American food culture.

Between the 1970s and 1990s, the U.S. government distributed millions of pounds of surplus cheese, a program born from agricultural subsidies meant to stabilize dairy prices. This historical context naturally begs the question: what were the ingredients in government cheese, and was it a special recipe or just standard dairy fare? The answer lies in the history of U.S. dairy policy and the simple composition of a mild cheddar cheese.