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Innovative Foods Born Out Of Cultural Tragedies
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Jun 2, 2025
Hey Weird History Food lovers, think you know your favorite foods? Take a trip back with us in time, to the circumstances and situations which created the impetus for some of the most tasty dishes we devour today! From native America Fry bread, to the tastiest of crispy Fried Chicken, this Weird History Food Episode is sure to be an eye opener!
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Today, we're serving some innovative foods born out of cultural tragedies
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Fry bread carries a heavy historical context, and the classic Western confection is controversial among Native Americans
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When European colonists forced the Native Americans to resettle, they mostly sent them to remote, barren lands that could not be farmed
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In order to keep them from completely starving, the United States government initiated what they called a commodity food program
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to provide Native peoples with flour, lard, salt, sugar, and canned goods
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Those ingredients didn't really add up to a whole lot of dietary options, but you can use them to make fry bread, and so a new dish was born
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Today, many Native Americans view fry bread as a symbol of oppression, while others find power in its diasporic reach
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as a unifying experience shared by all Native peoples. Many felt that barbecue was a symbol of American freedom
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as long as you happened to be one of the people at the barbecue who was truly free
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The cooks at these events were usually enslaved people, due to their familiarity with the cooking techniques
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American military personnel stationed in the Philippines did not eat local cuisine for fear of contamination
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Instead, they imported their own vacuum-sealed foods, and Spam was a popular menu item
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While the generally well-to-do American soldiers and politicians viewed the canned meat as an inconvenience
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it was considered a luxurious import by Filipinos. After the Philippines gained independence from the United States
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Spam became a cultural mainstay in the Filipino diet. Gumbo like many other traditional African dishes was born out of struggle necessity and ingenuity The ingredients and methods used to prepare countless gumbo recipes were brought to America through the transatlantic slave trade When French missionaries touched down in Vietnam
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in 1887 and began to implement colonial control over the region, they also integrated their foods
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language, and customs into the Vietnamese lifestyle. The French were finally ousted in 1954
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but while the people didn't particularly care for being ruled by the French, They got seriously into baguettes
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While there is much room for interpretation, the Ba Mi's core ingredients are pickled vegetables and some kind of protein
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However, the most cultural element is a crisp, fluffy French baguette, sliced lengthwise
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When over a million citizens fled Vietnam in the years following the end of Western intervention
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Ba Mi traveled around the world and caught on especially well in the American market
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Frying chicken plays a complicated role in American history. Since the early 20th century, the popular dish has been at the center of a negative racist stereotype
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At the same time, fried chicken is also a symbol of freedom, independence, and financial security
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How is that possible? According to race folklorist Claire Schmidt, the stereotype originated from the infamous 1915 white supremacist film The Birth of a Nation
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In the film, white actors play black politicians who are depicted kicking their feet up onto a desk and eating fried chicken
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You might be having trouble understanding exactly what was supposed to be so bad about eating fried chicken
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Well, according to Schmidt, it's a food you eat with your hands, and therefore, it's dirty
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Ironically, the finger food nature of fried chicken is one of the main reasons the dish is so beloved
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in American culture
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#Social Issues & Advocacy