TFG for The 'FOODIZEN': How To Make Pepper Pot Soup -- by Tonya Hopkins aka @TheFoodGriot
Before the pandemic I shared the fascinating story behind pepper pot soup on a podcast episode I produced for The Philadelphia Citizen’s Foodizen project….(click the ‘story behind…’ link here above to have a listen!)
This enigmatic soup first came onto our N. American scene before we even became the United States — way back when we were still a British colony. It was one of the first “fast foods” served piping hot by colorful, melodic cooks on the streets of Philadelphia throughout the 1700 & 1800’s. Fast forward a century or two— during the 20th century it was able to be consumed by millions of Americans “everywhere” after Campbell’s Soup started canning it in 1899. Contrary to many beliefs, its fame isn’t entirely due to Andy Warhol’s iconic (and EXPEN$IVE!) canned-soup painting; nor did the original recipe actually come from Campbell’s — which produced and mass-marketed a commercial version of pepper pot for ages before halting production of it in 2011.
A widely believed (albeit inaccurate )soup origin story is that it was first created by the baker general — a German immigrant soldier named Ludwig— in George Washington’s Valley Forge army, but that’s not true, either. READ MORE HERE…
WANT THE RECIPE 😋?! join my Patreon Platform and I’ll give you your very own digital copy of my (really delicious!) historically-informed pepper pot stew recipe plus extra audio visual highlights…
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🎥 IN THIS MINI VIDEO BELOW 👇🏽: “Before Food Historian Tonya Hopkins stopped by ABC’s “The Chew” to talk food history with the cast and crew , she shared about her work while making an amazing pepper pot stew!”….
Tonya Hopkins, aka The Food Griot, founded the nonfiction story-telling platform, “The Food Griot: Sharing Savory Stories on The Makings of American Cuisine, (Cocktails)…” She has researched and written for several scholarly and consumer publications and appears regularly on radio and television. Her work in culinary history activism aims to help disenfranchised, mostly black and brown food/drink industry professionals achieve greater inclusion, equity and wholesome empowerment. Follow @TheFoodGriot on: Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.