this post was submitted on 06 Sep 2024
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Is that why the Midwest was addicted to canned vegetables, "casseroles", and why they're allergic to anything more flavorful than salt and pepper?
Partly.
I'd say that impacted the entire US. The SNL skit Coneheads was all about this with "mass quantities".
Keep in mind the impact of the Depression on people too. Quality isn't a concern when you're not even getting enough to eat (my parents, but especially grandparents can/could speak to this). My father was always hungry until he was drafted.
Studs Terkel's Hard Times should be required reading today.
Twentieth century food production was a godsend to anyone born before the 1950's.
Plus the Midwest was heavily settled by Nordic folks and Eastern European, bringing their food traditions with them.
Yeah my family is from the Midwest. On my mom's side we're 4th gen Norwegians who founded a town in Kansas (pretty sure it's Kansas). They arrived just before the depression and I'm pretty sure my family's legacy of bland cooking is partly a result from that and our Norwegian heritage. We still make kumla every year. Good stuff (minus the canned veggies. Seriously Midwest, it's ok to use fresh vegetables)
Kumla looks pretty good. Now I really wish I had picked up lingonberries when I was at IKEA last weekend. Unfortunately I decided I didn’t know what I’d do with them. Now I know
Oh boy, kumla looks good!
So funny Midwestern farmers of all used canned veggies. But I can understand. Put yourself into Mom's shoes at the time, 10 seconds to open a can, VS an hour to clean/chop/cook a veggie.
I highly recommend giving kumla a try! It's very filling and will probably leave you a couple pounds heavier (don't be shy with the butter). On the vegetable note, I can see it as a practical measure but some things are worth the extra effort imo
I'm no expert on Midwestern cuisine, there could be other factors like some central European culinary traditions, maybe religious conservatism and a general distrust of new things more common to inland cultures.
So, a factor for sure, but it's probably complicated.
You're probably right, I just wanted to take a cheap shot at the Midwest haha
Ope!
Hot Dish!
(what most people call casserole)
By and large, yeah. Although it got it's start with world war one rationing, proved handy during the depression and then through the second world war.
Once you're at 30-40 years a recipe can become a "family recipe" pretty easily and then it lasts even longer.
The spice thing is because in the 1800s a lot of the religions that were most prevalent in the area condemned "pleasures of the flesh" as sins only fit for "dirty, sensual Catholics enthralled to the Pope". Looking at you, Italians. 🤨. You can see it in things like corn flakes, the cereal designed to be nutritional and the worst, or graham crackers, the least masturbatory cracker.
It's why so many of the biggest cereal manufacturers are from the Midwest and have insane history.
Don't be too hard on the hot dish though, a lot of them have evolved towards a sorta reinvention of Shepard's pie or scalloped potatoes.
"Minced meat with vegetables topped with potatoes" and "potatoes mixed with a thickened cream topped with cheese".
Green bean and tuna noodle casserole are not for me though.