Food in Missouri: A Cultural Stew

August 21, 2019 Posted by: Tom Dewey, Librarian

Food in Missouri: A Cultural Stew, by Madeline Matson. Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 1994.

Missouri’s foods include a bountiful variety of ingredients. In Food in Missouri: a Cultural Stew, Madeline Matson takes readers on a journey through the history of the state’s food, from the hunting and farming methods of the area’s earliest inhabitants, through the contributions of various European immigrants and the state’s African American population.

Matson traces the history of food preparation, preservation, and marketing, while highlighting the cultural traditions that engendered each change. The author also shows how advances in farming methods, the invention of the electric range, the development of cookbooks, and three waves of immigration have profoundly influenced what Missourians eat today. 

Along the way, Matson highlights some key people, places, and institutions in Missouri’s food history: Irma Rombauer, author The Joy of Cooking; Stark Bro’s Nurseries and Orchards in Louisiana, Missouri; St. Louis’ Soulard Market; and Stone Hill Winery, a leader in Hermann’s nationally recognized winemaking industry.

By bringing to life the traditions behind the food we eat today, Food in Missouri provides a unique perspective on the people who explored and settled the state, showing that Missouri’s rich heritage is indeed, a cultural stew.