Skip to main content

Food and history meld at the Smithsonian demo kitchen

Since 2001, the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History has been home to Julia Child’s kitchen. You can gaze at her blue and green cabinets, extra-high maple countertops, and wall covered with pots and pans. But it’s for display purposes only, so the museum decided to bring in a whole new kitchen, specifically designed for demonstrations.

Recommended Videos

The demonstration kitchen opened July 3, kicking off a slew of programs that mix food and history. “Our goal with the space is really to use food to help people make connections to American history. For us, food is a way to help understand more about American history and how they fit into it. We really see food as a gateway to learning more about history,” Susan Evans, program director of the American Food History Project, tells Digital Trends.

The museum’s 5 million annual visitors will now be able to drop by the kitchen to see guest chefs in action on Food Fridays. Each month, there’s a different theme; the chefs work with Smithsonian staff to select recipes that reflect the theme. “The guests chefs frequently will their bring own stories and more modern techniques, and the Smithsonian staff person helps to make that connection between modern foods and the history of eating them,” Evans says.

When chef Curtis Aikens made dry-rubbed baby-back ribs and all-American roasted potato salad on stage during the week focused on Southern barbecues and picnics, Smithsonian host Jessica Carbone explained where potatoes came from and were originally grown, and how they were transported around the world. She went through the history of the spices included in the dry rub and the differences between chilies and peppers. “We also talked about some of the social conventions of picnics,” said Evans. “By cooking potato salad, you can have a conversation about who was invited to Southern picnics, and who was excluded, and what that meant in society and how race relations were involved in what people ate and how they ate it.”

To make a museum-ready kitchen, the Smithsonian had to take a lot into consideration. First, the stage had to double as a performance space for a jazz orchestra on occasion, so the moveable island had to be easy to remove, though it’s hooked up for gas, water, and electricity. To minimize the potential damage to the museum’s collectables, there’s a huge fan that sucks up the smoke and smell.

The demo kitchen is also home to a regular program, Ask a Farmer, where visitors can watch a video stream of a farmer talking about his or her profession, then ask questions. All the programs tie into the year’s theme of innovation in food history, culminating in the Food History Weekend, which will take place October 22-24.

One interactive program the kitchen is putting on is the history of chocolate making, including preparing drinking chocolate like people did during the foundation of the United States. “Chocolate was actually part of the rations that soldiers received during the Revolutionary War,” says Evans. “People didn’t start eating chocolate until the middle of 1800s, and that was really because of a texture issue.” The drinking chocolate would’ve been less sweet and more chalky than we’re used to, because there was less cocoa butter involved in the processing. “It was actually thought to be very very healthy,” says Evans of the chocolate rations. “If you went to the doctor, they would prescribe you chocolate” for your stomach problems or lethargy. “It would kickstart your day.”

Visitors get to see the tools used in making the drinking chocolate and help roast and grind the beans and spices, then melt the chocolate onto the metate, a stone used for heating the substances. “We know that people learn from doing things, so we want to get people doing things and thinking about their role in making history,” says Evans. Unfortunately, during neither the Food Fridays nor the daily demonstrations can visitors sample the wares (that may be a good thing for the drinking chocolate), though the cafes do try to make their menus reflect what’s cooking in the demo kitchen.

The recipes are also available on the Smithsonian’s website. “When you see someone and then you participate in a process that was done in a different time period, it helps you connect with the idea that there were real people who did things in history,” says Evans, “and then, hopefully, make the leap that in doing these things today, you are also part of making history.”

Topics
Jenny McGrath
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Jenny McGrath is a senior writer at Digital Trends covering the intersection of tech and the arts and the environment. Before…
Best tech for new grads: From dorm to office
Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones seen in silver.

Graduation season is just around the corner, which means it's about time that you start thinking about the gifts you're going to get for new graduates. Some students will head into college and move into dorms, while some students are leaving that chapter behind and will instead find their way into an office. With those in mind, we've rounded up this list of offers featuring discounts for some of the best tech for new grads.

Anker 332 USB-C Hub -- $25 $35 29% off

Read more
Earth Day with Reolink: Protecting nature, one camera at a time
earth day with reolink protecting nature one camera at a time hero crop

This Earth Day, Reolink is celebrating the incredible intersection of technology and conservation. With help from environmentally conscious users and dedicated NGO partners, Reolink is proving that small actions, powered by smart outdoor technology, can lead to a big impact for our planet's wildlife and natural landscapes.
Smarter, Greener Outdoor Monitoring
Reolink's lineup of outdoor cameras, including the Go PT Ultra, Go Ranger PT, and TrackMix LTE, do more than safeguard homes. They empower nature lovers to connect with the wild while treading lightly on the environment.

Each camera is engineered for sustainability and performance. Solar power compatibility keeps them running without contributing to battery waste. Their rugged, waterproof designs ensure they survive the toughest outdoor elements. And with stunning 4K 8MP ultra-clear footage, they capture the beauty of wildlife — from the shimmer of a bird's wings to the subtle prowling of a fox at dusk — without disturbing natural behavior.

Read more
Roku expands smart home lineup with two upcoming security cameras
The Roku Battery Camera on a tree

Roku might be known for its streaming sticks and smart TVs, but the brand also has a strong presence in the smart home market. From video doorbells and smart lights to plugs and motion sensors, Roku’s smart home catalog is surprisingly robust. The catalog is set to expand in the coming months, as Roku has officially revealed two upcoming security cameras -- the Roku Battery Camera and Roku Battery Camera Plus.

The Roku Battery Camera Plus is the most enticing of the two, as it can get up to two years of battery life on a single charge (the Battery Camera gets up to six months). They can also be combined with an optional solar panel to extend their battery life. Beyond that, most specs are shared -- including 1080p resolutions, color night vision, and the option to receive motion alerts when activity is detected around your home.

Read more