The Food That Built America
The series explores the families and entrepreneurs behind the food that helped shape America, highlighting the effort, risk, and ambition needed to turn new ideas into household staples. From inventing technologies to pushing through hard times, it traces how these food pioneers reached America through its appetite.
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Season 4
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1
E1
Breakfast That Pops
Two heavy-hitting cereal rivals duke it out for breakfast dominance; competition heats up when an idea is stolen; the ensuing battle transforms the breakfast landscape from a labor intensive meal at the table, to a meal of convenience on the go.
Feb 19, 2023 -
2
E2
Holiday Treats
The top selling candy days of the year revolve around Easter, Valentine's Day and Halloween. And it all started with a few bold pioneers.
Feb 26, 2023 -
4
E4
Candy Revolution
A cereal executive's bold idea to finance the "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" movie will kick-off a candy revolution that produces some of the most iconic, imaginative confections in history.
Mar 12, 2023 -
8
E8
Thanksgiving Dinner
A look at some staples of Thanksgiving dinner that weren't around until a few brands used technological advances to reinvent turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie and more; food innovators made each part of the meal accessible.
Apr 9, 2023 -
9
E9
Peanut Butter Battle
When an entrepreneur creates shelf-stable peanut butter out of his garage, it leads to the birth of an iconic sandwich; as competition heats up to be America's favorite peanut butter, three famous brands battle it out to be number one.
Apr 16, 2023 -
10
E10
American Spirits
Two entrepreneurs rise from the ashes of Prohibition by staking everything on two liquors -- a bitter, bottom-shelf whisky, and a flavorless foreign moonshine -- and go on to save an industry and create two of the most popular brands in the country.
Apr 23, 2023 -
11
E11
Where There's Smoke
A century ago, most backyard grilling essentials were not yet invented; Henry Ford, a tinkerer named Kingsford, and a passionate butcher created recognizable summer brands and changed the face of American backyards.
Jun 11, 2023 -
12
E12
Thirst Quenchers
Before juice was everywhere, these innovators used brilliant ingenuity to create the most nostalgic drink products and thirst quenchers of the last century, leading the charge on a new billion dollar beverage industry.
Jun 18, 2023 -
13
E13
Supermarket Sweep
At the turn of the 20th century, Bernard Kroger and another upstart grocer come up with genius innovations that help invent the modern supermarket.
Jun 25, 2023 -
14
E14
Bring Home the Bacon
A young upstart named Oscar® Mayer creates one of the most iconic meat brands on the planet; pioneer Jay Hormel invents a meat product sold the world over, which becomes part of a $20 billion food empire.
Jul 9, 2023