The Food That Built America

E01

Episode 1

Breakfast That Pops

2023-02-19 · 43m

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.

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E02

Episode 2

Holiday Treats

2023-02-26 · 43m

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.

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E03

Episode 3

Flight of the Buffalo Wing

2023-03-05 · 43m

Before chicken wings were America's favorite Sunday football snack, they were considered an undesirable cut of meat. Until two restaurateurs in Buffalo, New York, reinvent the way wings are cooked.

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E04

Episode 4

Candy Revolution

2023-03-12 · 43m

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.

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E05

Episode 5

Clash of the Coffee

2023-03-19 · 43m

Coffee's quality and popularity wane by the 1960s, until a handful of visionaries turn the industry on its head. First, three college friends create an iconic brand of revolutionary gourmet Coffee. Then, this now-iconic chain creates an entirely new category of restaurant.

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E06

Episode 6

The Chicken Coup

2023-03-26 · 43m

A devout Georgia diner owner stumbles into the chicken game when he develops a unique fried chicken sandwich with a batch of cast-off filets. The unique sandwich he creates will become the menu centerpiece at one of the most popular fast-food chains in the world.

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E07

Episode 7

When Food Freezes Over

2023-04-02

Four intrepid food entrepreneurs race to harness emerging technologies like the home freezer and microwave, to bring revolutionary frozen snack icons to a waiting world, and forever change what we eat, when we eat, and how we eat.

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E08

Episode 8

Thanksgiving Dinner

2023-04-09

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.

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E09

Episode 9

Peanut Butter Battle

2023-04-16 · 42m

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.

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E10

Episode 10

American Spirits

2023-04-23 · 42m

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.

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E11

Episode 11

Where There's Smoke

2023-06-11 · 43m

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.

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E12

Episode 12

Thirst Quenchers

2023-06-18

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.

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E13

Episode 13

Supermarket Sweep

2023-06-25

At the turn of the 20th century, Bernard Kroger and another upstart grocer come up with genius innovations that help invent the modern supermarket.

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E14

Episode 14

Bring Home the Bacon

2023-07-09

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.

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E15

Episode 15

Dog Eat Dog

2023-07-16

At a time when dog food is a rarity and cat food is almost nonexistent, it will take visionary innovators to invent the first dog treat, dry food, the first cat food, and many more innovations that will carve out the billion-dollar pet food industry.

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E16

Episode 16

Beer Run

2023-07-23

At a time when U.S. beer is dominated by the same lager style, one Milwaukee company experiments with something new.

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