This panel explores the interconnected nature of economic and cultural transformation in nineteenth-century global foodways. Each of our panelists takes a unique approach to research along these lines. Christian Robles-Baez examines how coffee—an African-native crop cultivated in South America—became a daily necessity in the United States during the early nineteenth century, transforming from a luxury item into a mass-consumed commodity. Kathryn Falvo investigates the case of curry, which she argues was once considered American but was re-exoticized to serve specific interests over the course of the 19th century. Ellie Palazzolo traces the history of oleomargarine, a product first developed in France in 1873, which emerged as an affordable alternative to butter for American workers, reshaping dietary habits and expanding economic access to fats. Santiago Bestilleiro Lettini explores the expanding markets for South American beef, cereals, wool, and hides—commodities that became essential as food sources and raw materials for industrial centers in the Atlantic World. Together, these studies provide interdisciplinary perspectives on how food became a powerful agent of economic and cultural change in the nineteenth century.

A surprising number of connections exist between these diverse topics. Beyond the economic integration inherent to the transformations they examine, they also showcase similar social and ideological forces around the globe that dramatically transformed the way people ate. Concepts such as “sobriety,” “work ethic,” “vitality,” “strength,” “energy,” “progress,” and “civilization” all played a crucial role in shaping consumption. Depending on their context, these cultural concepts had the ability to reinforce social hierarchies or challenge them. They altered labor dynamics and social relations in a myriad of ways. By tracing the trajectories of these commodities’ consumption, we shed light on how the expansion of food markets reflected, reinforced, and challenged broader cultural values and ideologies.

Today, food markets continue to grow. They are still shaped by the twin forces of economic and cultural values. However, new challenges—such as sustainability and nutritional health—have emerged, while long standing issues such as food security and inequality remain unresolved. Targeting the intersection between food economy and culture helps lay a framework for the necessary but difficult conversations around contemporary globalized food systems. We hope that the discussion prompted by our topics helps us address these more modern issues, offering an essential historical perspective on - and strategies to address - pressing contemporary concerns.