The City of the Cheesesteak, Philly history is found in the kitchen. Visitors Services Manager Sarah Duda gets to the meat of the matter, serving up stories from the hidden larder of Philly's unsung hash slingers. Food-related treasures in HSP's library and archive are cooked regularly on the Fondly, PA blog.

If I were to ask you to think about Philadelphia history, I suspect that thoughts of Benjamin Franklin, Valley Forge, and the Liberty Bell would start to fill your head as you search for memorable names related to Philadelphia.  While all of these topics are worthy of attention, my historical gaze is rather different and-- dare I say it-- more hungry then most when looking back on the decades that built the city of brotherly love into what it is today.  Since food is such an integral part of life, food history is not merely limited to food products and can also give insight into community, labor, politics, philosophy, and technology surrounding food.  If you are a foodie, a history enthusiast, or interested in hot topics related to food-- sugar, fast food, dieting, organic farming, global-warming, vegetarianism, GMOs, cooking, and food scarcity are just a few that come to mind-- then this is a blog for you.  Over the next two months, I will be exploring local history from a new angle as I uncover some of the hidden food-related treasures within our archives here at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and connect them to food today.

Stop by this Thursday to see history brought to life in food form...