Fox News has launched a documentary that delves into the culinary creativity of Revolutionary-era America, hosted by Capri Cafaro. Celebrating the nation’s 250th anniversary, the film sheds light on how colonial Americans adapted to food challenges after breaking ties with Great Britain. According to Cafaro, the documentary titled “America the Bountiful: America’s 250th Anniversary Special” reveals colonists’ self-reliance in transforming local resources into a sustainable food system when European imports were inaccessible.
“Food is a crucial cultural anchor,” Cafaro stated while discussing with Fox News Digital. “It links stories from various domains such as economics, agriculture, environment, and science.” As the anniversary approached, Cafaro aimed to identify how colonial settlers adapted without European imports. Her journey took her through colonial American landmarks to explore foods now integral to American cuisine, like cheese and whiskey.
“American colonists had to be creative and resourceful to become food-independent from Great Britain.”
Cafaro highlighted that colonists converted fresh milk into cheese due to its short shelf life. They also used grain byproducts for alcohol production. The documentary showcases Cafaro tasting whiskey made at George Washington’s estate, Mount Vernon, noting it as “alcohol-grain-forward.”
The most challenging aspect of the show involved Cafaro’s experience with hunting and eating small game. Squirrel pie and stew were popular during the 18th and 19th centuries, especially in Appalachian areas.
“It was hard for me to participate in squirrel-hunting and then to eat it,” Cafaro shared, laughing at the idea of being a vegetarian then. She mentioned that U.S. presidents, such as James A. Garfield, enjoyed squirrel dishes.
The documentary also highlights how colonists diversified crops, preserved meat and dairy, and adapted hunting methods. Cafaro noted learning about the roles of Indigenous peoples, European settlers, and enslaved people in food cultivation. Indigenous people, for instance, taught colonists to make tea from local plants, transforming them into symbols of independence after the Boston Tea Party.
Cafaro hopes the documentary amplifies the contributions of those who provide food, asserting that resourcefulness and hard work define American identity.
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