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4 Foods Jefferson Helped Popularize in America
We have Jefferson's unique taste to thank for popularizing some of the most beloved foods in American culture.
Food & Drink
Articles about foodways at Monticello.
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![Watercolor by Gail B. McIntosh depicting Benjamin Franklin Randolph at breakfast demonstrating to Dolley Madison and others how to prepare one of the muffins being delivered on a tray by enslaved butler Burwell Colbert.]()
PageA Child's View of Breakfast
An account of a breakfast at Monticello recorded and written down by one of Thomas Jefferson's great-granddaughter and the recipe for making "Monticello Muffins," similar to an English-muffin, that may have been made at Monticello by enslaved cook Peter Hemings.
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EncyclopediaAngelique Fig
A half hardy, deciduous shrub that produces large, sweet fruits with cream-colored flesh and greenish-white, darkly striped skin.
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EncyclopediaBatter Cakes
Learn why batter cakes are often associated with Jefferson and his free and enslaved chefs.
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![Wooden barrels sit on their sides next to smaller boxes and barrels hold bottles in Monticello Beer Cellar.]()
EncyclopediaBeer
Explore Jefferson's interest in beer and the history of brewing at Monticello.
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![A collection of several varieties of apples set out on a wooden bench.]()
StoryCider at Monticello
A quick primer for the history of cider and cider-making at Monticello.
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![Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua); image courtesy U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.]()
EncyclopediaCodfish
Investigate Jefferson's thoughts on codfish and its place in American commerce and cuisine.
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Encyclopedia
Coffee
Discover Jefferson's preferences regarding coffee, its cultural importance in society, and why he described it as "the favorite beverage of the civilized world."
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![An egg-shaped silver urn featuring beading, engraved patterns, and arched handles.]()
EncyclopediaCoffee Urn
The only surviving silver urn from Jefferson's collection, purchased in Paris in 1789. Originally intended as a gift for architect Charles-Louis Clérisseau, Jefferson ultimately kept it and brought it to Monticello in 1790.
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![Shelves of wine bottles in the restored wine cellar at Monticello.]()
EncyclopediaConstantia Wine
Find out why scholars don't think there's any evidence that Jefferson ever purchased or consumed Constantia wine.
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![Drawing of two women working with milk on opposite sides of a room lined with shelves holding bowls of various sizes and two small butter churns on the floor.]()
EncyclopediaDairying
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![Watercolor by Gail McIntosh depicting three enslaved women working in Monticello's kitchen using the stew stoves, hearth, and large prep table.]()
EncyclopediaDutch Ovens
See how Dutch ovens were used in Thomas Jefferson's kitchens at Monticello and at the President's House in Washington, DC.
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![AI generated image from an original Monticello photograph]()
EncyclopediaEggplant
Also known as melongena, eggplant originated in Asia, where it has been grown for centuries
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![A table in Monticello's Dining Room is set for six guest with a white cloth, white china with light green detail, Jefferson cups, and silver cutlery, with two dumbwaiters flanking on opposite corners.]()
PageFood
From Madeira wine to French desserts, fine cuisine was always on Jefferson's menu.
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![A recipe for ice cream written out by Thomas Jefferson on a long strip of paper.]()
EncyclopediaIce Cream
Thomas Jefferson can be credited with the first known recipe for ice cream recorded by an American and likely helped to popularize it in this country.
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![A recipe for ice cream written out by Thomas Jefferson on a long strip of paper.]()
Page“Ice-creams were produced”
The first recorded American recipe for ice cream is written in Thomas Jefferson's hand. He served it at the President's Mansion when president and enslaved chefs made and served it at Monticello.
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StoryJefferson-era Recipe: Cherries
A recipe from "The Virginia House-wife," a recipe book published in 1824 by Mary Randolph.
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![Monticello's restored 1809 Kitchen]()
StoryJefferson-era Recipe: Fried Potatoes
From The Virginia House-wife, a recipe book published in 1824 by Mary Randolph, kinswoman to Thomas Jefferson.
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![A document in Jefferson's hand describing how to make pasta dough along with a small sketch of a press for making pasta with the various parts labeled by with letters and explained in the accompanying text.]()
EncyclopediaMacaroni
Jefferson did not invent macaroni and cheese, nor did his enslaved chef James Hemings. But its appearance on the menu at the White House was seen as a novelty.
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EncyclopediaMammoth Cheese
In 1801, a Baptist congregation gifted a "mammoth cheese" to President Thomas Jefferson in honor of his support of religious liberty.
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![A recipe for ice cream written out by Thomas Jefferson on a long strip of paper.]()
EncyclopediaMonticello Recipe Sources
A list of all known manuscript sources for recipes associated with Thomas Jefferson, his family members, and his enslaved chefs at Monticello and in DC and New York City.
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![Watercolor by Gail B. McIntosh depicting Benjamin Franklin Randolph at breakfast demonstrating to Dolley Madison and others how to prepare one of the muffins being delivered on a tray by enslaved butler Burwell Colbert.]()
EncyclopediaMuffins
Muffins, mostly likely in the style of "English muffins," featured frequently in the lore and cuisine of Monticello.
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![Cuts of "Pork" and "Beef" drawn out and numbered one side by side images of a pig and cow with the cuts listed out below.]()
EncyclopediaPreservation of Meat
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StoryRecipe: To Dress Salad
A classic viniagrette seems a likely staple at Monticello's table.
