Thomas Jefferson and Food

"He ate heartily, and much vegetable food, preferring French cookery, because it made the meats more tender."

-Thomas Jefferson Randolph

Half-French-Half Virginian ... Dining with the President ... Wine, Beer, and Cider ... Monticello's Enslaved Cooks

Half French-Half Virginian

"Dinner is served in half Virginian, half French style, in good taste and abundance. No wine is put on the table till the cloth is removed."
-Daniel Webster, 1824

Virginian What Jefferson termed "Plantation Fare" was the original, Virginian-style cooking at Monticello later combined with French-style recipes.

French In Paris, at the President's House in Washington, D.C., and at Monticello, Jefferson cultivated a taste for French cuisine.

James Hemings Enslaved chef James Hemings, master of French cuisine, was head chef for Jefferson from 1790 - 96, creating memorable meals for societal elites.

Dining with the President

"Never before had such dinners been given in the President's House"
-Margaret Bayard Smith

Calculated Cuisine and Conversation Jeffersonian dinners at the President's House in Washington illustrate his superb talent for using a contrived domestic setting as a tool to gain political ends.

Dining with Congress President Jefferson's dinners were unprecedented in their frequency and bountiful elegance.

Dinner Etiquette Jefferson promoted a style of dinner etiquette in the President's House that was much more informal than that of Washington and Adams.

Wine, Beer, and Cider

"no nation is drunken where wine is cheap"

-Thomas Jefferson, 1818

Wine: A necessary of Life Thomas Jefferson, interpreted by Bill Barker, looks at the third President's taste in wine, his impact on wine consumption in America, and how international travel helped Jefferson become a leading wine connoisseur of his time.

Cider and Cider Apples Visitors to Monticello remembered the delicious cider served at dinner and wrote later requesting cuttings from Jefferson's trees.

Beer Brewing at Monticello began with Jefferson's wife Martha and reached its high point in 1814 with the creation of a brewhouse where English master brewer Joseph Miller and enslaved brewer Peter Hemings created "table liquors."

Provisioning the House

Vegetable Garden and Orchard

Monticello's expansive garden terrace and orchards served as both a source of food and an experimental laboratory.

Monticello's Enslaved Cooks

Much to Our Comfort and Satisfaction Monticello’s enslaved cooks and their families prepared, cooked, served, and cleaned for the meals enjoyed by Jefferson, his family, and his guests.

Enslaved Master Brewer Peter Hemings Beer was a part of most meals at Monticello, possibly served in small silver vessels known today as "Jefferson Cups." But where did the beer come from? What was it like? And who made it?

Cooking in the 1809 Kitchen Enslaved chefs and kitchen workers prepared meals for Jefferson's family and guests in the bustling 1809 Kitchen.

Explore Related Topics

The Mammoth Cheese In 1801, Elder John Leland persuaded the ladies of his Baptist congregation to manufacture a "mammoth cheese" for President Thomas Jefferson, honoring his support of religious liberty.

Food Preservation In this recorded livestream, historian and ethnographer Marion Cohen discusses the realities of eighteenth-century winters and how enslaved workers navigated the season.

The Granger Family The Grangers, their children, and their grandchildren would go on to include community leaders, skilled tradesmen, cooks, blacksmiths, tinsmiths, farmers, and cider-makers as well as caring spouses, parents, children, and siblings.

Monticello Recipes Check out original recipes recorded by Thomas Jefferson, his wife Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson, his daughter Martha Jefferson Randolph, his granddaughters, and enslaved chefs James and Peter Hemings.

Gardens of Enslaved Families In this recorded livestream, Monticello’s Archaeological Field Research Manager Crystal O’Connor and Guide Elizabeth Lukas discuss the gardens of enslaved families, including what they grew and what they did with the produce.

Shoveling Food: Archaeological Revelations Archaeological excavation of Jefferson's Dry Well revealed new insights into dining and foodways at Monticello in the 1770s.

Available from The Shop at Monticello

Through the Seasons

A collection of historic recipes from the kitchens of Mary Randolph, author of The Virginia House-Wife with commentary by culinary historian and gardener Leni Sorensen, PhD.

Dining at Monticello

Ten essays discuss topics such as the groceries and wine imported from Europe, the recent kitchen restoration and the African Americans who participated in Monticello's rich food culture at every stage. Seventy-five delicious recipes from Jefferson family manuscripts, updated by editor Damon Lee Fowler, are authentic to the period and accessible to today's home cook.

The President's Kitchen Cabinet

Adrian Miller vividly tells the stories of the African Americans who worked in the presidential food service as chefs, personal cooks, butlers, stewards, and servers for every First Family since George and Martha Washington.

ADDRESS:
931 Thomas Jefferson Parkway
Charlottesville, VA 22902
GENERAL INFORMATION:
(434) 984-9800