In this episode, I want to talk about how different flavors made their way to different parts of the U.S.
There are hundreds of types of cookies in the United States, and it’s all thanks to industrialization. As the U.S. railroad system developed in the early 1800s, bakers suddenly had access to new shelf-stable ingredients. For instance, people in the north were able to create new recipes with coconuts from the South. A few decades later, oranges made their way west, which opened up a whole new world of citrusy flavors, and fruits such as dates and raisins made their way east from California. Eventually, with the invention of the icebox in the early 1800s and the invention of refrigerators in the late 1800s, cookies were able to be stored, transported, and shared throughout the country with ease.
