Recognize this box? If not, where have you been the last 100 years? Kraft boxed mac and cheese has been a staple in grocery stores and family kitchens for as long as time. Granted, this mac and cheese first made an appearance in 1769, but wasn’t patented by Kraft until the 1930’s. Kraft’s mac and cheese was first introduced during the Great Depression in 1937. During the time it was quick to gain popularity since it served four and only cost 19 cents. It even had the slogan, “"Make a meal for four in nine minutes”. It was not only well known in the US, but in Canada too, overall selling 8 million boxes in its first year. You may think that’s a lot of mac, and you’re not wrong, but considering the food has a long shelf life and doesn’t need to be refrigerated makes it look like the best option (especially during the Great Depression).
But it’s popularity didn’t stop there, for in 1943 50-80 million boxes were sold. Why? During World War 2, Americans could get two boxes of Kraft mac with only one food stamp. This became a substitute for unaffordable meat and dairy products.
One could argue that despite being a mere 3x1x7in box, Kraft mac and cheese has made quite an impact on Americans in the past century.
Sources:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/marvelous-macaroni-and-cheese-30954740/
https://www.thedailymeal.com/cook/10-things-you-didn-t-know-about-macaroni-and-cheese-slideshow/slide-6
https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-xpm-2010-08-14-ct-biz-0815-mac-side2-20100814-story.html
https://www.mashed.com/123963/untold-truth-kraft-macaroni-cheese/
I never would have suspected the origins of Kraft Mac and Cheese as the Great Depression. To add onto the reason for the huge success of Kraft Mac and Cheese, World War II created a huge demand for a product that was exactly filled by Kraft. In particular, World War II required rationing of dairy products, less meat, and also had many more women working away from homes to fill the positions that men left when they went to war. Combined with the ability to use food stamps that you mentioned, these conditions created the perfect niche for Kraft Mac and Cheese, as it was considered a decent meal, was simple to prepare, and did not use much of the rationed ingredients.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-xpm-2010-08-14-ct-biz-0815-mac-side2-20100814-12-story.html
I really like how you concisely described the origins of this staple food product as well as its surprising impact on American society during such a desperate time. I was interested to see how an American comfort food gained so much popularity during a time where many basic ingredients were not readily available to the majority of Americans during the Great Depression. In addition, mac and cheese had been a somewhat popular dish previously in America, but the development of powdered cheese in 1918 made it one of the first convenience foods that also had a long shelf life, making it very attractive to consumers who were unable to afford or obtain perishable products through rations.
ReplyDeletehttps://historydaily.org/mac-n-cheese-the-history-of-americas-favorite-comfort-food