The Food That Built America

The Food That Built America

  • 2019
  • 7 Seasons
  • 83 Episodes
  •  8  (39)
  •   Returning Series

The fascinating stories of the families behind the food that built America, those who used brains, muscle, blood, sweat and tears to get to America's heart through its stomach, those who invented new technologies and helped win wars.

The Food That Built America
Seasons
Say Yes to the Dressing
14. Say Yes to the Dressing
July 26, 2026
Richard Hellmann deli's mayonnaise launches America's condiment revolution.
Cereal Sensations
13. Cereal Sensations
July 19, 2026
Cereal pioneers battle for control of America's breakfast table.
Let's Get Crackering
12. Let's Get Crackering
July 12, 2026
As two baking powerhouses collide, scrappy upstarts and mom-and-pop players help turn crackers into a snack aisle staple.
Spilling the Tea
11. Spilling the Tea
July 05, 2026
A beverage giant is challenged for dominance by two upstart companies from Brooklyn to revolutionize the beverage market and transform iced tea from a regional drink to a multi-billion-dollar American staple.
Icons of Ice Cream
10. Icons of Ice Cream
June 28, 2026
From the first ice cream bar in history, to the invention of classic flavors, a century of bold innovators transforms ice cream from a rare indulgence into a $100 billion American powerhouse.
Burgers, Burritos, & the Battle for Fast Food
9. Burgers, Burritos, & the Battle for Fast Food
June 21, 2026
An upstart chain innovates iconic menu items and fast food staples including a value menu and free refills, while fending off a new competitor to bring Mexican inspired fast food to the masses.
Rice to Riches
8. Rice to Riches
June 14, 2026
A keen-eyed immigrant, a candy mogul, and two pasta-making brothers reinvent rice for America’s kitchens by making it faster, easier, and impossible to resist.
Cheesecake Chronicles
7. Cheesecake Chronicles
June 07, 2026
A struggling cheesemaker, a New York restauranteur, a small-time baker, and a determined mother-son duo transform a humble cheese pie into a decadent American dessert--turning cheesecake into a grocery staple and the star of a restaurant empire.
Clash of the Cookie Giants
6. Clash of the Cookie Giants
May 31, 2026
A century ago, the cookie industry didn't exist, until a wave of innovators turn it into a $15 billion powerhouse.
Chocolate in a Glass
5. Chocolate in a Glass
May 17, 2026
A chemist unlocks a chocolate syrup that transforms milk into a magic sensation, a scrappy soda shop owner cracks the code to bottling liquid chocolate for the masses, and a dairy innovator turns wartime surplus into instant cocoa gold.
Drive-Thru Burger Revolution
4. Drive-Thru Burger Revolution
May 10, 2026
Three burger operators race to serve a new generation on wheels, and a primitive intercom and sliding window evolve into the drive-thru — revolutionizing fast food and kicking off an industry arms race.
The Birth of Bubblegum
3. The Birth of Bubblegum
May 03, 2026
A struggling candy maker’s botched experiment leads to the world’s first bubble gum, its distinctive color, and a decades-long bubble gum war fueled by colorful mascots, comic strips, baseball cards, and novelty flavors — transforming gum into a pop culture.
Cereal Killers
2. Cereal Killers
April 26, 2026
Rival cereal giants race to invent the next must-have bowl, sparking a sugary arms race of mascots, crunch, candy, and the first ever chocolate cereal.
Pizza Power Play
1. Pizza Power Play
April 19, 2026
Two pizza juggernauts expand their empires as a hungry new contender turns the fight into a three-way race to become America’s biggest pizza chain.
Description
The fascinating stories of the families behind the food that built America, those who used brains, muscle, blood, sweat and tears to get to America's heart through its stomach, those who invented new technologies and helped win wars.
  • Premiere Date
    August 11, 2019
  • Rating
    8  (39)