The Great Gatsby
The 1920s were a very excitable and prosperous time for the country. Thus, parties and other social gatherings were very prevalent in society. At these parties and other social gatherings, food had to be present. Therefore, the prosperity of the nation and advances in food technology led to a boom in the food industry. Many new foods were created as a result of the recent boom. For example, Kraft Foods came out with the world's first Jell-O. Also, in the 1920s, marshmallow fluff and the fluffernutter sandwich were invented.
Another important food related discovery in the 1920s was made by Clarence Birdseye. He invented a quick freezing method for fish and vegetables. This newly developed method of freezing food allowed for people to buy frozen vegetables instead of going to the store everyday and buying fresh produce. Consequently, this invention saved people a lot time and money. In 1929 the Postum Company, now General Foods Corporation, bought out all Birdseye's patents and began to produce frozen food. The Postum Company was able to corner the frozen foods market until freezers became widely available in the 1950s.
During the 1920s, Prohibition laws were in full effect. Consumption or distribution of any alcoholic beverage was against the law. Many families accustomed to drinking wine with their meals had to either stop, or keep on doing so and knowingly break the law.
In the 1920s, many households 
cooked extravagant dinners especially when guests or relatives came over to dine. Many hours were spent slaving over the oven in order to produce the perfect meal. In extremely rich households, the kitchens were extremely large and designed to serve a great number of people. Houses, such as the Rockefellers' summer cottage the Breakers, had up to six or seven ovens, a couple of iceboxes, and cupboards and cabinets galore. In F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby is the host of many extravagant parties on Saturday nights. At these parties, an extreme amount of preparation went into the food. According to the account of Nick Carraway, Jay's neighbor, the caterers rolled out numbers of tables with load upon load of every type of food imaginable. Each table was delicately stacked with all different and exotic types of foods.
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Page last updated on April 27, 1999
Curator: Steven Massie
GREAT GATSBY HOME