Comments on: Rock The Vote: Favorite Fake Culinary Icons

By: Jen Montgomery

Jen Montgomery — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 04:46:52 +0000

There is a great little coffee table book called Meet Mr. Product with an array of product mascots–some well known, others less so. Many of them are food mascots.

http://blog.oup.com/2007/05/food_icon

By: Ash Huzenlaub

Ash Huzenlaub — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 17:00:10 +0000

Here is additional background on Uncle Ben’s:

http://huzenlaubunclebens.blogspot.com/

By: Mother Tongue Annoyances » Quintessence

Mother Tongue Annoyances » Quintessence — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 00:37:21 +0000

[...] Who do you think is the quintessential culinary icon that never lived? [reference] [...]

By: Brian Clayton

Brian Clayton — Wed, 16 May 2007 09:43:28 +0000

Out of these four, Aunt Jemima gets my vote.
Buuuut, Little Debbie is the queen! Even if she was based on a real person…

By: Andy Smith

Andy Smith — Mon, 14 May 2007 20:45:48 +0000

Laura and many culinary professionals don’t like Rachael Ray.

I’ve always wondered why. She makes no pretense to culinary knowledge and she doesn’t think she’s the greatest gift to the culinary world (unlike a number of other television personalities). She is perky and a good entertainer. Moreover, she has a good business sense and she’s made millions. I’d tip my chef’s hat to her, if I had one.

By: Laura

Laura — Mon, 14 May 2007 19:57:35 +0000

How ’bout LEAST favorite FAKE food icon?
I vote for Rachael Ray, nobody’s more fake and talentless than the queen of over exposed.

By: Storm

Storm — Sun, 13 May 2007 16:38:50 +0000

Ahhh Aunt Jemima… just look at her. So happy in her work. So loving and full of life. She is the one who’s cooking I’d most like to try.

By: Andy Smith

Andy Smith — Sat, 12 May 2007 09:50:26 +0000

Frank Besner mentioned Chef Boyardee, also one of my childhood favorites. However, unlike Betty Crocker, Aunt Jemima, and the Quaker Oats Man, Chef Boyardee was a real person. The Italian immigrant Hector Boiardi (1897-1985) was a chef in New York’s Plaza Hotel before he moved to Cleveland, where he first canned his spaghetti (as far as I know he was the first to can spaghetti, but if anyone has information to the contrary, please let me know…).

Frank also mentioned the Kool-Aid jug face– and I like that too. For better and worse, it was converted into the smiley face that appears everywhere today, so unlike the other culinary icons, it graduated from a commercial symbol into a broader cultural icon.

By: T Bone

T Bone — Sat, 12 May 2007 02:59:54 +0000

Chef Boyardee was a real person.
He changed his name from Boiardi.
He also pioneered uniformity in the canning process.

By: toby

toby — Fri, 11 May 2007 20:15:55 +0000

Apple pie is the answer to the first question.

The Ty-D-Bol Man – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPPBnciNAqI

By: Frank S. Besner

Frank S. Besner — Fri, 11 May 2007 18:24:34 +0000

Man… what about Chef Boyardee?
I probably wouldn’t have survived to adulthood hadn’t it been for the Chef. Remember those single serving plastic tubs that you were supposed to nuke? Those were great! especially the mini-ravioli. My vote goes to the Chef.

Notable mention: The Kool Aid Jug

By: Ph00ey

Ph00ey — Fri, 11 May 2007 12:45:03 +0000

The Quaker Oats Man
“In 1891, seven oatmeal millers combined to create the American Cereal Company. One of those seven was Quaker Mill of Ravenna, Ohio, which had trademarked the image of the Quaker man some 14 years earlier. In 1901 the American Cereal Company officially changed its name to Quaker Oats and retained the Quaker man as its logo.

The American Cereal Company originated the idea of marketing a cereal brand directly to the consumer, packaging its Quaker Oats in a box with a guarantee of purity and cleanliness. The “Quaker Man” became the first cereal mascot in a national campaign.

Quaker Oats Company is now the largest oat milling firm in the world, based in Chicago; now a multinational conglomerate in a wide array of food products. ”

http://www.scripophily.net/amceconewje1.html

By: Avital

Avital — Fri, 11 May 2007 00:29:50 +0000

Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben are racist icons, coming from stereotypes that were used to justify slavery. It doesn’t matter if you give Uncle Ben a promotion, he’s still “Uncle” Ben, from when that was the most respectful title given to black people (of course they were never deserving of a Mr. or Mrs.!) This is not something that we should be celebrating. It is however, part of the American legacy of bigotry and hatred- let’s not forget that.

I’ll be voting for Betty Crocker, who is just as whitebread as her cakes.

By: john

john — Fri, 11 May 2007 00:29:33 +0000

Gorton’s Fisherman – The nautical mascot for the Gorton’s seafood company based in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Their company slogan reads: “Trust the Gorton’s Fisherman.” Since the 1990s, actor Denny Miller has portrayed the Gorton’s Fisherman in a series of print and TV advertisement. The Fisherman always wears a traditional yellow rain slicker complete with hat and galoshes. Gorton’s actually changed the Fisherman’s appearance on their product logo to resemble Denny Miller (as mentioned in his 2004 autobiography Didn’t You Used To Be What’s His Name?).

The origins of the Gorton’s company trace back to Slade Gorton (born 1832) who worked for Annisquam Cotton mill. However, when his place of employment burned down on December 9, 1883, Gorton turned to fishing for salt Cod and Mackerel as a past time. However, at one point, his second wife, Margaret Ann announced. “You have been without work long enough. Now we are in the fish business.”

By: Kristen

Kristen — Thu, 10 May 2007 21:34:49 +0000

Definitely the Little Debbie girl.

By: Darlene

Darlene — Thu, 10 May 2007 21:31:03 +0000

My mother never used prepackaged food items, but I longed for Aunt Jemima’s pancake mix. When I finally got the chance to buy it, I knew they weren’t as good as Mom’s. Although I also cook from scratch, I always keep a box of the Jemima mix in the cupboard. Her comforting face on the box is always welcome in my kitchen. It is also very easy to make just two pancakes at a time, as I live alone.

By: Erik

Erik — Thu, 10 May 2007 18:07:51 +0000

Aunt Jemima Forever!!! Bring me those lady shaped bottles!

By: PZR

PZR — Thu, 10 May 2007 17:54:46 +0000

It’s all about the food. And that means Aunt Jemima wins. She makes pancakes and syrup, for goodness’ sake!

Sure, Betty Crocker makes a lot of desserts but she’s always looked kind of pinched, like a person who skimps on the sugar and uses butter substitute.

Aunt Jemima, definitely.

By: michael

michael — Thu, 10 May 2007 17:39:03 +0000

AUNT JEMIMA. I think everyone here knows that a good patriot always eats her flapjacks.

By: Neatorama » Blog Archive » America’s Favorite Fictional Culinary Icon.

Thu, 10 May 2007 17:15:37 +0000

[...] Link – Thanks Kate Klenfner! [...]

By: American Food Personalities : OUPblog

American Food Personalities : OUPblog — Thu, 10 May 2007 11:06:30 +0000

[...] in Food and Drink , A-Featured , American History , Leisure on May 10, 2007 | Share This Last week we asked you to comment on the quintessential culinary icon that never lived. This week, Andrew [...]

By: Tom

Tom — Tue, 08 May 2007 11:48:02 +0000

Since the hamburger is as American as apple pie, I’m afraid I have to go with Ronald McDonald. Why am I afraid? I loathe McDonald’s and everything it stands for. If we could keep the category strictly to products and eliminate services, I’d move to nominate the Quaker Oats guy but probably still vote for Betty Crocker.

By: Chris

Chris — Mon, 07 May 2007 21:20:29 +0000

Andrew, thanks for this fun post. I hear you’ll be posting here all month.

I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on the reference books a food writer who’s just getting started should have. Joy of Cooking and Bittman’s How to Cook Everything are great for recipe development. What about for background and history? I just bought
American Food Writing: An Anthology: With Classic Recipes. I heard the Barrons guide as well as your books are helpful as well.

Very interested to hear what you suggest, keeping budgets and shelf space in mind!

Best wishes.

By: Andrew Smith

Andrew Smith — Mon, 07 May 2007 20:26:51 +0000

Andrea mentioned the Quaker Oat man– of course, the image had nothing directly to do with Quakers. Those who created Quaker Oats Company were not Quakers –they just thought Americans would be impressed with the image of Quaker man.

From an historical standpoint, the Quaker Oats man was/is extremely important in culinary history for it was the first trademarked food product in America.

By: Culinary Fool

Culinary Fool — Fri, 04 May 2007 17:53:39 +0000

Interesting question. While Ronald McDonald may be the most recognizable icon – especially internationally – I would hate to believe the he is the epitome of American culture.

The other three are all interesting and I love that they represent different slices of American life and history. I have to give Betty my vote, though, as she represents a broader view of the American culinary scene.