During the Second World War, famine, rationing, starvation, and food insecurity were rampant across the globe, even in the supplies of armies. In contrast, American food largesse crossed the globes, supplying its own armies, its allies, and its captured enemies with unimaginable quantities of food. This will be an examination of the logistical demands and industrial innovations of the American food industrial complex during the Second World War through three questions: what were the food requirements of the front line soldiers receiving this food across the globe, what was manufactured to meet these requirements, and how was this manufacture organized, distributed, and streamlined?

In this class, we will learn the method and importance of some of the basic food science underpinning some of your favorite candies and baking in general. We won’t just talk, but also learn to do in the kitchen. Finally, we will apply these to recreate some of your favorite candies, which we will of course sample, both on their own and compared to the real thing. If you are interested in food science, baking, or just eating candy, this class is for you.