Thomas Jefferson Was Obsessed With Macaroni | Short Histories
This is part of a series I'm making where I describe something to do with history in five minutes or less.
In 1787, Thomas Jefferson went on a tour through France and Italy. While in Naples, Jefferson got to try macaroni and fell in love with the dish. Whilst there, Jefferson drew a diagram of a macaroni machine and wrote instructions for making the dish.
On February 11, 1789, Jefferson received a letter from his friend William Short saying that Short “…procured at Naples according to your request the mould for making maccaroni” and described the machinery and noodles used to make macaroni in Naples.
Jefferson’s macaroni mold was most likely sent to his home in Philadelphia when the rest of his belongings from France were shipped there in 1790. The mold was mentioned in a packing list of items sent from Philadelphia to Monticello in 1793, so we know Jefferson had his mold by then.
Thomas Jefferson often hosted dinners where he served imported wines and foreign foods that were, at that time, uncommon and considered extravagant. These included ice cream, peach flambé, and macaroons. To serve his guests, he would use something called a “dumbwaiter.” These inventions were installed in the fireplace mantle in the dining room and worked by having a weight drop that would then rise a bottle of wine from the wine cellar below. There were revolving doors with shelves on them right outside the dining room. These shelves would be filled with food and spun around once ready, revealing to guests their exquisite meals. Jefferson, of course, made sure to serve macaroni in at least one of these incredible dinners. Reverend Manasseh Cutler wrote about this meal and said that he did not find the macaroni agreeable.
Jefferson also ordered 2 boxes of macaroni that were 25 pounds each on November 29, 1809. That’s 50 pounds of macaroni! He must have went through those boxes fast, because on December 30 of the same year he bought another 20 pounds.
Clearly, our Founding Father loved his mac and cheese!
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Sources:
Life, Journals and Correspondence of Rev. Manasseh Cutler, L.L.D. by William Parker Cutler
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Dumbwaiters: [ Ссылка ]
