How Hippie Food Changed the Way We Eat

This is a Food Lit program, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

Who started the organic food craze that now is a cornerstone of popular American eating? Who is responsible for getting whole food staples such as sprouts, tofu, yogurt, brown rice, and whole grain bread onto every grocery and home shelf? It’s more than a corporate marketing effort, and although it’s a way of life for many, it wasn’t always like this. Food journalist (and former line cook) Jonathan Kauffman digs deep into funky food history in his new book, Hippie Food, shedding light on the cultural revolutionaries who shaped a more idealistic and communal way of life and food in the United States. 

Food is deeply woven into our cultural history. Join Kauffman as he shares a chapter from hippie food history, including stories about cults, the Summer of Love, and a coast-to-coast journey of culture and cuisine.

Before the program, enjoy juices and plant-based snacks from in-kind sponsor Urban Remedy.

Speakers
Image - Kauffman

Jonathan Kauffman

Author, Hippie Food (forthcoming); Food and Culture Reporter, San Francisco Chronicle

Image - Edgar

Gordon Edgar

Author, Cheddar: A Journey to the Heart of America’s Most Iconic Cheese and Cheesemonger: A Life on the Wedge; Worker/Owner, Rainbow Grocery Cooperative—Moderator