Randy Chandler
George Washington, the first President of the United States, is known for his love of cherries and cherry trees, although this is largely considered to be a myth. Washington was also fond of fish, fresh fruit, and nuts. He is also believed to have enjoyed hoecakes, a type of cornmeal pancake, with butter and honey. While there is no specific mention of cheese in his favourite foods, Washington's eating habits were relatively simple and he was not a gourmet, so it is possible that he consumed cheese as part of his meals.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Favorite food | Hoecakes with butter and honey |
| Favorite fruit | Cherries |
| Other favorite foods | Roast beef, fish, tarts, mashed sweet potatoes, fresh fruit, and melons |
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What You'll Learn
- George Washington's favourite food was hoecakes swimming in butter and honey
- He also enjoyed cherries, despite the famous story of him chopping down a cherry tree being false
- Washington had a sweet tooth, with desserts such as tarts, walnut pie and custard featuring on the menu
- He also enjoyed fresh fruit, especially melons
- Washington's home, Mount Vernon, was self-sufficient and he ate what was available, including meat and fish
George Washington's favourite food was hoecakes swimming in butter and honey
George Washington was the first President of the United States, and like many of his successors, he enjoyed a varied diet. While he was known to enjoy cherries, roast beef, fish, tarts, and other desserts, his favourite food was hoecakes swimming in butter and honey.
Hoecakes are a type of pancake made from cornbread. They are described as "cornbread with bones" and are not sweet. The basic idea is a flat cake made from cornmeal mush, and recipes for hoecakes vary across the country. They are a distinctly American dish, originating with Native Americans and subsequently used by enslaved people and European settlers.
Washington enjoyed his hoecakes for breakfast, and they were often served with a mug of hot tea. Hoecakes were a staple for many poor and middle-class Americans and were especially associated with the enslaved community. They were also a prominent regional dish of Virginia.
While George Washington's cherry tree story has been debunked, he did love cherries and was fond of planting cherry trees all over Mount Vernon. He was also known to enjoy mashed sweet potatoes, nuts, fish, and Madeira wine.
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He also enjoyed cherries, despite the famous story of him chopping down a cherry tree being false
George Washington was a man surrounded by many myths. One of the most famous stories about him is that he chopped down his father's favourite cherry tree as a boy. The tale first appeared in the fifth edition of Mason Locke Weems's biography, "The Life of Washington", published in 1806. In the story, Washington, at six years old, receives a hatchet as a gift and uses it to cut down the cherry tree. When his father asks him about it, Washington bravely admits his mistake, and his father forgives him, valuing his honesty over the tree.
However, this story has been debunked by historians and officials from Washington's childhood home and Mount Vernon as a nationalistic myth. Washington's father had actually died when George was 11, so the story of a warm and loving father-son relationship in the tale is not true. Weems claimed he heard the story from an anonymous elderly woman who was friends with the family, but this is an unreliable source.
Despite the false story of Washington chopping down a cherry tree, he did enjoy cherries. He was known to plant cherry trees all over Mount Vernon, and he would never refuse a slice of pie, although some historians suggest that a walnut pie might be more accurate. Washington also enjoyed a variety of other foods, including fresh fruit like melons, roast beef, fish, tarts, and desserts. His favourite food was a dish called hoecakes, which he ate for breakfast, soaked in butter and honey and accompanied by a mug of hot tea.
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Washington had a sweet tooth, with desserts such as tarts, walnut pie and custard featuring on the menu
George Washington was known to have a sweet tooth, with desserts such as tarts, pies and custards featuring on the menu. The former president was particularly fond of cherries, and would never say no to a slice of pie. In fact, Washington loved cherries so much that he planted cherry trees all over Mount Vernon, despite the famous story of him chopping down a cherry tree as a child being debunked as a myth.
Some historians even suggest that walnut pie was one of his favourite treats, and he was known to enjoy a variety of nuts, including hazelnuts, walnuts and hickory nuts. Washington also enjoyed a breakfast of hoecakes, or cornbread, soaked in butter and honey, and washed down with a mug of hot tea.
Mashed sweet potatoes were a typical side dish in the Washington household, and the president was also known to enjoy fresh fruit, particularly melon. Pickled fruits and vegetables were also a staple on the Washingtons' table, and they undoubtedly had pickled watermelon rind, given the prevalence of melon on the menu.
Custard was also a popular dessert, and Washington would have enjoyed trifle, which features creamy, homemade custard, at holiday dinners.
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He also enjoyed fresh fruit, especially melons
George Washington was a man of refined taste, and his culinary preferences included a variety of dishes that reflected the flavours and ingredients of his time. Among his favourite foods, one particular category that he enjoyed was fresh fruit, especially melons.
The Washingtons paid close attention to the food they served, and fresh fruit was always a staple on their table. They seemed to have a particular affinity for melons, which were a common feature on their menu. While we may never know the specifics of how President Washington enjoyed his watermelon, it is safe to assume that he relished the sweet and refreshing taste of this summer fruit.
In addition to melons, Washington also had a soft spot for cherries. Although the famous story of him chopping down his father's cherry tree is a myth, he was known to be fond of the fruit. He even planted cherry trees all over his estate in Mount Vernon. This love for cherries extended to his culinary choices, as he enjoyed a slice of pie, with some historians suggesting that walnut pie may have been a particular favourite.
Another fruit that Washington appreciated was the pawpaw, a nutritious and delicious fruit with a custardy texture and a flavour similar to mango, melon, banana, or pineapple. In his diary entry from 1785, Washington noted that he had planted "all my papaw." This fruit was also significant to early Americans, including the Powhatan Indians, who consumed it long before the arrival of English settlers.
The Washingtons' love for fresh fruit extended beyond just cherries and melons. They also enjoyed a variety of other fruits, including pickled fruits, which were a common side dish. Given the abundance of melon, they likely also enjoyed pickled watermelon rind, a tasty way to preserve the fruit and prevent waste.
So, while George Washington's taste for cheese remains a mystery, his appreciation for fresh fruit, especially melons, is evident. Whether it was a juicy slice of watermelon or a sweet cherry pie, Washington understood the importance of incorporating delicious and nutritious fruits into his meals.
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Washington's home, Mount Vernon, was self-sufficient and he ate what was available, including meat and fish
George Washington was a man of simple tastes, and his home, Mount Vernon, was self-sufficient. He ate what was available, including meat and fish. Washington was a big fan of fish and ate it nearly every day, sometimes even for breakfast. He also enjoyed roast beef, tarts, and other desserts. The many visitors to Mount Vernon knew that George and his wife, Martha, would host wonderful meals. Martha Washington was known for her cooking, and she often served her famous hoecakes—pancake-like cornbread soaked in butter and honey—to guests.
The Washingtons' meals were served at a long table, with Washington seated halfway down, and Martha on the other side. Waiters served food out of "alabaster figures," and "a small roll of bread, enclosed in a napkin, was laid by the side of each plate." Washington's preference for simple food was well known. He didn't believe in spending large amounts of money on food and often said, "That is too good for me" when a dish was very rich. Despite his preference for simplicity, as many as 20 dishes were sometimes served in a single course when he entertained guests.
Senator William Maclay described one such dinner: the first course was soup, followed by fish (both roasted and boiled), meats, gammon, and fowls. The dessert course included apple pies, pudding, iced creams, jellies, water-melons, musk-melons, apples, peaches, and nuts. The Washingtons loved fresh fruit and always seemed to have melons on the menu. They also enjoyed pickled fruits and vegetables, and since melon was so common, they undoubtedly had pickled watermelon rind often.
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Frequently asked questions
While there is no evidence that George Washington liked cheese, he did have a sweet tooth and enjoyed hoecakes swimming in butter and honey.
Hoecakes are cornmeal pancakes.
George Washington enjoyed a wide variety of foods, including roast beef, fish, tarts, and other desserts. He also liked fresh fruit, especially cherries, and planted cherry trees all over Mount Vernon.
There is no indication that George Washington had any food allergies or dietary restrictions. He is said to have had a rigorous teeth-cleaning routine, including a tongue scraper, likely due to his sweet tooth.
