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Heartland Foodways
Baking Powder Wars: The Cutthroat Food Fight that Revolutionized Cooking
First patented in 1856, baking powder sparked a classic American struggle for business supremacy. For nearly a century, brands battled to win loyal consumers for the new leavening miracle, transforming American commerce and advertising even as they touched off a chemical revolution in the world's kitchens. Linda Civitello chronicles the titanic struggle that reshaped America's diet and rewrote its recipes. Presidents and robber barons, bare-knuckle litigation and bold-faced bribery, competing formulas and ruthless pricing--Civitello shows how hundreds of companies sought market control, focusing on the big four of Rumford, Calumet, Clabber Girl, and the once-popular brand Royal. She also tells the war's untold stories, from Royal's claims that its competitors sold poison, to the Ku Klux Klan's campaign against Clabber Girl and its German Catholic owners. Exhaustively researched and rich with detail, Baking Powder Wars is the forgotten story of how a dawning industry raised Cain--and cakes, cookies, muffins, pancakes, donuts, and biscuits.
274 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 15, 2017
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733 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
April 23, 2017
As I've found out recently (re: The Radium Girls), non-fiction can be written with as much passion as any fictional story. But this one... wasn't. So I'm giving it a short review - 2.5 stars. Pros/cons:
+ There was a lot of interesting history facts that were completely new to me (how bread was made at home, how breakmaking shifted from the household to the factory, what baking powders are made from, even!)
+ I was introduced to some very interesting old recipes, and how baking was even understood at that time. I'm a sucker for detail like that!
+ Loaaaads of mouth watering due to reading about cookies, breads, cakes and other wonders of the world.
However...
- The voice is just so boring. At times I felt like I was back in my school desk, reading my homework.
- The part about social history or recipes is absolutely fine, but there was also a lot of corporate or even court history. No thanks. Super yawn.
- There was a general lack of direction of what they're telling..? Why does the book end with race cars? I don't care that it was the same company that made baking powder big. I don't care about race cars when I'm reading about cookies, man :D
Ultimately, I can compare this book with wading in deep mud looking for lost pirate doubloons. When you find them, it's all pretty great, but you don't find them often enough, and the mud does slow you down quite a bit. I definitely found quite a few nuggets. But wading through that mud was pretty dull.
+ There was a lot of interesting history facts that were completely new to me (how bread was made at home, how breakmaking shifted from the household to the factory, what baking powders are made from, even!)
+ I was introduced to some very interesting old recipes, and how baking was even understood at that time. I'm a sucker for detail like that!
+ Loaaaads of mouth watering due to reading about cookies, breads, cakes and other wonders of the world.
However...
- The voice is just so boring. At times I felt like I was back in my school desk, reading my homework.
- The part about social history or recipes is absolutely fine, but there was also a lot of corporate or even court history. No thanks. Super yawn.
- There was a general lack of direction of what they're telling..? Why does the book end with race cars? I don't care that it was the same company that made baking powder big. I don't care about race cars when I'm reading about cookies, man :D
Ultimately, I can compare this book with wading in deep mud looking for lost pirate doubloons. When you find them, it's all pretty great, but you don't find them often enough, and the mud does slow you down quite a bit. I definitely found quite a few nuggets. But wading through that mud was pretty dull.
April 13, 2017
Fantasy Review Barn
A bit out of place on this humble blog as unless I missed something there were no dragons involved in this non-fiction book about the history of baking powder. Nor did any of the major companies involved prone to hiring any type of magical assistance. So feel free to skip this review if the riveting battle between companies trying to sell flavorless white powder does nothing for you.
The Baking Powder War caught my eye because I am fascinated by the history of marketing and the blurb promised plenty of this. I was not disappointed on this front but I also got so much more than I expected. This was not a minor marketing battle between rival companies; the 'war' statement in the title of the book was in no way hyperbole. It can also not be overstated just how important the creation and distribution of this product was both in its time and leading up to today.
For those that don't cook baking powder is a product that leavens bread. Almost any bread product bought today (outside of artisan loafs) as well as most cakes, cookies, etc contain this product. If you put it in an oven and it gets bigger, or if it is soft and fluffy, you know it has baking powder. If it can be cooked in less than an hour the same statement holds true.
Starting with the introduction of bread making in colonial America the author takes her time showing just how important bread making was in the time period; setting up just how revolutionary this simple product ended up being. From there the focus slowly shifts down two paths; how the product was changing society and what four major companies were doing to ensure they profited the most off it. Both of these aspects were fascinating.
On the societal change front it is almost shocking how much impact this simple product has. Bread making went from something that went on all day (and took constant prep to ensure the baker had yeast at hand as a dried version is years away still) to something that could be done on more of a whim. This leavening was so important that the first patent issued in America dealt with a baking powder predecessor. Many diverse aspects were looked into, often briefly. The rise of the tin industry (baking pans were suddenly needed for breads that didn't stay self contained), the start of chemical additives to food (baking powder is convenient but it adds neither flavor nor nutritional value) and eventually the rise of chain grocers.
But the majority of the book focused on the cut throat war the various companies engaged in during a time with less ease of consumer information. Wholesale bribery of state legislature type of warfare; these companies were robber barons every bit as crafty as any steel tycoon. Early marketing was as horrifying as it is fascinating; one ad basically told women that a can of baking powder saved so much time it was like owning a slave!
I don't review non-fiction much and this certainly isn't an academic journal. Unlike fiction reviews I don't see any need to discuss pacing or narrative style. I found The Baking Powder War to be easy to read and completely fascinating. I was expecting more on marketing and was slightly disappointed that it only came up sporadically but I got so much more than I realized from this book.
Recommended for those interesting in marketing, American history, and the quality of their food.
4 Stars
A bit out of place on this humble blog as unless I missed something there were no dragons involved in this non-fiction book about the history of baking powder. Nor did any of the major companies involved prone to hiring any type of magical assistance. So feel free to skip this review if the riveting battle between companies trying to sell flavorless white powder does nothing for you.
The Baking Powder War caught my eye because I am fascinated by the history of marketing and the blurb promised plenty of this. I was not disappointed on this front but I also got so much more than I expected. This was not a minor marketing battle between rival companies; the 'war' statement in the title of the book was in no way hyperbole. It can also not be overstated just how important the creation and distribution of this product was both in its time and leading up to today.
For those that don't cook baking powder is a product that leavens bread. Almost any bread product bought today (outside of artisan loafs) as well as most cakes, cookies, etc contain this product. If you put it in an oven and it gets bigger, or if it is soft and fluffy, you know it has baking powder. If it can be cooked in less than an hour the same statement holds true.
Starting with the introduction of bread making in colonial America the author takes her time showing just how important bread making was in the time period; setting up just how revolutionary this simple product ended up being. From there the focus slowly shifts down two paths; how the product was changing society and what four major companies were doing to ensure they profited the most off it. Both of these aspects were fascinating.
On the societal change front it is almost shocking how much impact this simple product has. Bread making went from something that went on all day (and took constant prep to ensure the baker had yeast at hand as a dried version is years away still) to something that could be done on more of a whim. This leavening was so important that the first patent issued in America dealt with a baking powder predecessor. Many diverse aspects were looked into, often briefly. The rise of the tin industry (baking pans were suddenly needed for breads that didn't stay self contained), the start of chemical additives to food (baking powder is convenient but it adds neither flavor nor nutritional value) and eventually the rise of chain grocers.
But the majority of the book focused on the cut throat war the various companies engaged in during a time with less ease of consumer information. Wholesale bribery of state legislature type of warfare; these companies were robber barons every bit as crafty as any steel tycoon. Early marketing was as horrifying as it is fascinating; one ad basically told women that a can of baking powder saved so much time it was like owning a slave!
I don't review non-fiction much and this certainly isn't an academic journal. Unlike fiction reviews I don't see any need to discuss pacing or narrative style. I found The Baking Powder War to be easy to read and completely fascinating. I was expecting more on marketing and was slightly disappointed that it only came up sporadically but I got so much more than I realized from this book.
Recommended for those interesting in marketing, American history, and the quality of their food.
4 Stars
April 25, 2017
I received an early copy of this book via Netgalley.
I have a deep interest in 19th century history. It provides the background for several of my novels. I'm also a food blogger and all-around foodie. I am endlessly fascinated by the role of food in book world-building and in our own history.
Therefore Baking Powder Wars is perfect for me. At times, it's confusing because of the sheer number of names, but it never ceases to be interesting. The book begins with a discussion of leavening ingredients over time, starting with yeast and pearlash, and the development of different types of baking powder over the 19th century. The companies truly did wage a nasty political and commercial war for dominance, and two companies ultimately emerged victorious: Clabber Girl and Calumet. That's no spoiler, as I bet most folks have one or the other in their cabinet. (I was raised with Clabber Girl.)
What really interested me, though, were the cultural ramifications of baking powder. It obviously freed women from the kitchen and the hours and days it might take to create yeast bread, but baking powder also became integrated in different cultures and regions of the United States, and gradually changed traditional recipes to become baking powder recipes. Southern-style biscuits are a prime example of this. As baking powder became a symbol of modernity and civilization, it also played a part in controlling Native Americans on reservations (baking powder and flour were allotted to them, and became part of the reservation food Indian fry bread, which didn't exist before then) and perpetuating racist stereotypes of blacks through the 1930s and onward.
If you have any interest in food and history, seek out this book. I'll never look at my baking powder the same way again.
I have a deep interest in 19th century history. It provides the background for several of my novels. I'm also a food blogger and all-around foodie. I am endlessly fascinated by the role of food in book world-building and in our own history.
Therefore Baking Powder Wars is perfect for me. At times, it's confusing because of the sheer number of names, but it never ceases to be interesting. The book begins with a discussion of leavening ingredients over time, starting with yeast and pearlash, and the development of different types of baking powder over the 19th century. The companies truly did wage a nasty political and commercial war for dominance, and two companies ultimately emerged victorious: Clabber Girl and Calumet. That's no spoiler, as I bet most folks have one or the other in their cabinet. (I was raised with Clabber Girl.)
What really interested me, though, were the cultural ramifications of baking powder. It obviously freed women from the kitchen and the hours and days it might take to create yeast bread, but baking powder also became integrated in different cultures and regions of the United States, and gradually changed traditional recipes to become baking powder recipes. Southern-style biscuits are a prime example of this. As baking powder became a symbol of modernity and civilization, it also played a part in controlling Native Americans on reservations (baking powder and flour were allotted to them, and became part of the reservation food Indian fry bread, which didn't exist before then) and perpetuating racist stereotypes of blacks through the 1930s and onward.
If you have any interest in food and history, seek out this book. I'll never look at my baking powder the same way again.
April 3, 2017
I think that Linda Civitello must have dreams about biscuits and baking powder. Wow. What an incredible amount of research she has done for this book.
Baking Powder Wars was published by the University of Illinois Press. In my experience, books published by a university press can be a bit dry and more academic than a casual reader is looking for. This book starts out that way, as the first few chapters set up the cooking rituals of pre-baking-powder America, its not inaccessible but it's pretty research-dense. However, stick with it. Its important to set the scene for the leavening options before the baking powder to set the scene for war war! war!! My jaw dropped at one point as I read, mouth agape, about the drastic measures some of the baking powder companies took to try and dominate the market. Or should I say, "flatten" their competition? (No, I shouldn't say that. Too easy.)
The research is impressive and the tactics described are astounding. I had no idea baking powder was such big business. The more I read, the more I enjoyed it, and I appreciate the amount of information the author shares about the families that were behind many of the big companies at war with one another in the 19th & 20th century. They started off small and built an empire that went beyond the single product.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy for review.
Baking Powder Wars was published by the University of Illinois Press. In my experience, books published by a university press can be a bit dry and more academic than a casual reader is looking for. This book starts out that way, as the first few chapters set up the cooking rituals of pre-baking-powder America, its not inaccessible but it's pretty research-dense. However, stick with it. Its important to set the scene for the leavening options before the baking powder to set the scene for war war! war!! My jaw dropped at one point as I read, mouth agape, about the drastic measures some of the baking powder companies took to try and dominate the market. Or should I say, "flatten" their competition? (No, I shouldn't say that. Too easy.)
The research is impressive and the tactics described are astounding. I had no idea baking powder was such big business. The more I read, the more I enjoyed it, and I appreciate the amount of information the author shares about the families that were behind many of the big companies at war with one another in the 19th & 20th century. They started off small and built an empire that went beyond the single product.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy for review.
May 6, 2024
History is served in many flavors, and this book combines each imaginable flavor into one delicious read. Civitello’s book is just conversational enough that you can imagine being fed the history of baking powder from the countertop of a friend’s kitchen over your favorite pastries. After reading this book, you will feel that a light has been turned on; the ill-kept secrets of how the foodstuffs in our pantries came to be, how corporations grew into the entities they are today, and how American womanhood has evolved are brought to light with the pages of this text. You will see the world differently and wonder about the history of each thing you eat. Jam-packed with historic recipes and advertisements, this book is something you can sink your teeth into, guilt-free.
June 16, 2017
GNab I received a free electronic copy of his history from Netgalley, Linda Civitello, and University of Illinois Press in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all, for sharing your hard work with me.
I am old, and I have always dearly loved to cook. I am so old that I remember when every country road we traveled had Clabber Girl ads painted on old barns. One of my main complaints when I was a new cook in the late '50's and early '60's was the lack of any sort of consistency in recipes that included a leavening of any sort. As you cook, over the years, you make up your own rules, as did the ladies and gentlemen who wrote the receipt books quoted in this fine history of baking powder and cutthroat advertising. And thanks to the baking powder wars our quick breads, cookies, muffins and biscuits are dependably great every time we make them. But I knew all that when I picked up this book.
What I didn't know that would fill volumes is packed tightly into this very readable journey as Linda Civitello brings us through centuries of the evolution of cooking. Thank you for all the great effort obvious in this work, Ms. Civitello. I am full of facts and hungry for my lemon quick bread. And my Daddy's recipe for Bundt cake. And my daughter's Ranger cookies.
I am old, and I have always dearly loved to cook. I am so old that I remember when every country road we traveled had Clabber Girl ads painted on old barns. One of my main complaints when I was a new cook in the late '50's and early '60's was the lack of any sort of consistency in recipes that included a leavening of any sort. As you cook, over the years, you make up your own rules, as did the ladies and gentlemen who wrote the receipt books quoted in this fine history of baking powder and cutthroat advertising. And thanks to the baking powder wars our quick breads, cookies, muffins and biscuits are dependably great every time we make them. But I knew all that when I picked up this book.
What I didn't know that would fill volumes is packed tightly into this very readable journey as Linda Civitello brings us through centuries of the evolution of cooking. Thank you for all the great effort obvious in this work, Ms. Civitello. I am full of facts and hungry for my lemon quick bread. And my Daddy's recipe for Bundt cake. And my daughter's Ranger cookies.
March 7, 2017
Let me start by saying that I have been in the culinary world for many years now - as a culinary student, professional baker, owner of an Italian restaurant and catering business. So when I had an opportunity to read Baking Powder Wars: The Cutthroat Food Fight that Revolutionized Cooking by Linda Civitello, I jumped at it!
I know that baking powder may not be at the top of your reading list, and you are probably saying to yourself, "what could be so fascinating about baking powder?". Believe me, after reading this book you will definitely change your thoughts on that subject!
Linda Civitello takes us on an in-depth journey of how hundreds of companies fought for market control, mainly talking on the 4 main companies we all know - Rumford, Calumet, Clabber Girl, and Royal. From the Publisher: She also tells the war's untold stories, from Royal's claims that its competitors sold poison, to the Ku Klux Klan's campaign against Clabber Girl and its German Catholic owners.
Baking Powder Wars: The Cutthroat Food Fight that Revolutionized Cooking is a well-researched, entertaining, and a beautifully written book that any baker, food historian or anyone in the culinary industry should read!
I read this book from NetGalley for an honest review.
Publication Date: June 15, 2017
I know that baking powder may not be at the top of your reading list, and you are probably saying to yourself, "what could be so fascinating about baking powder?". Believe me, after reading this book you will definitely change your thoughts on that subject!
Linda Civitello takes us on an in-depth journey of how hundreds of companies fought for market control, mainly talking on the 4 main companies we all know - Rumford, Calumet, Clabber Girl, and Royal. From the Publisher: She also tells the war's untold stories, from Royal's claims that its competitors sold poison, to the Ku Klux Klan's campaign against Clabber Girl and its German Catholic owners.
Baking Powder Wars: The Cutthroat Food Fight that Revolutionized Cooking is a well-researched, entertaining, and a beautifully written book that any baker, food historian or anyone in the culinary industry should read!
I read this book from NetGalley for an honest review.
Publication Date: June 15, 2017
June 8, 2017
Much more general history than I'd have thought winds around the baking powder history. Entertainingly written with a wealth of well researched information.
It may have helped that I've baked for many years and so could empathize with bakers' struggles before baking powder. And I've also read lots of food history. But this is so well told that I think you don't have to be a baker to appreciate this book.
It may have helped that I've baked for many years and so could empathize with bakers' struggles before baking powder. And I've also read lots of food history. But this is so well told that I think you don't have to be a baker to appreciate this book.
June 28, 2021
(Note - I received an early copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley)
I had absolutely no idea what on earth to expect when I began "Baking Powder Wars." So to put it almost criminally lightly, I was surprised to learn that the history of leavening agents in the United States is a tale more fascinating than I ever could have possibly imagined, with everything from ferocious competition across the country, to marketing and advertising innovations that are widespread today, to episodes of full-out government corruption.
The extensive research and passion that Linda Civitello has poured into this book clearly shows - not since Mark Kurlansky's "Salt" have I read a micro-history so comprehensive and unexpectedly eye-opening. Anyone who picks up this fascinating work will be given quite a lot to think about, especially the next time they're at the grocery store.
I had absolutely no idea what on earth to expect when I began "Baking Powder Wars." So to put it almost criminally lightly, I was surprised to learn that the history of leavening agents in the United States is a tale more fascinating than I ever could have possibly imagined, with everything from ferocious competition across the country, to marketing and advertising innovations that are widespread today, to episodes of full-out government corruption.
The extensive research and passion that Linda Civitello has poured into this book clearly shows - not since Mark Kurlansky's "Salt" have I read a micro-history so comprehensive and unexpectedly eye-opening. Anyone who picks up this fascinating work will be given quite a lot to think about, especially the next time they're at the grocery store.
July 8, 2024
This is a super important work. It seems to be the first history of baking powder - a miraculous invention that has enabled so much of modernity. I’m grateful the author has brought this history forward. Everyone should know that a baking powder company had bought an entire state legislature in the late 1800s and that the anti-trust activities of the federal government even involved home goods like baking powder.
Unfortunately, though, this author struggled with the storytelling. There were lots of loose ends and material that should have been edited out. And there were really interesting data charts, but they had arbitrary start and end dates and would benefit from a more rigorous approach in future histories.
Unfortunately, though, this author struggled with the storytelling. There were lots of loose ends and material that should have been edited out. And there were really interesting data charts, but they had arbitrary start and end dates and would benefit from a more rigorous approach in future histories.
July 19, 2017
This book was fascinating! I had no idea how contested the baking powder market was so hotly contested and viciously fought over. This book was full of information and I know more about baking powder's history than I realized there was to know. It was interesting to see the rise and fall of the different companies and types of baking powder and how they fought for their share of the market.
January 25, 2018
Food-related microhistories are my jam. Loved the anecdote about abolitionist cookbooks.
May 3, 2017
I got this as an e-arc from Netgalley for an honest review. I enjoyed it...I mean, I freaking LOVE microhistories, but it did drag a bit in some places. If you like microhistories or food history, you need to pick it up though. Who knew the baking powder biz was so cutthroat?
May 7, 2017
If baking powder doesn't seem substantial enough to merit an entire book, that's only because its history and background have not been widely explored and remain generally unknown. Linda Civitello's carefully researched book has finally opened a window onto a fascinating subject and era in US history. The book is interdisciplinary in nature, shedding light on the science and chemistry behind baking powder, the international exchange of ideas and scientific knowledge that enabled the powder's development, the history of chemical leavening agents, politics and corruption, suspicion of foreigners (in this case, Germans), and insights into the role baking powder played in the economic history of the US, as well as marketing, feminism, and social issues.
I found especially interesting the book's exploration of how baking powder revolutionized women's lives, freeing them from the necessity of spending long hours kneading and baking bread for their families. The popularity of baking powder in the US also explains how baking styles here developed differently from European baking--US cooks relied much more extensively on a chemical leavening action, while more traditional European cooks relied on beating bubbles into the batter and using eggs as a leavening. This difference created new American baked goods such as cookies, quick biscuits, cobblers, and light fluffy cakes.
Baking Powder Wars provides fascinating insights into a unique American product--insights that will change the way you look at a marvelous invention that we have too long taken for granted.
I found especially interesting the book's exploration of how baking powder revolutionized women's lives, freeing them from the necessity of spending long hours kneading and baking bread for their families. The popularity of baking powder in the US also explains how baking styles here developed differently from European baking--US cooks relied much more extensively on a chemical leavening action, while more traditional European cooks relied on beating bubbles into the batter and using eggs as a leavening. This difference created new American baked goods such as cookies, quick biscuits, cobblers, and light fluffy cakes.
Baking Powder Wars provides fascinating insights into a unique American product--insights that will change the way you look at a marvelous invention that we have too long taken for granted.
April 20, 2017
“Baking Powder Wars” by Linda Civitello should be on the “must read” list of every foodie. I am not a “foodie” but since I know some, I was intrigued by the title. I had no idea that baking powder played such an important, even pivotal, role in what we eat, cook, and do.
This book is not about an obscure little business competition between baking powder companies; it outlines a nasty, cutthroat competition to dominate baking, commerce, and society, a full-fledged war that changed the social order. Who knew that baking powder influenced home-making, American food, cookbooks, cooking methods, advertising, recipes, trade unions, war rations, flavorings, trading cards, oh, and brought about CUPCAKES AND DONUTS?
A tremendous amount of quality research went into this book as shown in the extensive details. It was not the dry and tedious read one might expect from a “history book.” It was actually interesting and very easy to read; it was a “thriller” set in the food world. I ‘m still not a real foodie; I have not started photos online posting of food I am eating, but I have certainly gained a new appreciation for the lowly red can of baking powder stuck in the back of my cupboard.
When I received a copy of this book in exchange for my review, I did not expect much, but I was certainly wrong. I really enjoyed the trip through history, and certainly learned a lot about a product that changed more of civilization than I would have believed possible.
This book is not about an obscure little business competition between baking powder companies; it outlines a nasty, cutthroat competition to dominate baking, commerce, and society, a full-fledged war that changed the social order. Who knew that baking powder influenced home-making, American food, cookbooks, cooking methods, advertising, recipes, trade unions, war rations, flavorings, trading cards, oh, and brought about CUPCAKES AND DONUTS?
A tremendous amount of quality research went into this book as shown in the extensive details. It was not the dry and tedious read one might expect from a “history book.” It was actually interesting and very easy to read; it was a “thriller” set in the food world. I ‘m still not a real foodie; I have not started photos online posting of food I am eating, but I have certainly gained a new appreciation for the lowly red can of baking powder stuck in the back of my cupboard.
When I received a copy of this book in exchange for my review, I did not expect much, but I was certainly wrong. I really enjoyed the trip through history, and certainly learned a lot about a product that changed more of civilization than I would have believed possible.
December 28, 2017
Years ago, at a party, when a friend of a friend, as a comment on the ridiculous minutia of academia, related that a friend of that friend was writing a dissertation on the history of the bouillon cube, I said, "How can I get a copy?"
So you will not be surprised to hear that within the past year, I was flipping through a newly-acquired 1938 edition of the Rumford Baking Book and remembering that I also had Royal's 1920s Any one Can Bake, a 1917 Ryzon Baking Book, and a 1930s volume from Golden Rule Foods in my collection of branded cookbooks. "This was big business indeed, to have all put these out," I thought. "Someone," I mused to myself, "should write a book about the history of baking powder."
I may have shrieked with actual delight when I discovered Linda Civitello had.
Obviously I enjoyed this immensely.
I was surprised, given the pure-food competition between the alum and cream of tartar camps, that Civitello doesn't discuss later marketing of some powders as non-aluminum and GMO-free, but that's a very minor quibble.
So you will not be surprised to hear that within the past year, I was flipping through a newly-acquired 1938 edition of the Rumford Baking Book and remembering that I also had Royal's 1920s Any one Can Bake, a 1917 Ryzon Baking Book, and a 1930s volume from Golden Rule Foods in my collection of branded cookbooks. "This was big business indeed, to have all put these out," I thought. "Someone," I mused to myself, "should write a book about the history of baking powder."
I may have shrieked with actual delight when I discovered Linda Civitello had.
Obviously I enjoyed this immensely.
I was surprised, given the pure-food competition between the alum and cream of tartar camps, that Civitello doesn't discuss later marketing of some powders as non-aluminum and GMO-free, but that's a very minor quibble.
October 11, 2017
Before there baking powder was invented, there were no fluffy cakes, no cookies, no muffins, no biscuits, and no quick breads. Everything had to be leavened with yeast, and since there was no dried yeast available at the grocery store, the baker had to capture and store their own live yeast, as one does sour dough starter these days. It was a lot of work- building up a starter, kneading, and allowing bread two or three rises took a day and a half. There were yeast raised pancakes and biscuits, just like there are sour dough versions of those today, but they weren’t fast and no one baked something on the spur of the moment. Baking powder- even those made at home- changed all that. Now you could bake something in an hour- and the texture was totally different.
This book- which actually reads like a thesis and I do wonder if that was its first incarnation- shows the history of the various mixtures used as baking powder. It also shows us the war between the various large sellers of baking powder- it was surprisingly nasty. Today, with all the mixes on the shelves and all the pre-made baked goods available, one wouldn’t think there would be big money in simple baking powder, but there was.
The first baking powders were homemade, where the home baker combined various ingredients to create a leavener. Some formulations had to be done immediately before baking because moisture caused them to go off right away. Some formulations were double acting- they started giving off gas when mixed with moisture, and were triggered again by the heat of the oven (or the griddle, if making pancakes). Some had aluminum- something many of us cringe at today. Because there were several formulations, cookbooks had to include tables showing what changes had to be made for the different types and brands. All of this experimentation was made in people’s homes, not in labs.
This is a great social history book. Baking powder really did change the way we eat. It didn’t change bread, but it did make a whole new world of baked goods available. And one could make quick breads with it, even though those don’t make great sandwiches- the crumbly texture of baking powder breads makes them fall apart easily whereas yeast breads stay together because of the springy texture of gluten.
There was a lot about the wars between the companies manufacturing the various baking powders that I found myself skipping. The book is incredibly detailed; the author did a lot of research in original records, in both the economic field and the social. If you’re interested in how life was lived in the past, it’s a great book, albeit over long at times. Four stars out of five.
This book- which actually reads like a thesis and I do wonder if that was its first incarnation- shows the history of the various mixtures used as baking powder. It also shows us the war between the various large sellers of baking powder- it was surprisingly nasty. Today, with all the mixes on the shelves and all the pre-made baked goods available, one wouldn’t think there would be big money in simple baking powder, but there was.
The first baking powders were homemade, where the home baker combined various ingredients to create a leavener. Some formulations had to be done immediately before baking because moisture caused them to go off right away. Some formulations were double acting- they started giving off gas when mixed with moisture, and were triggered again by the heat of the oven (or the griddle, if making pancakes). Some had aluminum- something many of us cringe at today. Because there were several formulations, cookbooks had to include tables showing what changes had to be made for the different types and brands. All of this experimentation was made in people’s homes, not in labs.
This is a great social history book. Baking powder really did change the way we eat. It didn’t change bread, but it did make a whole new world of baked goods available. And one could make quick breads with it, even though those don’t make great sandwiches- the crumbly texture of baking powder breads makes them fall apart easily whereas yeast breads stay together because of the springy texture of gluten.
There was a lot about the wars between the companies manufacturing the various baking powders that I found myself skipping. The book is incredibly detailed; the author did a lot of research in original records, in both the economic field and the social. If you’re interested in how life was lived in the past, it’s a great book, albeit over long at times. Four stars out of five.
February 4, 2023
First sentence: Business is war. Cooking is chemistry. Food is political.
Premise/plot: At its simplest, Baking Powder Wars is just that a history of the evolution/revolution of baking powder. The book begins pre-baking-powder-era and tells the story of what once was, of how bread [and cakes, etc.] used to be made. It then goes step by step through its evolution/revolution. [If it sounds dramatic, well, it's for good reason. It's a story of industry, corporations, commercialization and advertising, espionage, bribery, politics...and plenty of homemaking and 'domestic arts.' It has some to do with the role of women inside the home, and the role of the home inside society. The author uses baking powder to tell the story of convenience, of our love affair with convenience--fast, easy, cheap, consistent. This book truly offers a little something to every reader. It's got recipes. It's got stories about cookbooks and the role they play in society. It's got tension--as companies (and families who own companies) BATTLE it out literally and figuratively for supremacy. You might think naturally this would involve advertising, media, and market space...but it includes actual politics and politicians. It's also a history of what we eat, where we eat, how we eat, etc. (Bread, quick bread, muffins, pancakes, doughnuts, cakes, cupcakes, etc.) What we eat has definitely evolved through the centuries. It isn't just a story of one product--but of many. (Think Bisquick, Martha White, cake-mixes, etc.)
My thoughts: Until the last little bit--second half of last chapter--this one was actually fairly absorbing. I found that while it covered many subjects and seemed to present facts and factoids almost at random, it was almost always interesting and entertaining. The last half of the last chapter brings readers "up to date" on the families who started the big baking powder companies. These "updates" had nothing to do with food, advertising, cooking, etc. Most of them had to do with RACING. And it was like WHY IS THIS IN HERE? DO I CARE ABOUT RACE CARS? NO, I DO NOT. But so much of this one was interesting to me.
This one admittedly won't be for every reader. But for those who have an interest in the subject--be it food, cooking, baking, domestic arts, advertising and marketing, business, history of cookbooks, history of supermarkets, history of society/culture "becoming" modern and industrialized...I think this one has a little bit of everything.
Premise/plot: At its simplest, Baking Powder Wars is just that a history of the evolution/revolution of baking powder. The book begins pre-baking-powder-era and tells the story of what once was, of how bread [and cakes, etc.] used to be made. It then goes step by step through its evolution/revolution. [If it sounds dramatic, well, it's for good reason. It's a story of industry, corporations, commercialization and advertising, espionage, bribery, politics...and plenty of homemaking and 'domestic arts.' It has some to do with the role of women inside the home, and the role of the home inside society. The author uses baking powder to tell the story of convenience, of our love affair with convenience--fast, easy, cheap, consistent. This book truly offers a little something to every reader. It's got recipes. It's got stories about cookbooks and the role they play in society. It's got tension--as companies (and families who own companies) BATTLE it out literally and figuratively for supremacy. You might think naturally this would involve advertising, media, and market space...but it includes actual politics and politicians. It's also a history of what we eat, where we eat, how we eat, etc. (Bread, quick bread, muffins, pancakes, doughnuts, cakes, cupcakes, etc.) What we eat has definitely evolved through the centuries. It isn't just a story of one product--but of many. (Think Bisquick, Martha White, cake-mixes, etc.)
My thoughts: Until the last little bit--second half of last chapter--this one was actually fairly absorbing. I found that while it covered many subjects and seemed to present facts and factoids almost at random, it was almost always interesting and entertaining. The last half of the last chapter brings readers "up to date" on the families who started the big baking powder companies. These "updates" had nothing to do with food, advertising, cooking, etc. Most of them had to do with RACING. And it was like WHY IS THIS IN HERE? DO I CARE ABOUT RACE CARS? NO, I DO NOT. But so much of this one was interesting to me.
This one admittedly won't be for every reader. But for those who have an interest in the subject--be it food, cooking, baking, domestic arts, advertising and marketing, business, history of cookbooks, history of supermarkets, history of society/culture "becoming" modern and industrialized...I think this one has a little bit of everything.
July 25, 2017
I admit to not knowing much about baking powder because I am not a big baker. I like to eat baked goods, but if I'm going to bake something, there's a good chance that a mix will be involved (not even a baking class helped). But, I like reading and eating so food history is something that I am interested in reading. The only thing is, I don't really find many books about this topic.
Baking Powder Wars fills a little gap in my huge chasm of ignorance about the history of food. Although it starts off as a history of baking and the troubles that women have traditionally had making bread and other baked goods, the bulk of the book focuses on the companies that made baking powder. Basically, baking powders were marketed as ways for women to successfully make bread and other things involving yeast with much less effort, and in an age where a women's abilities were (at least in part) measured by how well they baked, this must have been a lifesaver to them. But since it was so new, how could they figure out which brand to buy?
And this is how the marketing wars began. From what I understand, the big companies used different types of baking powder - phosphate and aluminium and they used every way they could to exploit the difference for their own gain.
To be honest, I found the marketing aspect a lot less interesting than the history of baking (whoops, not being a very good economics student here). I found the recipes and the snippets of how life was for women back then fascinating and if anyone knows a book that focuses on that aspect, please let me know!
I would recommend this to people who are interested in the history of brands and the (relatively) unknown history behind everyday products. If you're interested in marketing and brands trying to get favourable legislation passed, you'll love this, but even people who are just interested in the cooking will find something to like (mainly at the start of the book, but there are snippets everywhere).
Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.
This review was first posted at Inside the mind of a Bibliophile
Baking Powder Wars fills a little gap in my huge chasm of ignorance about the history of food. Although it starts off as a history of baking and the troubles that women have traditionally had making bread and other baked goods, the bulk of the book focuses on the companies that made baking powder. Basically, baking powders were marketed as ways for women to successfully make bread and other things involving yeast with much less effort, and in an age where a women's abilities were (at least in part) measured by how well they baked, this must have been a lifesaver to them. But since it was so new, how could they figure out which brand to buy?
And this is how the marketing wars began. From what I understand, the big companies used different types of baking powder - phosphate and aluminium and they used every way they could to exploit the difference for their own gain.
To be honest, I found the marketing aspect a lot less interesting than the history of baking (whoops, not being a very good economics student here). I found the recipes and the snippets of how life was for women back then fascinating and if anyone knows a book that focuses on that aspect, please let me know!
I would recommend this to people who are interested in the history of brands and the (relatively) unknown history behind everyday products. If you're interested in marketing and brands trying to get favourable legislation passed, you'll love this, but even people who are just interested in the cooking will find something to like (mainly at the start of the book, but there are snippets everywhere).
Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.
This review was first posted at Inside the mind of a Bibliophile
March 15, 2017
NetGalley ARC | This was interesting, but hampered by a clunky style and some poor presentation of good research. | The story being told here is definitely worth the time Civitello took to research and write about it. I had read about previously about Pure Food fights in Swindled: From Poison Sweets to Counterfeit Coffee—The Dark History of the Food Cheats, but this was focused on just baking powder, which is a draw all on its own. The further I read the more I enjoyed it, as the author seemed to settle into her voice as the book went on, but the beginning nearly lost me. The introduction felt like a clunky Master's thesis, continually using the "this document will show" style that is inappropriate for a mass-market book. It also seemed a bit unsure as to whether the purpose was a history of a product or a deeper look at American feminism as felt in the kitchen. Throughout the Introduction and Chapter 1, the transitions were abrupt, which made the book easy to put down, and then I came across a sloppily-presented fact. Civitello states that in "1840, New England women's literacy was at 100%". That particular number is always going to catch the eye. It seemed, frankly, unlikely. So I checked her citation, then found the book she got the fact from on Google books. It was a book written in 1977, and it stated, instead, that "virtually all" women in 1840 New England were literate, which is not the same as 100%. In turn, that book's citation for the fact, a 1974 book, used the phrase "almost all", again, not the same as 100%, and it turns out that the true literacy rate in New England in 1840 was between 91% and 97%. Look, I know this makes me sound like a pedant. I don't actually care what the literacy rate was in that area at that time, the point is that it's poor scholarship and it calls attention to itself with the unlikely number presented. That makes me less trusting of the author. Then I got to Chapter 2, where she stated that "in the nineteenth century...the United States didn't have a wine industry". Except that we did. The first commercial winery in California opened in 1857 after 3 centuries of monastic CA wine growing. Cream of tartar had been available in the US since before there was a US. That the baking powder executives of New England and the Midwest didn't think to source from the newly-settled and still wild and distant west coast is not the same as if the product did not exist.
These are very small complaints in an interesting story. The problem is that these are just the things that jumped out at me, which makes me wonder what else was presented without exact accuracy that I didn't recognize. That said, I am glad I read the book, and I came to the end pleased about the brand of baking powder I have in my cupboard, so I clearly was drawn in by the events.
These are very small complaints in an interesting story. The problem is that these are just the things that jumped out at me, which makes me wonder what else was presented without exact accuracy that I didn't recognize. That said, I am glad I read the book, and I came to the end pleased about the brand of baking powder I have in my cupboard, so I clearly was drawn in by the events.
February 26, 2022
Who would have thought that one could actually write a fairly interesting book about baking powder. I hadn't really thought much about the importance of baking powder in cooking however before the development of baking powder as a leavening agent one was reliant solely on yeast which was a much labor intensive leavening agent. Baking powder really resulted in the emancipation of women. What was interesting was that it was a North American invention only secondarily adopted by Europeans. The book provided some good back history on the development of baking in North America which helped pad the whole story out a little bit. Much of the book dealt with the whole competitive baking powder industry. Over the course of the nineteenth century, people went from making their own baking powder to buying store bought baking powder. The industry itself went from hundreds of producers down to only a few. Calumet and Clabber girl were the two main brands that I remember. One used sodium aluminum sulfate and the other used cream of tarter as one of the leavening agents. Profits from selling baking powder were enormous resulting in really cutthroat competition. The cream of tarter baking powders were marketed as healthy and unadultered while the aluminum sulphate baking powders were much cheaper. The marketers relied upon all sorts of unscrupulous marketing techniques and manipulation of governing bodies. If you are into baking and cooking you would probably enjoy some of the historical and scientific information provided by this book
December 5, 2019
Changing American Tastes
I was astonished at how long and how bitterly the baking powder companies fought each other. Bribery and spying also entered into the story.
Some surprises:
- Taste hardly entered into the picture.
- Convenience was the driving factor and price determined the winner(s).
- Many of our traditional recipes are of recent creation. The good-old-days required a tremendous amount of labor.
- With the time saving advantage of powder, tastes shifted to new products enabled by the speed of the powders.
PS: If you have an older cookbook you might need to cut the amount of baking powder in half. For example Joy Of Cooking cookbook written before the mid-1960’s did not make clear that the recipes assumed cream-of-tarter powder. Alum based products requires half as much powder.
“Second, the cookbooklet claimed that [cream-of-tartar] could be used “in the same amount called for” by other types of baking powder, but its recipes still used larger amounts. Other baking powders used one teaspoon of baking powder per one cup of flour, but this cookbook uses 4 teaspoons of baking power to 1 ¾ cups of flour.” (Page 171)
This book has been on my radar for a while & I’m glad that I bought and read it.
I was astonished at how long and how bitterly the baking powder companies fought each other. Bribery and spying also entered into the story.
Some surprises:
- Taste hardly entered into the picture.
- Convenience was the driving factor and price determined the winner(s).
- Many of our traditional recipes are of recent creation. The good-old-days required a tremendous amount of labor.
- With the time saving advantage of powder, tastes shifted to new products enabled by the speed of the powders.
PS: If you have an older cookbook you might need to cut the amount of baking powder in half. For example Joy Of Cooking cookbook written before the mid-1960’s did not make clear that the recipes assumed cream-of-tarter powder. Alum based products requires half as much powder.
“Second, the cookbooklet claimed that [cream-of-tartar] could be used “in the same amount called for” by other types of baking powder, but its recipes still used larger amounts. Other baking powders used one teaspoon of baking powder per one cup of flour, but this cookbook uses 4 teaspoons of baking power to 1 ¾ cups of flour.” (Page 171)
This book has been on my radar for a while & I’m glad that I bought and read it.
June 10, 2017
If you bake, then you’ve probably used baking powder at some time or another. If you are a serious baker then the story behind baking powder is a fascinating one. I know, I know… I see the look you are giving me. But trust me, it really is.
I wasn’t prepared for such a fascinating tale. I thought I’d get a dry, hard to swallow, I need some milk to wash this down type of book…but instead I was delighted by its layered goodness.
The amount of research that went into this book is beyond comprehension. Who would have thought that this little product could cause so much upheaval?
What I enjoyed about it was all the historical aspects. Those nuggets of information sometimes blew my mind. The book explains how the simple muffin has changed since we use a leavening agent. It tackles the advertising industry and their feuds and dives deep into the history of bread making.
I’m very interested in how the kitchen has changed throughout history. If you spend a considerable amount of time with mixing bowls and measuring cups then Baking Powder Wars should be right next to your cookbooks.
I wasn’t prepared for such a fascinating tale. I thought I’d get a dry, hard to swallow, I need some milk to wash this down type of book…but instead I was delighted by its layered goodness.
The amount of research that went into this book is beyond comprehension. Who would have thought that this little product could cause so much upheaval?
What I enjoyed about it was all the historical aspects. Those nuggets of information sometimes blew my mind. The book explains how the simple muffin has changed since we use a leavening agent. It tackles the advertising industry and their feuds and dives deep into the history of bread making.
I’m very interested in how the kitchen has changed throughout history. If you spend a considerable amount of time with mixing bowls and measuring cups then Baking Powder Wars should be right next to your cookbooks.
June 14, 2017
Baking powder has been such a staple in our modern lives that we might easily forget that there was a time without such a small luxury. Author Linda Civitello has obviously done the time and research when it came to writing this book. That being said I found it a bit difficult to dig through. I’ve noticed that when it comes to nonfiction books I still enjoy the narrative approach to the type that reads like a text or essay one might do at school. The sheer amount of research and information that Civitello was able to discover and bring to the forefront in this book is astounding. Yet it feels like in order to justify the amount of time and effort, she included everything she found, even some things that really didn’t make much sense to me.
I was drawn to this book because I enjoy baking and it would recommend it for the same audience. I would simply make sure they were aware of the writing style and then let them dive in on their own. It is a good book all around, but in the end I found that it was simply not written in a way that I found incredibly enjoyable.
*This eBook was provided by NetGalley and University of Illinois Press in exchange for honest feedback*
I was drawn to this book because I enjoy baking and it would recommend it for the same audience. I would simply make sure they were aware of the writing style and then let them dive in on their own. It is a good book all around, but in the end I found that it was simply not written in a way that I found incredibly enjoyable.
*This eBook was provided by NetGalley and University of Illinois Press in exchange for honest feedback*
Read
February 28, 2018The book was shock full of fascinating history and recipes from 1800's and 1900's American cookbooks. I learned about the differences among baking powder, baking soda, and cream of tartar as well as the American inventions and manufacturers. These American culinary inventions changed the nature of baking in our country, from the use of yeast, which required lots of time and
kneading, to almost instant production of bread, cake, and biscuits. These American inventions have influenced baking in Europe and beyond. I found the reading heavy with research and layers of detail, but well worth the read. A true baker would greatly enjoy the history and recipes. I particularly enjoyed the discussion of American recipes using corn, rye, etc. versus wheat. The author's detailed survey of cookbooks citing the different leavenings was fascinating. My mother relied on the Joy of Cooking whereas I relied on Betty Crocker. Both are mentioned as well as current ecookbooks. My recent shopping trip to Giant showed the four major sellers of these products jowl to jowl on the shelf in the baking aisle, Clapper Girl, Royal, Rumford, and Arm & Hammer. I recommend Linda Civitello's book!
kneading, to almost instant production of bread, cake, and biscuits. These American inventions have influenced baking in Europe and beyond. I found the reading heavy with research and layers of detail, but well worth the read. A true baker would greatly enjoy the history and recipes. I particularly enjoyed the discussion of American recipes using corn, rye, etc. versus wheat. The author's detailed survey of cookbooks citing the different leavenings was fascinating. My mother relied on the Joy of Cooking whereas I relied on Betty Crocker. Both are mentioned as well as current ecookbooks. My recent shopping trip to Giant showed the four major sellers of these products jowl to jowl on the shelf in the baking aisle, Clapper Girl, Royal, Rumford, and Arm & Hammer. I recommend Linda Civitello's book!
October 15, 2020
Who knew the history of leavening agents could be so fascinating? Written through a feminist lens, Civitello documents the previously unwritten histories of women in the home who baked bread and cakes. Sharing techniques through recipe books and oral tradition, these women introduced leavening agents over time that sped and improved the process of baking bread. The book pivots from there to the introduction of commercially produced baking powders, first made with cream of tartar and eventually with sodium aluminum sulfate. The companies producing these competing formulas duked it out for a century until the cheaper and yet equally effective agent took the title of common household baking powder. All the while, women using these products found convenience and freedom in the amount of time the tools created. As bread too became commercially produced rather than baked at home, a world that looked vastly different for women emerged in the late 20th century--all thanks to baking powder!
July 19, 2017
This book presents an in-depth history of baking powder from Europe to the new colonies to 21st century America. What an interesting product, with historic and current recipes provided. The author's statement that it created a paradigm shift and then dropped out of pubic consciousness is so true. I had to go check my cupboard to find out what brand of baking powder I have (Clabber Girl) and can not recall having made a conscious choice to purchase that brand. Industrial espionage, advertising wars, anonymous testimonials, price undercutting, worker layoffs, government regulation, deregulation... It all appears in the baking powder industry. Very enlightening. Only lost a star because some of the information got off topic.
Thank you to NetGalley for sending me a free copy of this book to read and review.
Thank you to NetGalley for sending me a free copy of this book to read and review.
December 8, 2017
Serious bakers all say, "Baking is chemistry!" and given the title of this book, that would seem to be relevant to this book. Unfortunately, Linda Civitello seems to have a science phobia as she nearly completely ignores how scientific advancements affected the history of cooking and the development of baking powder. There is great information in this book and I loved much of it, but I grew frustrated finding major parts of this story glossed over while Civitello spent too much time describing other things. Facts as simple of why you use baking soda versus baking powder are never discussed until popping up far into the book in one simple sentence. The entire time I read this book I wanted to rewrite it to present the data in a more logically format, to answer all the questions I was left with, and to cut out the long winded parts.
October 31, 2017
Who knew that a little tin of (innocent) white powder could cause such a stir in the culinary world.
It involved unscrupulous business men, out to make a fast buck, Presidents and even the Ku Klux Klan.
It's amazing that anything that is of help to people most times gets hi jacked by others wanting a piece of the action (and a piece of the cake!).
The Brands mentioned in the book I don't know of as I don't think they made it to the UK, but I might be wrong there.
Next time I make my scones etc., i will think about all that this very useful foodstuff has gone through!
Recommended.
I was given a digital copy of this book by the publisher Illinois Press via Netgalley in return for an honest unbiased review, which I am happy to do.
It involved unscrupulous business men, out to make a fast buck, Presidents and even the Ku Klux Klan.
It's amazing that anything that is of help to people most times gets hi jacked by others wanting a piece of the action (and a piece of the cake!).
The Brands mentioned in the book I don't know of as I don't think they made it to the UK, but I might be wrong there.
Next time I make my scones etc., i will think about all that this very useful foodstuff has gone through!
Recommended.
I was given a digital copy of this book by the publisher Illinois Press via Netgalley in return for an honest unbiased review, which I am happy to do.
December 7, 2025
This was such an interesting book. I learned a lot about the history of not only baking powder, but also the politics of food and the evolution of marketing and consumer behavior over the history of the United States.
This is not a long book (less than 200 pages excluding notes, appendix, etc.). I think this is the right length but still would have appreciated some more historical context in some sections, for example, how WWI and WWII changed food consumption, with more examples of typical recipes at different points in time.
Overall I loved the book, it’s a great deep dive to a fascinating slice of history, especially for anyone who enjoys food and understanding why we eat what we eat.
This is not a long book (less than 200 pages excluding notes, appendix, etc.). I think this is the right length but still would have appreciated some more historical context in some sections, for example, how WWI and WWII changed food consumption, with more examples of typical recipes at different points in time.
Overall I loved the book, it’s a great deep dive to a fascinating slice of history, especially for anyone who enjoys food and understanding why we eat what we eat.
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