Deb Freeman

So that's kind of like the beginning turn of, oh, this might be something that tastes good.

So that's kind of like the beginning turn of, oh, this might be something that tastes good.

Yeah, so basically, early on, again, we're still talking when they're colonies. The beaten biscuit is flatter than we think of biscuits. They're a little more cracker-like. But what's interesting about this is they had a little bit of rise, but the only way to get this rise is to literally beat the dough, typically for about an hour. And that task was really given to enslaved women and

Yeah, so basically, early on, again, we're still talking when they're colonies. The beaten biscuit is flatter than we think of biscuits. They're a little more cracker-like. But what's interesting about this is they had a little bit of rise, but the only way to get this rise is to literally beat the dough, typically for about an hour. And that task was really given to enslaved women and

And so it fell out of favor after the Civil War just because the labor it would take. But I know that it was very popular because there's a cookbook that comes out, Abby Fisher's cookbook, What Mrs. Fisher Knows About Old Southern Cooking. That's one of the first cookbooks that was written by a Black woman. And there's a recipe in that cookbook for these beaten biscuits. So this was pretty common.

And so it fell out of favor after the Civil War just because the labor it would take. But I know that it was very popular because there's a cookbook that comes out, Abby Fisher's cookbook, What Mrs. Fisher Knows About Old Southern Cooking. That's one of the first cookbooks that was written by a Black woman. And there's a recipe in that cookbook for these beaten biscuits. So this was pretty common.

But after slavery ended, it really fell out of favor just because of the work and the time it took.

But after slavery ended, it really fell out of favor just because of the work and the time it took.

Yeah, so a Pullman Porter were Black men who worked on Pullman trains. They would carry your luggage. They would shine your shoes. They would clean up the trains. And they also cooked for the dining cars. So that was a job that came about where Black men could work and make a living and also see the country to some extent. But that's a different podcast. But yeah, so that's what Pullman Porter is.

Yeah, so a Pullman Porter were Black men who worked on Pullman trains. They would carry your luggage. They would shine your shoes. They would clean up the trains. And they also cooked for the dining cars. So that was a job that came about where Black men could work and make a living and also see the country to some extent. But that's a different podcast. But yeah, so that's what Pullman Porter is.

And so they were creating these... incredible meals in these tiny, tiny kitchens. There's a story that Carl Smith, in the 1930s, he was a salesman. And he happened to be on one of the Pullman trains headed towards San Francisco. And so he wanted something to eat, but the kitchen was closed. And so he asked one of the Pullman porters to make something for him.

And so they were creating these... incredible meals in these tiny, tiny kitchens. There's a story that Carl Smith, in the 1930s, he was a salesman. And he happened to be on one of the Pullman trains headed towards San Francisco. And so he wanted something to eat, but the kitchen was closed. And so he asked one of the Pullman porters to make something for him.

And so he was pretty quickly brought out of biscuits. This guy is like, how did you do that so fast? Because Clearly in his mind, you've got to roll the dough, you've got to bake it, you've got to do all of this. And so when he asked that question, the Pullman Porter basically explained there was a pre-mixed bowl and it had lard, flour, salt, and baking powder in it.

And so he was pretty quickly brought out of biscuits. This guy is like, how did you do that so fast? Because Clearly in his mind, you've got to roll the dough, you've got to bake it, you've got to do all of this. And so when he asked that question, the Pullman Porter basically explained there was a pre-mixed bowl and it had lard, flour, salt, and baking powder in it.

And he kept that on ice on the train. And so whenever someone asked for biscuits, he just added whatever the wet ingredients were. And so... Carl takes this idea and basically runs with it. And so his company created a version that could be mass produced. And so this is where we get the kind of ready to bake biscuit mix that you find on your store shelves.

And he kept that on ice on the train. And so whenever someone asked for biscuits, he just added whatever the wet ingredients were. And so... Carl takes this idea and basically runs with it. And so his company created a version that could be mass produced. And so this is where we get the kind of ready to bake biscuit mix that you find on your store shelves.

You know, even today, that's where that comes from.

You know, even today, that's where that comes from.

First of all, that's crazy, right?

First of all, that's crazy, right?