6 Once-Popular Lunches That You Don't See Much Anymore - Tasting Table

"With each decade comes new American food trends, influenced by agriculture, shaped by immigrants, and impacted by economic downturns, nationwide rationing, and wavering import laws. It took a while to kick the eating habits of the Great Depression, when certain foods brought comfort to Americans during an incredibly taxing time. Hearty Depression-era meals were established out of necessity, but they quickly became nourishing favorites throughout the remainder of the 20th century. These dishes were once lunchtime stalwarts until economies shifted and palates changed."

"Before it was called pâté and sat on fancy platters alongside fine cheeses and caviar, liverwurst sausage spread was nothing more than a commoner's snack. Charcuterie boards have made cured meats fashionable again, but up until the '70s or so, liverwurst was the main meat blend on the menu. Generations of Americans slathered liverwurst onto rye bread with nothing more than a spiral of yellow mustard and a few slices of raw onion. Made from pork liver blended with fats and spices, liverwurst dominated mid-century deli counters. Its flavor is assertive and rich, tasting somewhere between pâté and bologna."

Lunch in the U.S. historically functioned as a brief meal to tide workers over rather than a prolonged midday rest. American food trends changed each decade under the influence of agriculture, immigrant cuisines, economic downturns, nationwide rationing, and shifting import laws. Great Depression eating habits persisted because certain foods provided comfort, and hearty Depression-era meals originated from necessity before becoming long-standing favorites. Several mid-century lunch dishes disappeared as consumer preferences evolved, prices fluctuated, or new options emerged. Liverwurst once dominated deli counters, commonly served on rye with mustard and raw onion and characterized by an assertive, rich flavor.

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