Mormon foodways

Mormon foodways encompass the traditional food and drink surrounding the religious and social practices of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and other churches in the Latter Day Saint movement, colloquially referred to as Mormons. The Word of Wisdom prohibits Mormons from consuming alcohol, coffee, and tea. These restrictions began to be observed more closely in the 20th century. Traditionally, members are encouraged to fast two meals during the first Sunday of each month.

Mormon foodways in Nauvoo, Illinois, were similar to surrounding frontier foodways. Brock Cheney argues that Mormon foodways in the west were distinct from those of miners, Native Americans, and other non-Mormons in the same area. Mormons used seasonal harvests, foraged food, and their New England and European backgrounds to make food.^[1] Mormon pioneers (hereafter referred to as "pioneers") used spices and tried to breed varieties of fruit, especially apples and peaches, that were well-suited to the surrounding climate. Pioneers learned what to forage from indigenous tribes, and relied on foraging in years of famine. They made their own sweeteners. Pioneers preserved fruit by drying it or canning it. They ate bread frequently, and communally butchered meat, which was preserved through smoking. Many pioneers immigrated from Europe, and brought food traditions from there, including making cheese and sauerkraut.

In the 21st century, Mormons share recipes to rotate their food storage, which often include processed foods. Food in the Mormon regional area (Idaho, Utah, and Arizona) is similar to Midwest comfort food, with Utah scones and funeral potatoes being unique to Utah. As the faith tradition becomes international, there is no longer a cuisine common to all members, but food remains an important feature of ward functions.

The term Mormon foodways is preferred over Mormon cuisine – even though the latter is in common use – because there have never been large differences between the foods eaten by American Mormons and those eaten by other Americans at the same time and place, and those smaller differences which have existed are not considered sufficient to constitute an independent cuisine. The term foodways is used in the social sciences to refer to overall food production, distribution, storage and consumption in a given society, culture, or subculture, which is the focus of this article. Cuisine has a narrower definition focused only on dishes, their ingredients and preparation methods.^[2]