LABC Presents: Holy Food: How Cults, Communes, and Religious Movements Influenced What We Eat

Rules about eating are present in nearly every American belief, from high-control groups that ban everything except air, to the infamous strawberry shortcake that sated visitors to the Oneida Community in the late 1800s. Only in the United States where one had the freedom to worship the God of their choice and sometimes of their own making could people embrace new ideas about religion. And it's in this over-stirred pot of liberation, revolution, and mysticism that we discover that God cares a lot about what you put in your mouth.ABOUT THE PRESENTATION: — —

Join independent food historian Christina Ward to learn how an explosion of religious movements birthed a cottage industry of food fads that gained mainstream acceptance. She’ll discuss how the obscure sects and communities of the 20th Century dabbled in spirituality and used food to both entice and control followers. And she'll share examples of Los Angeles-founded…