America's Sweet Tooth: 250 Years of Sweets, Treats, and Traditions
Nov 17, 2026, 6:45 PM ET<a href="https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/americas-sweet-tooth?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/americas-sweet-tooth?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223">smithsonianassociates.org…</a>
What can pie, candy bars, and chocolate chip cookies reveal about American history? Food historian Francine Segan explores how desserts reflect the nation's past, from English-inspired pies to modern social media trends. She examines how invention and necessity shaped sweets such as jelly beans and candy corn, how Depression-era scarcity led home cooks to ingenious recipes like "water pie," and also uncovers truths behind familiar names and dessert myths-from Betty Crocker (not a real person) to German chocolate cake (not German). Registrants receive a companion recipe handout.