The Food That Built America

When German immigrant Richard Hellmann bottles his deli's mayonnaise, he launches America's condiment revolution.

Through happy accidents and breakthrough flavor innovations, cereal pioneers battle for control of America's breakfast table-using iconic mascots, unforgettable commercials, and bold new ideas to build a billion-dollar industry.

As two baking powerhouses collide, scrappy upstarts and mom-and-pop players help turn crackers into a snack aisle staple.

A beverage giant is challenged for dominance by two upstart companies from Brooklyn to revolutionize the beverage market and transform iced tea from a regional drink to a multi-billion-dollar American staple.

From the first ice cream bar in history to the fast-food Blizzard craze, a century of innovation turned ice cream treats into a $100 billion dollar industry and a cultural phenomenon.

An upstart chain innovates iconic menu items and fast food staples including a value menu and free refills, while fending off a new competitor to bring Mexican inspired fast food to the masses.

A keen-eyed immigrant, a candy mogul, and two pasta-making brothers reinvent rice for America's kitchens by making it faster, easier, and impossible to resist.

A new breed of innovator rises up to expand American industry and push the limits of new technology; a father-and-son duo named Mars start on a path to challenge the chocolate throne.

Through a series of accidents and unexpected innovations, a humble cheese pie is turned into a decadent American dessert.

WWII sees competing industrial empires joining the war effort in a united front to fuel the forces fighting for freedom abroad; in Post-War America, visionaries revolutionize the industry, and pave the way for the golden age of the American dream.

A century ago, the cookie industry didn't exist, until a wave of innovators turned it into a $15 billion powerhouse.

A chemist unlocks a chocolate syrup that transforms milk into a magic sensation; a soda shop owner cracks the code to bottling liquid chocolate for the masses.

In the wake of the Civil War, a revolution takes place on the backs of visionary entrepreneurs of industry like Heinz, Kellogg and Post; they push the limits of ingenuity to launch businesses that will revolutionize industry.

Through a series of accidents and unexpected innovations, a humble cheese pie is turned into a decadent American dessert.

Stephen Whitman introduces Americans to chocolate candy in a sampler box; Russell Stover builds a competing company; both brands help turn chocolate from an unknown import to a boxed American staple, given as a gift of love to this day.

A teacher turns restaurateur invents America's popular cookie which leads to a battle of food giants, and one of the packaged cookies.

A struggling chocolate maker and a young theater assistant create the movie theater concession stand and launch the world's most iconic movie candies.

In the 1950s, middle-aged salesman Ray Kroc is drowning in debt when he's inspired by a roadside burger stand he wants to spread nationwide, McDonald's; he creates the modern model of franchising and ignites a fast-food gold rush.

Kentucky gas station owner, Harland Sanders, develops a new method for making fried chicken, drawing customers from far and wide.

Lunchtime is one of the most enjoyable meals of every kid's day, but before the 1960s it was just another meal; then, three very different food visionaries take matters into their own hands.

A scientist and businessman team up to develop a Vitamin C-rich war ration for WWII troopers, leading to orange juice concentrate; a fruit salesman develops a process of flash-pasteurizing fresh orange juice; the two companies soon compete.

A cab driver turned ice cream entrepreneur comes up with the idea to mix name brand candy into high-quality ice cream to create new novel flavors; after opening an ice cream shop to share his mix-in creations, his concept skyrockets.

Food conglomerate Campbell's kickstarts what will become an Italian American food revolution, launching SpaghettiOs and then Prego and along the way, transforming everything from home cooking to casual dining.

At a time when dog food is a rarity and cat food is almost nonexistent, it will take visionary innovators to invent the first dog treat, dry food, the first cat food, and many more innovations that will carve out the billion-dollar pet food industry.

At the turn of the 20th century, Bernard Kroger and another upstart grocer come up with genius innovations that help invent the modern supermarket.

Four intrepid food entrepreneurs race to harness emerging technologies, like the home freezer and microwave, to bring revolutionary frozen snack icons to a waiting world, and forever change everything about eating.

Two icons compete for America's coffee drinkers and forever change a worldwide, multi-billion-dollar industry.

A cereal executive's bold idea to finance the ``Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory`` movie will kick-off a candy revolution that produces some of the most iconic, imaginative confections in history.

As new wing-focused restaurant chains take the recipe out of Buffalo, N.Y., restaurateurs must find a way to cleverly market the new ``Buffalo wings`` to turn their restaurants into national icons, and chicken wings into a global phenomenon.

The top-selling candy days of the year revolve around Easter, Valentine's Day and Halloween, and it all started with a few bold pioneers.

Hector and Mario Boiardi open an Italian restaurant in Cleveland in 1924 and soon introduce Italian food to Americans; the brothers eventually find themselves in competition with James Kraft and his newest offering, macaroni and cheese.

Martha Entenmann takes the reins of her late husband's baking company and grows it into a national powerhouse; a married couple bankrupt one bakery but succeed during their second time around with a revolutionary way to sell snack cakes.

A century ago, the cookie industry didn't exist, until a wave of innovators turned it into a $15 billion powerhouse.

Small-town farmer Orville Redenbacher has a lifelong dream of creating the perfect popcorn kernel, leading to the first significant development of popcorn in thousands of years, which he sells nationwide.

When Col. Sanders sells his company to investors in 1964, the new owners identify a rising star within the organization: Dave Thomas.

In a quest to dominate the growing commercial bread industry, Lee Marshall bets on a new kind of white loaf, unwittingly inspiring a homemaker named Margaret Rudkin to come up with a healthier alternative.

When his ice cream truck breaks down, Tom Carvel discovers that half-melted ice cream is a surefire hit with customers.

When a commercial caterer realizes his two bestselling items are donuts and coffee, he joins forces with his brother-in-law to create a revolutionary donut chain; a rivalry starts with a beloved Southern-based donut shop.

In the late 1800s, German immigrants Joseph Schlitz and Capt. Frederick Pabst find themselves in a battle for beer dominance; in their fight for one-upmanship, they create the most popular alcoholic beverage on the planet.

High school friends see an alternative to fast food with the ``submarine`` sandwich, but they are quickly met with fierce competition from a new submarine joint that will go on to be the biggest restaurant chain in the world.

A chemist unlocks a chocolate syrup that transforms milk into a magic sensation; a soda shop owner cracks the code to bottling liquid chocolate for the masses.

Dr. John Kellogg and his brother start a revolution in breakfast, while rival C.W. Post takes direct aim at an empire of his own.

William Wrigley stumbles upon a new product that kickstarts a revolution across industries and sparks a lifelong rivalry.

As C.E. Doolin and Herman Lay try to control the chips business in the 1950s, their success inspires one of the biggest companies in the world to design a strong, saddle-shaped chip and a revolutionary container to ship them in.

In the 1970s, Ray Kroc is far ahead of the competition, but when a burger chain claiming to be king, poaches his third-highest ranking executive, Don Smith, it's war.

A young boy accidentally discovers a frozen treat on a stick; a candy store owner reinvents ice cream and launches the first ever ice cream truck; when two men own a patent on the same thing, a battle erupts.

A short order chef invents the hamburger bun and engineers a new way of making a burger faster than ever before; Nathan Handwerker invests his life savings into a hot dog stand at Coney Island.

When a chemist begins working at the Joseph A. Campbell preserve company, he invents a condensed soup that brings this rare luxury to the nation for the first time. it also attracts the attention of Henry Heinz, who becomes a bitter competitor.

A business partnership gone wrong leads Adolphus Green to create one of the most iconic cookie and cracker companies in history, and it revolutionizes packaging.

At the turn of the 20th century, James Kraft challenges thousands of years of cheese-making tradition and forever alters the dairy industry with his new cheese innovation; the Pabst brothers are desperate to keep their successful beer empire solvent.

At the turn of the 20th century, James Kraft challenges thousands of years of cheese-making tradition and forever alters the dairy industry with his new cheese innovation; the Pabst brothers are desperate to keep their successful beer empire solvent.

As new wing-focused restaurant chains take the recipe out of Buffalo, N.Y., restaurateurs must find a way to cleverly market the new "Buffalo wings" to turn their restaurants into national icons, and chicken wings into a global phenomenon.

Lunchtime is one of the most enjoyable meals of every kid's day, but before the 1960s it was just another meal; then, three very different food visionaries take matters into their own hands.

When a chemist begins working at the Joseph A. Campbell preserve company, he invents a condensed soup that brings this rare luxury to the nation for the first time. It also attracts the attention of Henry Heinz, who becomes a bitter competitor.

A keen-eyed immigrant, a candy mogul, and two pasta-making brothers reinvent rice for America's kitchens by making it faster, easier, and impossible to resist. But it'll take a massive global conflict, and a battle of innovations, to turn rice into riches.

Food conglomerate Campbell's kickstarts what will become an Italian American food revolution, launching SpaghettiOs and then Prego and along the way, transforming everything from home cooking to casual dining.

Hector and Mario Boiardi open an Italian restaurant in Cleveland in 1924 and soon introduce Italian food to Americans; the brothers eventually find themselves in competition with James Kraft and his newest offering, macaroni and cheese.

Stephen Whitman introduces Americans to chocolate candy in a sampler box; Russell Stover builds a competing company; both brands help turn chocolate from an unknown import to a boxed American staple, given as a gift of love to this day.

A teacher turns restaurateur invents America's popular cookie which leads to a battle of food giants, and one of the packaged cookies.

A cereal executive's idea to finance the Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory movie kicks-off a candy revolution that produces some of the most iconic, imaginative confections in history.

An upstart chain innovates iconic menu items and fast food staples including a value menu and free refills, while fending off a new competitor to bring Mexican inspired fast food to the masses. Until the world's top burger chain enters the fray and turns fast food on its head.

In the 1970s, Ray Kroc is far ahead of the competition, but when a burger chain claiming to be king, poaches his third-highest ranking executive, Don Smith, it's war.

Dr. John Kellogg and his brother start a revolution in breakfast, while rival C.W. Post takes direct aim at an empire of his own.

A scientist and businessman team up to develop a Vitamin C-rich war ration for WWII troopers, leading to orange juice concentrate; a fruit salesman develops a process of flash-pasteurizing fresh orange juice; the two companies soon compete.

When Col. Sanders sells his company to investors in 1964, the new owners identify a rising star within the organization: Dave Thomas.

From the first ice cream bar in history to the fast-food Blizzard craze, a century of innovation turned ice cream treats into a $100 billion dollar industry and a cultural phenomenon.

The top-selling candy days of the year revolve around Easter, Valentine's Day and Halloween, and it all started with a few bold pioneers.

Two icons compete for America's coffee drinkers and forever change a worldwide, multi-billion-dollar industry.

Martha Entenmann takes the reins of her late husband's baking company and grows it into a national powerhouse; a married couple bankrupt one bakery but succeed during their second time around with a revolutionary way to sell snack cakes.

A struggling chocolate maker and a young theater assistant create the movie theater concession stand and launch the world's most iconic movie candies.

A beverage giant is challenged for dominance by two upstart companies from Brooklyn to revolutionize the beverage market and transform iced tea from a regional drink to a multi-billion-dollar American staple.

When a commercial caterer realizes his two bestselling items are donuts and coffee, he joins forces with his brother-in-law to create a revolutionary donut chain; a rivalry starts with a beloved Southern-based donut shop.

High school friends see an alternative to fast food with the "submarine" sandwich, but they are quickly met with fierce competition from a new submarine joint that will go on to be the biggest restaurant chain in the world.

At the turn of the 20th century, Bernard Kroger and another upstart grocer come up with genius innovations that help invent the modern supermarket.

As C.E. Doolin and Herman Lay try to control the chips business in the 1950s, their success inspires one of the biggest companies in the world to design a strong, saddle-shaped chip and a revolutionary container to ship them in.

As two baking powerhouses collide, scrappy upstarts and mom-and-pop players help turn crackers into a snack aisle staple. From innovations like shredded wheat, to the first mass-produced flavored cracker, these grocery store icons transform crackers into a global, multi-billion-dollar category.

In the 1950s, middle-aged salesman Ray Kroc is drowning in debt when he's inspired by a roadside burger stand he wants to spread nationwide, McDonald's; he creates the modern model of franchising and ignites a fast-food gold rush.

A business partnership gone wrong leads Adolphus Green to create one of the most iconic cookie and cracker companies in history, and it revolutionizes packaging.

A young boy accidentally discovers a frozen treat on a stick; a candy store owner reinvents ice cream and launches the first ever ice cream truck; when two men own a patent on the same thing, a battle erupts.

Kentucky gas station owner, Harland Sanders, develops a new method for making fried chicken, drawing customers from far and wide.

Through happy accidents and breakthrough flavor innovations, cereal pioneers battle for control of America's breakfast table-using iconic mascots, unforgettable commercials, and bold new ideas to build a billion-dollar industry.