American food history • 1927–1935
On Henry’s Table
A look at Henry Ford’s food interests, with dated artifacts from 1931 and 1934 and museum research on his personal tastes.
Soybean Soup — a documented favorite
Fair Lane butler John Thompson recalled that Henry ate soybean soup daily during his soybean experiments. Archivist Kathy Makas includes this account in Cooking with Clara Ford at The Henry Ford. The recollection does not date each meal or supply a soup formula, so it is presented as food history rather than a dated recipe.
Wheat-Germ “Model T” Cookies
The same museum research identifies wheat-germ Model T cookies as a favorite of both Henry and Clara. The account does not establish a 1927–1935 recipe date. We credit the museum’s research without inventing an original formula or assigning a year.
Circa 1931
Recipes for Soybean Foods
The Henry Ford’s Soyfoods collection dates this booklet to about 1931. It documents the culinary side of Ford’s soybean experiments, with cooked beans, soy milk, soy butter, and soy “cheese.” These are Ford-related foods; the booklet alone does not establish that every dish was a personal favorite.
August 17, 1934 • Chicago, Illinois
Dinner at the Ford Exhibit
A surviving menu from the Century of Progress Exposition records a special dinner demonstrating soybean foods in 1934. This dated artifact places Ford’s food experiments within our 1927–1935 collection. Explore the menu and related museum artifacts →
History credits: Kathy Makas, Reference Archivist, The Henry Ford, Cooking with Clara Ford (2016), drawing on Fair Lane staff reminiscences; and The Henry Ford’s Soyfoods collection. Modern research dates are distinguished from the dates of historical artifacts.