Presidential Cheese Board

Our President's Favorite Cheese and Fruit!

Since today is President’s Day, we are putting on our teaching hats to give you a short history lesson on our some of our past president’s favorite foods. Enjoy! Be sure to check out our Perfect Cheese Board Post or our How to Build the Perfect Cheese Board for more inspiration.

Andrew Johnson (Jam)

President Johnson was huge fan of fish and jam, though not together. He also introduced the White House Easter Egg Hunt.

John Quincy Adams (Crackers)

Although well exposed to European cuisine, Adams preferred the simple foods. He was especially fond of fruit, reaping the bounty of the white house orchards. He claimed five or six small crackers and a glass of water was enough for him for dinner.

William Mckinley (Bread)

Both the president and his wife enjoyed plain foods. Simple starchy meals suited them and nearly every meal included some sort of hot bread.

Chester A. Arthur (Roast Beef)

Only one president surpasses Arthur in his love for great food and few were his equal. Along with French cuisine and gourmet food, the president enjoyed fishing and dining on Salmon from the Thousand Islands. However, his favorite dinner was a slice of rare Roast Beef with potatoes.

William Howard Taft (Salted Almonds)

Taft was a lover of food, his meals commonly consisted of not just many courses, but many dishes. His snacking habits were memorable and he was known to have a weakness for salted almonds.

Martin Van Buren (Apples)

While his table was always impeccably dressed with wine and food he had little to no interest in desert stating he had just eaten an apple.

James Buchanan (Fresh Butter)

Our only unmarried president. His First Lady was his niece, Miss Harriet Lane. She executed her new role with excellence bringing Buchanan’s flair for society to the White House. He was so particular about the quality of his food he had fresh butter brought to the white house from Philadelphia in a locked brass-bound kettle.

Ronald Reagan (Honey)

One of our healthier families to be in office, the Reagan’s dined on a high fiber diet with little cholesterol and fat. The couple had a love for apples eating them in dessert form after almost every meal. Honey baked apples was among their favorites.

Abraham Lincoln (Meat)

Lincoln’s favorite foods were not noted nor were his dislikes, he was known to complain very little if at all about the the food put before him. He did, however, often snack on fresh fruit, nuts, meats and cheese.

Richard Nixon (Fresh Fruit)

Fond of classic American comfort fare one of his favorite snacks was cottage cheese with ketchup. That doesn’t fit will on a cheese board so we also discovered he also had a soft spot for fresh fruit of all kind.

George Washington (Cherries)

The rumors are all true, our first president had a love for cherries. Even though their estate, Mt. Vernon, was a completely self-sufficient farm he preferred simple meals over fancy ones and often ate a simple diet of varying fruits, nuts and fish.

Thomas Jefferson (Figs)

No president has loved fine foods as much as Jefferson. After traveling through Europe he developed a great love for French cuisine. Upon his return home he sent a request for his valet to “bring a stock of macaroni, parmesan cheese, figs of Marseilles, raisins, almonds, mustard, vinegar, oil and anchovies.”

Franklin D. Roosevelt (Cheese)

The Roosevelts enjoyed hearty American food. Doughnuts both at breakfast and teatime and creamed chipped beef were commonly seen. Like us, they liked cheese as an appetizer, in salads, for snacks, as a main course or as a dessert. Roosevelt’s favorites were Camembert, Roquefort, Swiss, Gruyere, Liederkranz and sharp American Cheddar. Bonus fact: Mrs. Roosevelt redesigned the kitchens of the White house during their term equipping them with their first electric stove and dishwasher.

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