Cycling Through Leftovers

Our economy has a cycle. During prosperous times, we describe being in an expansion. As the expansion peters out, it reaches a peak.  Immediately following the pinnacle, an economic contraction begins.  This decline continues until the trough is reached and a new expansion is ushered in.

Leftovers have cycles too.  According to this article from 2015 in The Atlantic, leftovers move in and out of vogue.  As you might have guessed, economics has a large influence over the enthusiasm for yesterday’s scraps. In the 19^th century, there wasn’t even a name for leftovers.  It was expected that any uneaten food would be used in a subsequent meal, and the lack of refrigeration required creative ways of serving perishables that might otherwise spoil, so pickling, smoking, and salting helped preserve untouched portions. 

Like our economic cycle, technology plays an important part in the story of leftovers.  Once homes were equipped with iceboxes and then electric refrigerators, you could put whatever wasn’t eaten away and take it up again in the morning.  I’ve never ordered a pizza before noon but cannot count the number of times I’ve had it for breakfast. 

Geopolitics also influence the leftover cycle.  During World War I, America launched its first international food-aid program.  Propaganda popped up encouraging housewives to utilize every piece of food. Conservation stateside allowed provisions to be sent abroad where food logistics had been destroyed.

Since the war to end all wars, leftovers have ebbed and flowed in and out of favor, influenced by some of the same variables impacting newspaper headlines.  For instance, despite the economic prosperity generally enjoyed in America, leftovers seem to be popular today because waste is so out of style.  Concerns over resources are pushing yesterday’s food into today’s trend.  So, go ahead and enjoy Thanksgiving Day food on Friday or even Saturday and beyond.  It’s cool.