Abstract
Over the course of the twentieth century organ meats (offal), have undergone a remarkable evolution from rejected by-products to trendy markers of elevated class and taste. In this thesis I argue that despite historically being percieved as a low status food and subject to strong feelings of disgust, shifting views regarding luxury foods have encouraged chefs and consumers alike to seek out novel and challenging dishes and ingredients as a sign of distinction. Analyzing the impacts and implications of this movement addresses a notable gap in the field of food history and promises to better our understanding of the relationship between food and class. Offal’s movement from low to high status provides compelling insights into food’s role in the formation and maintenance of culture and identity, national values and ideals, processes of gentrification and othering, and conceptions of race, class, and gender. By examining these processes I demonstrate the ways that offal has become a powerful medium through which middle-class Americans utilize specialized knowledge, worldliness, and sophistication to produce and convey cultural capital.