Food That Held Up A Nation
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- čas přidán 24. 05. 2021
- Sources mentioned in this video:
The Bark Covered House by William Nowlin
The Journal of Nicholas Cresswell: www.townsends.us/collections/...
The Diary of Matthew Patton: www.townsends.us/products/dia...
Visit Our Website! ➧ www.townsends.us/ ➧➧
Videos mentioned in this episode:
Potted Salmon: • Historic Food Preserva...
Stockfish: • Sailor Rations - Stock...
Planked Shad: • Fresh Fish Over An Ope...
Catfish Stew: • Delicious Catfish Stew!
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I can't believe I'm watching this for free.
He has an incredible catalog - so you can get something real and support him too.
Yea! I should be getting paid for that.
Doesn't it blow your gd mind? Whenever I get that feeling, I try and buy something from the creator to support. Townsend has a store. ;)
@@69SalterStreet Have you checked out his store? It is not t shirts! or self absorbed yt'r stuff. It is recreations and historical books, etc.
@@marthaadams8326 I have. It's great
Townsends only talked about "nutmeg" one time, and did not use it!
A rare episode indeed.
In fairness he did say there was nutmeg in the potted salmon. We did not, however, see it mixed in.
The One Spice to rule them all..
@@a-pizza-pie and in the recipe bind them
A first 4 sure
We all know he sprinkled nutmeg into the river off-camera.
At this point I consider Townsends to be a genuine documentary channel. The professional presentation, the information presented, the heartfelt enthusiasm on display, so few channels on CZcams can match it.
Hear, hear!
Oh yes. This is one of the best.
Oh it's a very professional channel, much like tasting history. They both are easily two of the more interesting history/food channels.
All these channels remind me of the History Channel when it was good, before it turned into complete race-to-the-bottom trash.
I agree hard on this.
My grandma always told me how salted cod, bacon and smoked sausages were house staples that would be kept hanging from the ceiling on top of the wood stove.
@@nateman10 it surely doesn't hurt to know the old ways and have some means of replicating them if necessary be. One of my favorite readings are the Foxfire Books series, a compilation of interviews with old folks from the Appalachia.
@@nateman10 you could always do it the way they did it in the old days.
But i dont wish to go back to the old days at all. Modern people romanticize the "old day" like it was pure. No it was full of hardship and manual labor.
@@flipsideroot That's why you have 10 kids right, and hope there mostly boys.
so when do you think ur gramgram began to suspect her little grandboi was a twinkcupcake?
@@nateman10 Smoked meats are 100 percent survival food. It keeps a long time, often you can use the fat rendered off for other uses. Native americans smoked meats to have them keep longer and of course to make pemmican.
The footage, narration, illustrations, photographs, sound effects... honestly I felt like I was watching a mini-docu-movie in a museum somewhere. This is an incredible work you've made here, and you should be proud of it. Fantastic.
you can tell Mr Townsend loves this subject with a deep passion. Especially how he respects those pioneers who first settled these lands. They did alot with absolutely nothing.
ACTUALLY that's a brilliant idea for Jas Townsend! Perhaps he can make some short videos for period museums, if they'd be interested!
I'm of the belief that the name mini-docu does not do justice to the quality of this piece. It is a wonderful combination of all strong aspects of Townsends and much more engaging than documentaries are.
@@bobcostas6272 they were only the ‘first’ Europeans. The land you’re talking about was not empty nor untouched.
@@vysharra Lol nope
Regular Townsends video is 27 minutes long? It's a good week, y'all.
Too good to be true. It's like watching a PBS documentary from the good ol days
I love. 'let's eat and read a diary'
Agreed love his calm voice, helps me sleep and learn.
@@Emelius7 if you have free television you can watch them all day in North Carolina
6 commercials. Disgusting
People say you need a show - but this is the show!! Don’t try to be different than what this is; keep doing what you think is right. These are the best and most entertaining history lessons I’ve ever gotten
This is the kind of show I wish I could find on TV. I swear when I was a kid you could flick between channels for not too long at any random daytime hour and find something this interesting and informative.
Salted cod is still one of the most consumed fish in Portugal. Mostly from Norway. It is said here that we have 1001 recipes for it.
Thank you so much for sharing so much knowledge to us here, for free ❤️
Here in Sweden pickled fish is very popular. Or smoked salmon.. My mom makes really good pickled herring
@@Quzga oh my god pickled herring is DELICIOUS!
bacalhau é uma delicia se feito bem
This is like a $100,00 episode from the History Channel except it's better! and just another weekly video from the master of history! Amazing work
This is the kind of content that the History Channel should be producing.
@@Ikimono Isn't too busy creating bad ancient aliens sci-fi?
@@Ikimono agreed. History Channel is nothing but those dumb alien shows now. Sad story.
It is a shame that the History Channel doesn't do much history anymore. This video is awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If history and discovery weren’t so hellbent on destroying their credibility I’d say he deserves a funded tv show
Archaeologists can distinguish graves of 18th century Americans from British or Europeans because the Americans have more phosphorus in their bones, a result of eating so much fish and corn (maize).
That's an interesting thing to know
@@WhatsCookingTime I thought so
Could you send any research papers or sites?
@@mihiec It came from an article on the War of 1812 and an archaeological dig of a battlefield and graveyard of that time. Sorry I can't tell exactly where it appeared.
Very cool fact thanks for sharing !!
When I visited Asia, they still have places that cooked with salted fermented fish. I tried some and when they cook it, the smell is unbearable, but when you eat it (with rice) it tastes like the most flavoursome food you could possibly have! The flavour can’t be explained but it is all the satisfying aromas combined to make you unable to stop, almost like how you feel when you eat chocolate.
Ahh salted fish fried rice. My favorite type of fried rice.
Salted dried fish is a staple food in coastal communities in my country. It's really good when cooked with spices and served with rice.
That flavor is called umami! I don’t think a direct English translation exists, but the best one I can think of is savory. Many cultures have used that salted fermented fish to make umami boosting sauces, like garum, fish sauce, and Worcestershire sauce.
Bpoo blah.
@@ethansolomon2126 Garum was like the ancient Roman version of ketchup. It was how they got that salty flavor.
Interesting how on the other side of the planet (11 hour time difference!), my extended family in bangladesh live just like this even today. No freezers...just trapping, salting, drying, smoking fish and feeding dozens of people daily
No? We freeze fish as well and dried fish (shutki) is a whole other thing on it's own that can be found even in US.
@@arafathossain7361 My family in a chittagong village have no freezers. They either eat everything fresh, or they salt and dry it to preserve for later. How is that "a whole other thing" than the lifestyle depicted here? I see many similarities
@@kuruptzZz Sorry, my bad that I misunderstood how you specifically meant your family.
@@arafathossain7361 No worries! Yes, I have family in Dhaka too, and their lives are pretty much like mine in the US. The village trips are much more interesting...like traveling back in time
Here in the southern US, we still make smoke huts and turn hundreds of pounds of fish into a big pile of smoked fish jerky that lasts several months. Of course, now we know about mercury toxicity from seafood, unlike our grandpappies, so I'm glad to have other sources of food as well as fish.
There's a reason "Teach a man to fish" is a common idiom.
I was just thinking about that while watching this!
Wait but what if you live in a landlocked country without rivers?
@@martinvandam8084 I don't think there are too many of those.
Of course, "Give a man a fire" has become one, too.
I think it was because it's biblical, way before the 18th century. Like 18 centuries before
Honestly I'm amazed you guys haven't been picked up by a major network. Then again I'm happy you've stuck to your roots since I started following you all those years back. Keep on keeping on!
Because SJWs don't like history, and major networks are controlled by SJWs.
If they went mainstream it would have to be sensationalised. It seems TV networks don't believe ordinary people would want history presented in a calm, informative manner.
They might have been. And refused.
They have much more creative control and freedom on CZcams. I’d be sad if they went to TV tbh, it wouldn’t be the same!
I imagine if he went on american TV it would be the same edgy content with close ups every 10 seconds.
"ON TODAYS EPISODE OF 18TH CENTURY COOKING, JON CATCHES A FISH *dramatic close up followed by a stupid edgy jingle* THEN HE PROCEEDS TO COOK IT"
Nobody wants tv garbage like that.
As a child in the 50's my class had a field trip to a salt mine in New Jersey. We were told that the mine had been around since the 1800's and was a main supplier for the ocean fisheries on the East coast in the early years. It's amazing what you remember from your childhood.
Well soon when a nuclear exchange happens with Russia over ukraine most of the oceans around USA will be poisoned & that salt will have NO use
Jim. You better not have told anyone about what I did to you as a boy. I know where you live. -david
Is the mine still going?
As a young girl, my Dad took me fishing many times. I watched avidly at home in the basement as he took the scales off, gutted, and cleaned the fish 🐟. I particularly enjoyed this episode, as it brought back fond memories. Love the historic lessons you tell with such enthusiasm. Congrats to your whole team for another excellent video!
My dad forced me to fish, too, and to help clean fish, and then to eat it. I think being raised with it pushes people into loving or hating it. My grandma wouldn't eat fish because she ate it too often at one point in her life. I'm learning to appreciate fish more as an adult, but I will be well satisfied to never eat trout again.
@@angiebee2225 -I was compelled since at a very young age (6), to scale the raw fish, cut off the heads that always stared at me with vengeance in those bulgy eyes and gnarling teeth, and gut them. Eggs and all. And then, I was not permitted to get up from the dinner table until i ate - the WHOLE THING!!! It was such a reprehensible duty of mine that to this day, I cannot stand the smell of fish and will not eat it. I love my veggies and fruit. But fish is only good for me when I use it to fertilize my garden - the beans LOVE fish, as it happens. So, in a way, as I eat those magnificently large and prolific beans, I am eating fish, after all. At least I don't have to smell them.🙂
(P.S. My parents are good, and I am sure they are bewildered as to how drawing me into acts of responsibility have scarred me for life - at least in the fish dept.)
@@Blurb777, WOW.
@@bcaye -Yep!🙂
"The Founding Fish" is an actual book.
Best content ever here!
Shad won the American Revolution is the claim.
That shad had no idea what it was fighting for
Great book. Sadly, I’ve never a chance to try shad, especially smoked shad. I hope I have the chance to try it someday.
@@FlyTyer1948 Absolutely try it if you can. My family grew up poor in central PA, and shad was a staple for us. It was cheap because it's so bony, people with money didn't want it. It also has a strong flavor, and most people want mostly flavorless white fish. My grandma would also cook the shad roe.
I'm going to check that out! Thanks!
The founding fish: Alexander Clamilton
No wonder you guys were so excited about this video, when you talked about it on the livestream. I was very much looking forward to it, and was not disappointed. The entire team did an awesome job.
My thoughts exactly! Kudos to all. The camera work on the river and lake made my day. This is by far the most professional channel on the Tube.
Why would I only find you now? This one is very relaxing. Way to appreciate a slow life and a smoked cod in the pot.
Thank you for the video. Reminds me of my grandfather saying he was always angry at his father and grandfather because every time they killed a cow, they would salt it immediately and he was never allowed to eat even a small piece of steak that was fresh. (and that was not so long ago... in the 1920's)
You're like me; I was born in 1958, so 1920s is not, as you say, a long time ago. However it _is_ 100 years ago, now. And that _is_ a long time ago.
Sorry, it is not. My beloved granma was born in 1918 and grandad 1914 and I can remember them vividly even though they died when I was 8 years old. It was when cars and films were around but not TV. It was when first coun tries allowed women to vote (not still everywhere available, even in western countries, not for long eg Switzerland).
@@Vanda-il9ul "Sorry, it is not" you sound like the kid in school that had to always one-up people
I seem to recall that lobster used to be considered "poor food" right around the Revolutionary War, because they were so plentiful on the beaches.
Even into the early 20th century. It was given to prisoners and so forth. One time the prisoners rioted from being fed too much lobster.
And then trains came along.
Without refrigeration, it’s a disgusting food. Shellfish should die right before cooking or else the dying organs spoil the meat. It WAS an awful food, unless you were eating it on the beach/that day in a coastal town. And especially when it was ground up (shells included) into a meal for prisoners.
Meanwhile nervous lobsters were looking around for their buddies who they'd lived with for 100 years.
I never get to taste a lobster in my whole life :(
Such a peaceful looking fishing spot.
Yeah I'd love to be out there with a pole
Just don’t let an Iroquois warrior catch you lol
@@pinchevulpes are you in the 18th century?
@@deanthemachine96 immersion helps me enjoy CZcams more. Try it, more fun that way
@@pinchevulpes I'll just cough on 'em and bam. No more Iriqouis
Things like cheese and fish were extremely important because they could be caught and made during times where crops were out of cycle
And they were high in fats and great for survival.
Ahh , I love "catching" wild cheese in the winter . 😄
@@leequinn., do you even realize how stupid that makes you sound?
@@leequinn.you catch it in a bucket from an udder
Right, I believe Daniel Boone got his start as a cheese catcher
I have heard stories about my grandfather and one of his neighbors.
Before ww2 they would take about 2 weeks and go to the gulf cost of fl. With a mule pulled wagon.
They would buy barrels of salted mullet. They would sell the fish on there way back.
The fish they sold payed for the trip and for each of them to keep a barrel for themselves.
:) that’s pretty cool
I hear the same storys same thing Decatur co ga to Apalachicola
The shores of Massachusetts in the 1700s were said to be carpeted with lobster after a storm. They looked upon it as trash food, fit only for servants and the poor. What a change!
Some people do not eat lobster or shrimp because they are Torah compliant Christians.
Maybe that was part of the reason 🤔.
Lobster ,Salmon, Oyster all had law on them not be fed to people than a specified number of times a week otherwise it could be seen as almost a form of cheapness/ bossing.
I'm from Massachusetts know a little bit about fishing and lobster. The funny thing is there's still tons of lobster . The industry feeds the lobster which feeds the industry let me explain.. and by the way you can find some great more recent video showing this lobster traps contain fish the bulk of the lobstets going in get some of the fish and leave the Trap I believe one out of six is a dumb one you can't figure it out those are the ones we eat. I'm going snorkeling and I've seen so many. It's a controlled pricing structure . The hundreds of percent increases in cost from what the lobsterman is paid directly to the actual final cost on the dinner table from Fish Market Supermarket or in a restaurant is inflated quite a bit. So best bet weather in New England or in the maritimes of Canada head down to the docks buy directly from the guys. I'm amazed that no one figures out that you're paying way too much for lobsters.
@@nunnabeeswax2397 the percentage of Jewish people in Massachusetts that keep kosher is a small part of the population.. and even much smaller percentage back in colonial days
@@nunnabeeswax2397 as far as Torah compliant Christians very very few
i swear my blood pressure is lower after i get my weekly dose of Townsends
Ikr!
You're blood pressure goes down after listening to townsen but it will quickly go up again after eating salted fish for a while lol stay safe
@@andrewlyle2687 and yet, many will turn on their tvs tonight after this and listen to the dribble.
Very Bob Ross-ian.
I'm new here but I can see why now.
That butter sealing process is something I had never heard of before in Europe, but it's brilliant, really.
Used to get it all the time in 80s Britain, even from the supermarket. The jars were vacuum-sealed with screw-tops too though. My mother told me not to eat the butter but I sometimes did anyway. The meat was always of a consistency that spread easily on buttered bread.
Generations to come will benefit from the contents that you have created. Simple, artistic,yet so classy....much love from 🇮🇳
When you are content with the food of the poor, you are free. When you can feed yourself with the resources around you, you'll end up rich. When you are content with beans, cornbread and the fish or game you can catch, you don't need anyone.
I grew up in Northern Canada and used to eat this type of fish preparation just about any time we were in the woods - which was always. We called the whole group kippers or just fish as a general name. We used to put it directly on the coals and then put it on buttered bread. I grew up eating this stuff and you would not believe how much it is missed.
My dad always called them kippers lol
Watch Marco Pierre White's Great British Feast documentary, for a feature on kippers. ;)
@@CooManTunes will do
My families' great-grandfathers in Bavaria were still professional river fisherman. Until today stockfish is a popular meal at special events and fairs here in Bavaria.
This is my favorite historic food channel. I love that it's not just making an old recipe, but telling a story. It's a beautiful homage to our history and ancestors. ❤
It took me till 2:30 to realise he was talking about a food source that supported a nation, not fish that staged a coup and took the nation at gunpoint.
You're not the only one lol
how did you even manage to think of that lol
@@DeusJudexMeusEst from the title - food that held up a nation 😅
Ha ha ha!!!
I'd watch your show on Misheard History.
I’m a big fan of this new format. I like how it’s sort of a reenactment of what they did in the colonial days. Would love to see more videos like this
Same. I really find myself becoming immersed in the time period with these videos and I LOVE that
A lot of fish sauce today is made with fermented anchovy and salt. Probably similar to the fish source made in Roman times. The Roman fish sauce was put on everything and its modern equivalent is ketchup, being put on a lot of modern food.
I’m a trained chef who has cooked all over the country. I really like you food history vlogs. Very informative, interesting and packed full of cool facts. Finally subscribed on my account after watching you on the living room tv for a while now.
We’ve literally overfished.. I live in SW Virginia and it’s literally impossible to catch a native trout out of any water that is not stocked by either the government or a private person. When the local government does stock the waters with trout they announce it and that leads to almost every fisherman to be there on that day to catch as many as they can get away with. SMH, I wish they wouldn’t announce it at all because it actually might help the comeback of them. 🇺🇸
Same here. I am from north-east India and I feel that my tribesmen have hunted WAY too many animals and birds.
Yo what? Im mid south west VA (think roanoke) trout are about as much of nuisance as deer near here. Catfish are crowded out by them lmao
I don't think it's fishermen, I think the rivers are too polluted still and blocked up with dams for more fragile species like trout.
@@evil1by1 This
@Peeshy huge corporate fishing operations? I can literally tell you’ve never been to my area because you’re wrong. There are no such operations in this entire region. It is in fact the individual fisherman. They don’t follow laws. Tourists are the worst.
I was just telling my nephew the other day that fish was a huge necessity since ancient times because people lived near rivers and because they didn't have refrigerators they had to get food more often
That’s why Stone Age peoples lived and moved through Europe along the rivers.
Interestingly, while the modern North American population eats more nutritiously on average than their colonist ancestors paradoxically there seems to be a quite a lot of people deficient in zinc. Apparently our primary source for zinc was from the fish and shellfish, and the recent trend of people moving away from eating them are compromising their immune system which zinc is crucial.
@234ne14
It would help if fish wasn't 2x per pound that hamburger is, or the same price as a steak lol.
Hi
People who lived near water built spring houses eventually. basically they diverted some of the water to run through a house that had wells in it where they would keep milk eggs etc cold in the running water, then it ran back out into the river. They'd make a filter towards the beginning to get drinking water as well.
In the Philippines, fish is an amazing and very common commodity. Hell, 'til now, it's extremely flexible and easy to catch especially for the ones that're struggling financially. It's simple to cook, a simple vinegar, lemon and garlic marinade always made the fish better.
I love fish.
Jon always looks so happy and content. I aspire to be more like this man
What if ???????? It's only cuz he's simply less intelligent?
Haha.
Garam and Worchester sauce made with fermented or "rotted" fish. We still use them today.
yeah not to mention good ol fish sauce. that stuff smells iffy but tastes amazing. Fermentation really is crazy black magic, you're so close to poisoning yourself but instead get amazing flavors
@@lenabreijer1311 Botulism results from anaerobic fermentation. I know Inuit peoples bury seals under a rock for many months to ferment them to a cheesy consistency. This increases the vitamin K content dramatically. People all over the world ferment something to get vitamin K. Europeans ferment milk mostly.
@@KairuHakubi When I was pregnant I craved fish sauce and drown almost everything in it. Also things like mango pickles, olives and anything with a strong, salty taste.
@@jpf77302 yeah! i wonder what the mechanism is there, because I think the common element is salt.. i guess if you need to make a brand new nervous system, it takes a lot of electrolytes. plus you're peeing a lot.
@@issuma8223 Neat
I feel sorry for the big guy. You always got him up on top of a log cabin or waist deep in a river lol... Y
Ryan is a hardy burly guy by the looks of it, I wouldn't mess with him.
The man is getting to fish instead of talk. He got the better end of the deal.
@@magnustheman524 totally agree
@@magnustheman524 Bad day of fishing is better than a day at work.
@@moosemaimer Unless you’re a commercial fisherman then it’s just a bad day at work.
This video is of superb quality - can’t believe it wasn’t a broadcasted production. Great work, awesome mix of historical lecture in addition to reliving/replaying!
Your content has gotten me through such hard times. I'm grateful for you all and your obvious dedication to the retelling of history. My favorite CZcams channel!
In Alaska Fish is still a main staple. Though Alaskan needs are being brushed a side for tourism and comercial fishing. Not to mention Asia's fish markets putting pressure on the fish have really taken food off the table.
The Asian continent t is going to drain our planet at this rate
Here in Northern Sweden fish was still vital well past ww2 and some places even longer.
My grandfater fished to put food on the table even in 1980s.
@@ViktoriousDead their absolutely ridiculous over fishing is downright nuts.
@@gerardamoia6997 the fish are underfucking.
Same on the Great Lakes.
Kinda wild how the plentiful fish were fished almost to extinction. Nowadays, the most populous fish tend to be invasive species, at least here in Florida. Mayan cichlids and tilapia are everywhere in the thousands -- at least they are very tasty, and nobody bats an eye when you go home with a dozen or so caught with a cast net.
Fished to extinction or product of the invasive species? Snakeheads decimate native fish.
@@fritzthecat9451 not as bad as you would expect plus I've heard snakehead taste great
@@fritzthecat9451 Both plus habitat loss and pollution.
tilapia are delicious.
Here in Hawaii they just got introduced by the locals as a food source into many of our rivers and ponds, sucks that they’re going to make the native waterfall hopping guppy fish extinct but at least we have a food source for the gatherers that stick exist here.
Fish - so important! Especially fish caught in traps.
With a hook and line, one on one, there's a name for trying to survive that way - starvival. Because that takes nearly the calories to catch, as the fish yields when eaten.
So weirs, traps, lines - all were better because you could use your energy on other things, while the fish were being caught.
Truly one of the best channels I have ever found. And this episode is one of the most thought provoking ones I have seen. As a boy paddling the rivers of northern Indiana, I often found the remnants of the fishing weirs used by the Miami Indians as well as the early settlers. My grandmother told us stories about going to the river and watching her uncles harvest fish in the late 1800$. This is the first time I have ever seen this mentioned in this context.
I remember when I was little, we were always fishing with my dad at the river near our village, good times. There was nice trout and some other fish to which I do not know the English name of.
Pike/Pickerel?
@@WildRapier Oh yeah! This is one of them. We used "spoon bait" to catch it. I checked for other names such as redfin, bass fish, Tench, Mullet (fish). Learned so many fish names today :D
Grayling. Eating coarse fish meant doom to bowels and reputation
Got any Wels around you? We have them here in Germany, and I've been told they're coming from eastern Europe. Don't know the English name, but they're the nonsensically big catfish. I've heard they're not good to eat, but some people here still go after them as a challenge.
@@momon969 oh, yeah. We have them, here they are called "Som", "Сом". They are quite huge!
Nothing more wholesome and peaceful than enjoying history on this channel. It takes away the anxiety of a shakey future with knowledge from the past. Thank you all at Townsends for doing what you do!
The fact that others dealt with less than desirable conditions and came through it is very comforting.
The history in your mouth is made with anxieties of a shakey future. What you're doing is just being scares of the future and just dwells on the past.
@@ih82r8 yeah very,
@@Hey-jw3dm not even close. Just read the comment and move of if you don't have critical thinking skills.
What a wonderful video. The amount of differing foods and the preparation, storytelling and demonstration of all of these methods is fantastic.
This guys content is good for the soul and really makes me thankful for the inventions and stuff we have today
I love the shots you took with the drone. Very picturesque river.
That was amazingly beautiful
I remember hearing an account of settlers of the coast of Newfoundland, Canada. They said the fish was so insanely plentiful and dense in the ocean there they could literally just lower a basket in the water on some string and pull it up and it would be full of fish. Overfishing really dropped the world population of fish drastically.
This is a true story. I heard the same myself from family members growing up here. My dad told stories of how the fishery slowly declined with overfishing by big ships.
It's like that in a river by me but only for two periods of a couple weeks each. Runs of fish can be crazy if you've never seen one.
There was a theory that if the cod were not fished at all, and all predation stopped, in a few years time a man could walk the length of the atlantic on the back of live cod and not get his feet wet. They truly believed it was an unending resource.
@@littlekong7685 wow, interesting theory. I doubt it's possible, but still interesting.
@@littlekong7685 utterly impossible, but all it takes is a decade or so of no fishing and most fish stocks will be replenished. Fish breed to insanely fast, but we are faster at catching them...
Educational, very entertaining to watch and as wholesome as it can be. This channel really feels like home.
This reminds me of an excerpt from the novel The Perfect Storm, talking about the salt cod industry. The author quotes that salted cod and/or stock fish became so popular because once processed, it became a rugged slab of protein that could be treated as indelicately as shoe leather, and still be soaked back to a palatable form. Looking at your hanging stockfish, you can easily see what he means by that. The fish as it's hanging looks anything BUT edible. And yet with proper handling, it could be something delicious.
"You might settle in a particular area simply because the fishing is good"
I still did that today lol
One of the things that I really like about these videos is the view back into how people were forced to communicate and work together to survive and the disagreements that ensued when they didn't. Feels like something that's lost in my life. I can spend all day at work talking to people and writing notes about consults but not feel like I've actually communicated with anyone. Life seems like it was a bit less lonely and more personal back then.
Technology has ruined our means of communicating personally.
This is literally revolutionary :) the stories the music.
The production and John's story telling .... this amazing...and everybody involved should be PROUD!!! Kudos Gentleman
This is why i subbed to this channel. I love history and the amount of time and care taken to teach history is so appreciated. Thank you Townsends.
Wow John I'm blown away! I've been watching your videos almost since the beginning, and you've now graduated beyond network quality! This is MUCH better than shows on NatGeo or History channel. Kudos to you and your team!
Plus no distracting music or idiotic sound effects with annoying hosts. Just quality content through and through.
You guys! This video is a tour de force. What a great amount of information you provide. The cinematography is gorgeous and interesting. Watching this week's video was a superior experience to anything I've seen on television in a long time. I can only imagine the amount of work that went into creating it, yet it all rolls off the screen as effortless and elegant. I am blown away.
Thank you so much!
This channel is so delightful.
It really makes you appreciate so much, your history, what you have, and the small things in life. Always perks me right up
This channel is a national treasure. The service this channel has done to bring American history to global inquiring minds is priceless. I have no idea if The Library of Congress has begun including youtube channels, but they should start with this one. Astounding diligence, temperance, and and passion for American history. Thank you!!!
"Cod" by Mark Kurlansky can teach you more about cod than you thought possible
Awesome my KD ratio was looking pitiful.
Also his book “Salt” is great and talks about preserved fish
@@captainmicahp yeah, that was also fun. Ballroom carved out of a salt mine in Poland was really interesting
I highly recommend reading Mark Kurlansky’s books. I learned so much from his writings.
@@captainmicahp I owned Salt, but I gave my copy of Cod to my step-grandfather. This Townsend's immediately made me think of it. I guess I'll look it up and get it on Kindle/epub.
I'm happy we have people like you here on youtube
This is the kind of content that makes CZcams great, and makes up for all the trash videos.
His content is so relaxing and homely/cozy
Can’t help but come back to this video time and time again. Phenomenal quality work John and everyone at Townsend
Your videos are truly priceless. What an incredible life it would be to live back then vs now. Thank you for your valuable and heart warming content.
Ryan wades into the river to go fishing while wearing his cooking clothes? Talk about optimism.
Alright, this one got a chuckle out of me lol
Like going into the woods to hunt while wearing your butchering apron.
Dude I laughed so hard at the realization of this
I believe it was the early explorer, John Cabot, who mentioned about the abundance of cod that was off the coast of what's now Newfoundland, Canada. It's not as plentiful now. In the early 1900s, in parts of Western Canada, fish was traded for other things, like vegetables, and flour. Long ago, I remember having some fresh caught fish fillets for dinner. I believe my dad dredged them in flour, before frying them. It was trout, if I recall. There was a lake adjacent to my dad's farm in Alberta. It was next to where my uncle lived. The lake has since dried up. Due to livestock doing their business by the lake, it wasn't good for fishing anymore. In Saskatchewan, Manitoba, in Canada, and in Minnesota, they have an abundance of lakes, which are great for fishing. Thanks for this great video. Cheers!
We have the same problem in Massachusetts by the 1980s they put in serious restrictions. It has come back to a degree because of regulations and I'm sure the same thing probably has happened up in the maritimes
@@WhatsCookingTime The reason the cod stocks collapsed in the Maritimes was because the provincial and federal governments had a "get big it get out" policy in dealing with commercial fishermen. There had been an enormously productive ecosystem that fed millions of people with just sailing vessels and small powered boats running nets and they never had any real impact. But the Government have out loans and insisted everyone buy huge trawlers and once one guy does that, his competitors feel the need to increase their own output in the same fashion because the excess in supply drives the prices down. So everyone "went big" despite biologists pointing out that the stocks couldn't support the heavy take of such an export market.
And here we are.
@@cameronbuttigieg9060 Also, hunting seals was outlawed, seal population exploded, hence fewer cod. Also the cod got a new disease that killed them.
Minnesota lakes while generally are good fishing are limited by lousy regulations
@@ethanl440 It could be that the few bad folk ruin it for everyone else.
I’ve been using this channel for research for food preservation for a book I’ve been writing. Thank you so much for providing this information along with recipe videos!
Your all’s production team is amazing! Incredible work guys as always!
"We're gonna DIVE in and take a DEEPER look..."
I see what you did there, Mr. Townsend!
I can't believe this high-quality content is available for free. Become Patreons if you can, people!!
He's SHARING these videos with us, on a video-SHARING website. When you share something with someone else, do you want them to give you money, as well? Get over yourself and stop trying to get people to have to pay to watch CZcams. It's okay to just be a subscriber. If Mr. Townshend wants to charge people for anything, then he'll formally sell books and videos.
@@CooManTunes What are you talking about? Townsends already has a Patreon. And they do use it as a source of income.
I truly LOVE this channel! As grim as it was, the Eighteenth Century (and earlier) is my favorite period in American history to study. 'Townsend & Son' is among my favorites channels. So well conceived. If I had the time, I could watch these videos all day without getting bored.
this is the only channel on CZcams that effectively makes me both hungry for food and for history. Thanks for the wonderful videos! :D
Excellent presentation. You can see echoes of that old fishing industry all over New England.
So true it's one of the nice things about living here
I read somewhere that for the first "Thanksgiving", it was more likely that the colonists ate river eels instead of turkey.
To be honest, if it were actually a feast, then yeah, plus it was probably fowl, waterfowl, seafood, crops, soups, stews, and many more, rather than the turkey centric feasts we have today. Remember how many people were there as colonists, plus the natives!
I heard or read something similar too , except they used lobster 🦞 instead, or fish as well.
These are seriously such educational, entertaining, and beautiful productions! Thank you everyone that helps with Townsends! These videos should be shown in history classes not just power point presentations and text book readings.
Your videos really show me a different perspective. They make me think about things I normally wouldn’t. You’re doing a wonderful thing
My Mother in Law came from a fly in community in Northern Quebec/Labrador. Salt cod and seal were their mainstays. They didn't have the wood necessary for smoking. They not only had to feed themselves but also the dog teams. The hardiness and stamina of these people amaze me.
I loved the Smeagol looking at the hook shot!
i love the style of this episode. so informative and well-crafted, you guys put a lot into this and it shows. i'm just floored with how you've grown over the years, thank you for all you do!
And calm. I love the calm, almost contented pace of each program. Too many people feel like they've got to be loud and fast.
I really appreciate the depth of detail, and entertaining the possible thought processes and struggles the common person went through day to day.
I live along the Des Moines River and we are warned not to make fish from the river a regular diet, because of all the toxic chemicals in the water. They didn't have to worry about that 200 years ago. My mom used to make noodles from turtle eggs.
That was well done! Thank you for making remember what grand-pa use to say after taking me fishing , Were not done yet Paul! We would salt some, smoke others and just a few fresh for the family supper! It got to be later in the fall he would bring out the smoked and winter time the salted and a warm fire out side to smoke the salted. then spring again. Miss him much and the things he taught me!!
Your videos are like sitting down with the best culinary/history combo teacher and watching a wonderfully produced documentary at the same time. I don’t want this channel to go anywhere but up
This episode is one of the reason this channel is a favorite of mine...keep em coming
Jon, The sound effects at 14:30 combined with the ken burns style pictures was a reall neat cutaway...I’d suggest this edit for use in the future. It was a cool narrative while looking at photos of those living the life you speak of.
Newfoundlander here. I grew up as a fisherman's daughter. I knew how important fish was, although I ate so much of it that I got tired if it.
@@lenabreijer1311 yum!
I feel the same about shrimp, growing up on the river near coast we shrimped nightly when they were running, a 1000 + lbs in the freezer every year. They get old eventually.
@@ronaldowens5025 yup, crazy right! I'd kill for some fresh shrimp now lol
@@applegal3058 aww I bet u were adorable haha.
This is really incredible work guys. It always is, but you've gone above and beyond in this video!
Your videos have recently started appearing in my feed and I just want to say that they are SO interesting and educational - I am hooked! Thank you so much for producing these!
What a wonderful video! I learned so much in an entertaining and delightful way! Thank you!! Love and God Bless, Mary
Hello Mary
Except now you can't eat much fish or you grow a third eye and glow in the dark etc etc.
@@cody481 been eating fish for decades, shake my third hand.
@@fritzthecat9451
So have you heard the list of no eat food for pregnant women?
If pregnant women eat fish the sun will collide with the moon and all life will end.
Blah blah blah.
The world seems to have gone woke.
And yet not 1 “woke “ person knows if the potatoes eye should be planted up or down.
@@cody481 oh yeah, dangerously high levels of hurpderpmerberium. They say that's the stuff that killed off Mars.
This was great and relaxing to watch. The music, the sounds of the water and the chill history. 👍🏻
I enjoy watching you tell stories with such interest in the everyday life, and cooking, of our history. It’s such a refreshing look on the past.
You are doing such a great job with your videos, bringing history alive . Your backgrounds , props, camera shots and panning, music, and narration are very good. Making the wood fish rack is appreciative of your hard work. You put a lot into these and I appreciate it John and crew. . Thank you.
One of the best videos yet. The research, the information, the photography. Top notch! Thank you.
Great video, 27 minutes and NOT bored or annoyed!
love the "Masterpiece Theater" quality towards the end
Gotta be one of the best videos on youtube I've ever watched, awesome history, very imformative, extremely relaxing and you can just feel the passion for this that you guys have.
Extremely awesome, it is incredible how peaceful you guys can make these.
Greetings from Denmark.
A milestone in you guys’ channel, this episode. Well done