13 Of John F. Kennedy's Favorite Foods

Although John F. Kennedy served many years in the U.S. House of Representatives and as a senator, it's the 1,000 or so days he served as president before his tragic assassination in 1963 that cemented him as one of our most beloved politicians. So much so that public fascination with JFK, including his food preferences, continues to this day. 

Despite Kennedy's tall stature, he was known as a "small eater," as his official online library says. But our 35th president had his favorite foods, many of which were influenced by his New England upbringing. As is likely the case with most coast-dwelling New Englanders, seafood played a central part in the foods that JFK loved. Mentions of seafood also appear in abundance in his presidential archives.

Aside from his penchant for seafood, his tastes generally come across as unpretentious: Breakfasts were straightforward affairs. Lunches were often simple and almost always included soup, a frequent Kennedy favorite mentioned in his online library. Soups also appeared regularly on menus for state functions and more formal dinners. While he was not known as a dessert eater, he would occasionally partake in something sweet at the end of his meal.

If one can glean a person's personality based on what they eat, JFK's food preferences can surely tell us a lot about him. 

A search for "recipes" in President John F. Kennedy's archives turns up dozens, if not hundreds, of requests for his favorite recipe. And JFK, his wife, or one of his press secretaries almost always came back with one recipe. It was simply named "Waffles." Although sweets in general, including after-dinner desserts, did not seem as near and dear to him as some of his other beloved dishes, this waffle recipe was another story. Rich with butter, sugar, and fluffy egg whites, the recipe calls for the finished waffles to be adorned with melted butter and hot maple syrup. The maple syrup mention is a clear nod to his New England roots. For presidents, even sharing recipes can be a political act.

Kennedy's waffle recipe was sent out to requestors as varied as cookbook authors, PTAs, fourth graders working on homework assignments, and many fundraising projects. One such fundraiser, Teas for TV of Southern California, asked for a handprinted or typed recipe on personal stationery. The proceeds of this fundraiser were slated to go toward TV advertising for Democratic candidates.

Although what constituted the former president's favorite breakfast is still up for debate, a pattern does seem to emerge regarding his morning preferences. The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library describes his breakfast preferences succinctly, with careful wording and interesting details.

One might think Kennedy's favorite breakfast juice would come from a fruit more closely associated with the Northeast, like apples. But orange juice was his breakfast go-to.

For the food, he liked his bacon crisp and preferred it broiled. This may be because non-stick pans had not yet made their splashy entrance to the cooking world, and frying bacon required even more oil to keep the strips from sticking to the pan. Or it's simply because he liked the slightly drier crispness that comes from broiling.

Aside from bacon, marmalade was also regularly on his breakfast menu, not jam or jelly. Toast was served on the side. Sometimes, he had his toast with a poached egg on it, but he also liked soft-boiled eggs.

Poignantly, we know exactly what JFK had for his very last breakfast. It was very much the same as described above, with a few differences. His egg that morning was a five-minute soft-boiled egg. His wife, Jackie Kennedy, stressed that morning that his orange juice should be fresh-squeezed. And coffee was requested to be served with hot milk — he preferred that over cream.

As we'll see, soup was a perennial John F. Kennedy favorite, and a search of his archives reveals a letter from then-Minnesota Senator Hubert Humphrey. In the letter addressed to JFK, Humphrey extols the virtues of his wife's beef soup. Humphrey declares that Muriel Humphrey's beef soup is "loaded with vitamins and guarantees a Democratic victory," according to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library archive.

Kennedy wrote Humphrey back via his special assistant, thanking him for the recommendation and the recipe. He then goes on to reveal that he already had the recipe for Muriel's Beef Soup, but he doesn't say who gave it to him. Per the archived letter, the former president "had obtained it in West Virginia early in 1960, and credits it for his vim, vigor, and itality that saw him through a tough primary."

The recipe includes stewing beef, carrots, celery, onion, cabbage, plum tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, and more, simmered for a good two to three hours.

"Always soup" — that's how the JFK Presidential Library ends its description of John F. Kennedy's lunch preferences, calling the former president a "soup, sandwich and fruit man." And although Muriel Humphrey's beef soup helped him in his 1960 campaign, his heart was always with seafood soups.

A Massachusetts native through and through, his daily menus often included chowders, especially New England Fish Chowder. The archives include a recipe for JFK's favorite version. In it, you'd find plenty of haddock, salt pork — very much like bacon, but without the smoky flavor, potatoes, celery, milk, butter, and more. The salt pork, which had to be sauteed crisp, would be removed from the pot and sprinkled on top just before serving. Once the onions were pan-fried soft, the rest of the ingredients were added to the pot and covered with boiling water. One can almost imagine him poring over the latest communique at lunchtime with a creamy bowl of fish chowder on his desk.

In 1963, a Mrs. Jacqueline L. Fowler sent an inquiry to the Kennedy White House asking about green turtle soup. Per the JFK Presidential Libary, an assistant to the then-president wrote back, " ... the First Family occasionally has turtle soup but ... it has not been served at state dinners or any other official dinners." In its last paragraph, the letter provides an interesting tidbit of information that offers a glimpse into John F. Kennedy's food preferences. The assistant wrote, "It is my understanding that a fish course is usually served at state dinners at The White House, followed by a main course, salad, etc."

A sift through the presidential archives showed that it wasn't just fish but shellfish as well. JFK loved his seafood, and one official state function menu after another listed a seafood dish as the first course.

A November 14, 1961 luncheon for General Chung Hee Park of Korea started with a seafood dish — abalone saute belle meunière. A May 24, 1961 luncheon given in honor of the Prince and Princess of Monaco began with a soft-shell crab amandine. And a 1961 dinner thrown for the President of Pakistan was kicked off with an avocado and crabmeat mimosa — a mayonnaise-based crab cocktail served with chunks of avocado and garnished with fresh parsley.

John F. Kennedy's connection to his New England roots, his extended and influential Massachusetts family, and the city of Boston ran deep. A clear example of this was his relationship with Boston's Union Oyster House, the oldest restaurant in the city. As a congressman, he was a regular visitor to the Boston seafood joint, earning a plaque above the booth where he frequently sat. They still serve oysters on the half-shell, chowders, and a wide variety of seafood options that the former president may very well have chosen.

But he got his oyster fix at political events, too. A cream of oyster soup recipe shows up in his archives, tucked among the menus for state functions. It's a simple recipe focusing on the flavor of the oysters. The oysters are cut into small pieces with scissors and then cooked in their own juices while a cream sauce simmers in another pot. The recipe calls for the concoction to be served with a dot of whipped cream sprinkled with paprika.

In keeping with his "small eater" designation, John F. Kennedy was not someone who often opted for dessert. The brief write-up of his eating habits in the JFK Presidential Library states that if he did partake in dessert, it would be chocolate. However, it's not specified what form that chocolate might take. Might it have been a simple piece of milk chocolate? Perhaps a chocolate brownie or a slice of chocolate cake? Some sources mention his frequent enjoyment of chocolate ice cream — this may be the chocolate the JFK Presidential Libary is referring to.

Another scan of state function menus reveals recurring appearances of crème brûlée and chocolate soufflé as dessert options. And, as seems to be the practice for dishes of special significance, recipes for both of these desserts were found nestled in among the menus. Both are prepared with few ingredients, and both are creamy and rich but not particularly sweet. Were they, like the seafood dishes, also a favorite of JFK? It does seem likely.