"Smith explores the prehistoric origins of soup and traces its development from the Romans through the nineteenth century. He examines the rise of the canning industry, particularly in New Jersey, and the complex distribution and advertising network that transformed tomato soup into a household staple. The reader will learn how a scientific whiz at the Joseph Campbell Preserve Company in New Jersey produced the world's first successful condensed soup and persuaded American homemakers to make this bit of canned succulence a part of the American family diet. In the evolution of the canning industry from a mom-and-pop shop to a fully automated global business, the tomato has evolved as well. New varieties of this fruit were bred to make them perfect for canning.". "Souper Tomatoes concludes with an investigation of tomato soup as an icon of American life."--BOOK JACKET.