What Was the First Food Truck Ever Made? Did Food Trucks Change History?

As we are getting ready for the Hudson Valley Food Truck Festival at Barton Orchards in Poughquag this weekend (Saturday October 21, 2017) it got me thinking about the history of food trucks. Where did they start? What was the first one? Why isn't a grocery cart at the food store called a food truck? Technically it is one, right?

There is actually a website Mobile-Cuisine.com that has gone into great detail as to when the first food truck and then its subsequent evolution to what we know as a food truck today.

According to them, the first food truck made its way around what is now New York City in 1691, selling food from push carts. A tradition that still carries on today with hot dog, pretzel and roasted nut carts (there are many many more than just these three types).

1866 brought what is known as the "Chuck Wagon" to settlers making their way across the US. This predates motorized vehicles, but think about it. The person running this Chuck Wagon, had to be organized and provide potentially large amounts of food without the luxury of refrigeration, running water and a store to pick up daily supplies.

1934 brings the Oscar Mayer Wiener mobile. This most iconic vehicle, does not serve hot dogs in its present form (boy, was I disappointed when I saw the Wiener Mobile and I couldn't get a hot dog. We will leave the whole, why do they call them wieners to another discussion) it is one of the most recognizable product branding items in the United States.

1950's brings the ice cream trucks. In the 1970's ice cream trucks were starting to be turned into Taco Trucks. The evolution slowed until the 2000's where trucks slowly started popping up outside of colleges and liquor based establishments that did not also either want to serve food or they didn't have a kitchen to make food in.

Then, 2017 and the Hudson Valley Food Truck festival at Barton Orchards in Poughquag. At least one dozen food trucks are expected to participate, giving everyone multiple options of foods and desserts to choose from.

What has been the most tasty thing you have ever eaten from a food truck? If you could own and operate your own food truck, what would you serve and what town would you locate it in?