San Francisco

The juxtaposition of ocean and bay harbor with hills, fertile valleys, and temperate climate has always informed the character and development of San Francisco. Settled by a rich stew of immigrants, the City by the Bay has been a cultural and culinary crossroads throughout its history.

The first inhabitants were Ohlone hunter-gatherers who dined on the region’s abundant plants and animals. Acorns processed into porridge and cakes were an important staple, and residual coastal shell mounds reveal a reliance on oysters, mussels, clams, and abalone. The Ohlone consumed berries, mushrooms, roots, and shoots; they hunted seals and otters, deer and elk, ducks and geese, rabbits and squirrels, and they fished for salmon, trout, and sturgeon.