Which of the following culinary personalities was a real person?

Chef Boyardee is the man behind the canned products such as Beefaroni, beef ravioli, and spaghetti and meatballs. The real-life inspiration for Chef B was born Ettore Hector Boiardi in Northern Italy in 1898. He immigrated to NY in 1915 and began cooking at the famed Plaza Hotel. He later moved to Cleveland and opened his own restaurant, Il Giardibo d'Italia. He changed and simplified the name of the restaurant so it was easier to pronounce to "Boyardee" and began selling his famous spaghetti in cans. His company was purchased by American Home Foods (now ConAgra) but the chef worked in the kitchen until his death in 1987.

Betty Crocker, Cap"n Crunch and Aunt Jemima were all fabricated and not real people.

More Info: mentalfloss.com

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75 Comments

Chris Braun

I remember reading Hector Boiardi's story on a can of beefaroni not too long ago lol. I guess being observant pays off

Keith McGrail

When it comes to the answer to this question if you look it up on google search you will find that Aunt Jemima was a real person as well. I feel I should have gotten this as a correct answer.

elizawheeler

Even as a child I knew that "food" was disgusting.

Arvon

Aunt Jemima was also a real person. Her descendants are miffed that "the woke" movement are canceling her. Call it an insult.

earlepg

I've known that Chef Boyardee (Boiardi) was real since I was a teenager and read a magazine article about him. It's amazing, and unfortunate, that so many accept role-players as real. As a couple said before, are characters such as J R Ewing, James Kirk, and Ronald McDonald real. I understand that Aunt Jemima was being retired as a brand because there was too much backlash to the black slave character (like Little Black Sambo restaurants years ago). It was supposed to be changed to Pearl Milling Company. It seems that Cap'n Crunch is going into permanent retirement because of the uproar over sugary cereals. Didn't see anything about Betty Crocker being taken for real, especially with that real looking portrait. I seem to remember seeing "Betty" cooking in tv, if not at other locations. But to be be clear, she's fictional, too.

Playeroldbutsmart

Aunt Jemima WAS a "real" person!

David L Morehead

His headstone says 1897-1985 https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10156250734931819&set=pcb.1821388707966296&type=3&theater&ifg=1

jerryltaylor

I saw Aunt Jemima, in person, at an appliance store on Cass Street on East Side of Joliet, Illinois back some where around the mid 1950's...Corner of Arch Court and Cass Street. Dressed in the exact attire of Aunt Jemima pictures I used to see when I was a kid. She was making pancakes right there in the store, so if that doesn't qualify as a CHEF, I don't know what does. I think I even ate one?

arthurherrforth

Chris Braun, me too. Hector Boiardi also mass produced his delicious canned products for the American WWII effort. A real American patriot. God bless him.

Mary Crymes

Aunt Jemima was a Black Woman named Nancy Green.

fdeisner

I chose Chef Boyardee and then I Googled Aunt Jemima and this is what I found. Although Aunt Jemima is often thought of as a mythological corporate model in American folklore, it turns out that the amiable face associated with the fluffiest pancake mix on supermarket shelves was actually real person, a lady named Nancy Green.

robert karel

All this time I thought he was make believe! Beefaroni was my favorite!

Lynne Zeman

As a child in the mid-west I loved his canned spaghetti. Thank goodness I grew up, and developed a more discriminating palate. But it would be less expensive enjoying Chef Boyardee's canned spaghetti. Lol