None of the popular dishes of either the first people of California or the Spaniards of the Mission period are common today. Why? How did the native people survive in the many environments of the state, and how did the introduction of agriculture change their lives? What delicacies did the pleasure-loving Californian Dons enjoy in their haciendas, and why did their cuisine die out so quickly after the USA annexed the territory? Culinary historian Richard Foss presents an insightful survey of foodways that were nearly lost but are attracting new attention in the 21st century.