By SHARON ROSE
Turtle Soup Was Loved By This US President
President William Howard Taft, who was in the White House from 1909 to 1913, enjoyed turtle soup so much that he hired a special chef to make his own "Taft's Terrapin Soup" recipe.
Turtle soup is a delicacy that includes veal, tomatoes, herbs, sherry, vegetables, boiled eggs, and turtle meat. It was served in upscale restaurants, social clubs, and hotels.
Taft insisted that the soup be accompanied by champagne and included the dish on menus for Independence Day celebrations, state banquets, and gatherings of the Hoboken Turtle Club.
John Adams and his wife Abigail, George Washington, Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and Alexander Hamilton also enjoyed eating turtle soup.
After the 1930s, American tastes shifted away from the dish as overfishing caused turtle meat to become scarce and expensive. Green sea turtles were declared endangered in 1973.