As Pioneer Day approaches, Utah tends to remember only those Mormon settlers who survived on boiled mush, sour weeds or — in some cases — nothing at all as they crossed the Western plains.
Of course, the stories about starvation are the exception, said Utah author and food historian Brock Cheney.
Because of their tragic nature, "a lot of our stories about the pioneers talk about the hardships," said the author of "Plain But Wholesome: Foodways of the Mormon Pioneers."
"But once they were settled, the pioneers had everything they needed," said Cheney, who lives in Willard and teaches middle school.