History of food
By oldchem1
@oldchem1 (8132)
November 17, 2010 9:22am CST
I was discussing careers with my son last night.
He loves Food Tech ( Domestic Science, Home Economics or Cookery to you and me!!)and was talking about career paths he could follow.
I suggested going into researching the history of food as I find all that sort of thing really interesting and I think more people these days are interested, you only have to see all the various TV programmes about it.
Some of the stories of how foods came about are really interesting.
I'll start the ball rolling with how Alfredo pasta sauces came about. Alfredo recipes are pasta sauce recipes that traditionally contain butter and Parmesan cheese, and the recipe takes its name from the Italian chef and restaurateur Alfredo di Lelio who is said to have invented the dish at his restaurant in Rome - Alfredo alla Scrofa in 1914; in some parts of Italy the dish is known as Pasta al Burro (pasta with butter)
So do you know any interesting details of how foods got their names?
2 people like this
7 responses
@luvandpower (2048)
• United States
17 Nov 10
I love conversations such as these going to start this off with an interesting one.
Foods similar to pizza have been prepared since the Neolithic age. Records of people adding other ingredients to bread to make it more flavorful can be found throughout ancient history.
* In Sardinia, French and Italian archeologists have found a kind of bread baked over 3,000 years ago. According to Professor Philippe Marinval, the local islanders leavened this bread.
* The Ancient Greeks had a flat bread called plakous (p?a????, gen. p?a????t?? - plakountos)[3] which was flavored with toppings like herbs, onion, and garlic.
* It is said that soldiers of the Persian King, Darius the Great (521-486 B.C.) baked a flat bread on their shields and then covered it with cheese and dates.
* In the 1st century BC, the Latin poet Virgil refers to the ancient idea of bread as an edible plate or trencher for other foods in this extract from his Latin poem, the Aeneid:
Their homely fare dispatch’d, the hungry band
Invade their trenchers next, and soon devour,
To mend the scanty meal, their cakes of flour.
Ascanius this observ’d, and smiling said:
“See, we devour the plates on which we fed.”
These flatbreads, like pizza, are from the Mediterranean area and other examples of flat breads that survive to this day from the ancient Mediterranean world are focaccia (which may date back as far as the Ancient Etruscans), coca (which has sweet and savory varieties) from Catalonia, Valencia and the Balearic Islands, the Greek Pita or Pide in Turkish or Piadina in the Romagna part of Emilia-Romagan in Italy.
Similar flat breads in other parts of the world include the Indian Paratha, the South Asian Naan, the Sardinian Carasau, Spianata, Guttiau, Pistoccu, the Alsatian Flammkuchen and Finnish Rieska.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_pizza
Foods similar to pizza have been prepared since the Neolithic age. Records of people adding other ingredients to bread to make it more flavorful can be found throughout ancient history.
* In Sardinia, French and Italian archeologists have found a kind of bread baked over 3,000 years ago. According to Professor Philippe Marinval, the local islanders leavened this bread.
* The Ancient Greeks had a flat bread called plakous (p?a????, gen. p?a????t?? - plakountos)[3] which was flavored with toppings like herbs, onion, and garlic.
* It is said that soldiers of the Persian King, Darius the Great (521-486 B.C.) baked a flat bread on their shields and then covered it with cheese and dates.
* In the 1st century BC, the Latin poet Virgil refers to the ancient idea of bread as an edible plate or trencher for other foods in this extract from his Latin poem, the Aeneid:
Their homely fare dispatch’d, the hungry band
Invade their trenchers next, and soon devour,
To mend the scanty meal, their cakes of flour.
Ascanius this observ’d, and smiling said:
“See, we devour the plates on which we fed.”
These flatbreads, like pizza, are from the Mediterranean area and other examples of flat breads that survive to this day from the ancient Mediterranean world are focaccia (which may date back as far as the Ancient Etruscans), coca (which has sweet and savory varieties) from Catalonia, Valencia and the Balearic Islands, the Greek Pita or Pide in Turkish or Piadina in the Romagna part of Emilia-Romagan in Italy.
Similar flat breads in other parts of the world include the Indian Paratha, the South Asian Naan, the Sardinian Carasau, Spianata, Guttiau, Pistoccu, the Alsatian Flammkuchen and Finnish Rieska.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_pizza
@oldchem1 (8132)
•
17 Nov 10
It'a amazing just how far some foods go back isn't it?
Of course a more recent one is the good old sandwich!
That goes back to 1762 when the then Earl of Sandwich,(actually he was the 4th Earl - John Montagu- who was a great gambler didn't want to disturb his game to eat and so asked his servants to bring him some beef placed between two slices of bread so that he could eat with his hands.
The Sandwich was born.
The Sandwich was born. @luvandpower (2048)
• United States
17 Nov 10
Exactly! Even the corndog which was discovered (skeptically) in the 1920's.
@Memnon (2170)
•
17 Nov 10
I immediately thought of Blackadder IV, and Baldrick's 'rat au van! 
But 'Chicken Marengo' goes back to the Battle of Marengo in 1800. Napoleon's troops sacked the village (Marengo) after defeating the Austro-Hungarian forces, and simply ate whatever was to hand.
Mostly chicken, but basically leading to the idea that you could chuck pretty much anything in with chicken and call it 'Chicken Marengo'. 
But 'Chicken Marengo' goes back to the Battle of Marengo in 1800. Napoleon's troops sacked the village (Marengo) after defeating the Austro-Hungarian forces, and simply ate whatever was to hand.
Mostly chicken, but basically leading to the idea that you could chuck pretty much anything in with chicken and call it 'Chicken Marengo'. @Memnon (2170)
•
17 Nov 10
That's one of the benefits of being a nut about the history of warfare! Sorry about this- I just had to....
Private Baldrick: Rat au Van, Sir.
Captain Blackadder: Rat au Van, Baldrick?
Private Baldrick: Yes Sir, it's Rat that's been
Captain Blackadder, Private Baldrick: Run over by a van.
Private Baldrick: Yes Baldrick.
@gdesjardin (1918)
• United States
18 Nov 10
I really have to laugh, as I am not a good cook at all. Well, I really shouldn't be so hard on myself, I am average. I can cook when I want to, and some stuff I cook can be difficult, but most of the time I just don't enjoy it that much. I think if I had a more modern kitchen and better pans to cook with, maybe...then again, I think I am just making excuses. I can however, cook Fettucine Alfredo...lol My middle son (yes the PS3 crazy one) loves to cook. I get made when his friends tease him for being in the kitchen! Teenagers can be crazy at times. Anyways, him and I will often whip up something together in the kitchen. He really finds cooking interesting and like to know what food is good with what seasonings and stuff like that. Is your son that is interested in food the same one that plays the video games? That would be another thing our boys have in common...lol
@oldchem1 (8132)
•
19 Nov 10
This really is amazing - are we sharing sons?????
Jack ADORES cooking and is wanting to do something in that field when he finishes school.
He is taking it at school and at his last parent's evening his teacher was very impressed with him.
He is always concocting some recipe or other!!
@Professor2010 (20156)
• India
23 Nov 10
Well i am aware of names of indian foods and sweets, for example we have a sweet made from milk basically, it is white , puffy full of thick sugar juice, we call them 'RASGULLA', Ras means juice or liquid and Gulla means ball!!
Thank you so much for this discussion.
Professor. . Cheers have a lucky day ahead.
God bless you. Welcome always.
@rovered777 (649)
• United States
18 Nov 10
Food technology jobs sounds like a really interesting path, because as a successful business owner I eagerly enjoy cooking. Its came to a point whereby I thought working as a kitchen worker would be a great temporary experience. Alfredo pasta sauce is what I had for dinner about 2 hours ago, and I'm really amazed about the history of it. You know lots of stuff about food and careers, and I'm sure he could use such help. Cookery is what the world lives on as every day billions of dollars and pounds of food are consumed. It makes me stop and think that my business is secondary and food is primary. Well, let me open up a bag of pretzels. . . . . . . I'm realizing its not only the taste thats satisfying, but the effect it has on my appetite.
@lingli_78 (12821)
• Australia
17 Nov 10
to be honest with you, i just love to eat good food and never bother to find out about the history of the origin of the food... this is a very interesting discussion... now that you mention it, i will start to look for the origin of the food that i love to eat most so that i will know the history of it... take care and have a nice day...
