Category Food

It all began at New York

All of the several accounts of how potato chips were invented lead to the Moon’s Lake House restaurant at Saratoga Springs, New York, the U.S. In 1853, George Crum was a chef at Moon’s Lake House, serving some of the wealthiest and most powerful people in New York. Well-respected but notorious for his crankiness and arrogance, the chef claimed that he could transform the most basic and meagre ingredients into food fit for royalty.

One night, business tycoon Cornelius Vanderbilt, who was dining at Moon’s Lake House, returned a plate of Crum’s fried potatoes saying they were cut too thick. In the next batch, Crum had cut the potatoes thinner but the guest sent those back too, saying they weren’t crisp and tasty enough. This was too much for Crum. To teach Vanderbilt a lesson, he fried wafer-thin potato slices, making them impossible to pick up with a fork, and seasoned them with extra salt. Picking up the food with fingers was unthinkable back then – the wafer-thin slices were Crum’s revenge: a way to embarrass his guest. Vanderbilt, however, loved the snack, lavishly complimented the chef and asked for more. Other diners ordered it too. Soon, potato chips became the signature dish for Moon’s Lake House, Saratoga. Although popular, this tale was refuted by Saratoga County historian, Violet B. Dunn. From her conversations with Crum’s contemporaries, she found no evidence that Crum had anything at all to do with inventing the potato chip.

A good accident!

A more credible version of the legend relates to a kitchen accident at Moon’s Lake House. Katie Speck Wicks, who worked alongside Crum, was frying crullers (a deep-fried pastry) and peeling potatoes at the same time. A thin slice of potato landed in the hot oil. By the time she fished it out, it had become crisp. Crum tasted it and called it “a good accident”.

The newly invented ‘Saratoga Chips’ remained confined to Saratoga for several decades – as no more than a side-dish served in baskets and paper cones – until Cleveland entrepreneur William Tappenden, judging its potential, took it out of the kitchen and into one of his barns: the first-ever potato chips started appearing in grocery stores, to be stored in barrels or glass cases and sold by weight. This was in 1895. By the 1900s, several large, medium and small potato chip factories opened up across America. Many of these are still in business albeit under different names.

The smart move

Laura Scudder, a lawyer, former restaurant owner and a strong-willed woman who had also started her potato chip factory in the 1900s, realised that both the grocer and the customer had to go through a lot of trouble, transferring the chips from their barrels and weighing them out into bags. Besides, the chips at the bottom of the barrel typically crumbled, staled and were wasted. Her solution was simple: She asked her employees, mainly women, to iron wax strips on top of the empty paper bags. The chips would be filled directly into the wax-lined paper bags, which could be sealed airtight by just ironing the top again, keeping the chips fresher for longer. The bags of chips would be displayed on shelves with ‘freshness dates’. With the invention and use of cellophane, truly air-tight packaging for potato chips was perfected.

And it evolves…

The potato chip industry continued to evolve. Farmers began cultivating and supplying chipping potatoes directly to potato chip factories. Chipping potatoes contains less water and are better suited for frying than the ones used in home kitchens. As markets expanded and demand increased, kettle cookers, which were used to make the chips in small batches, made way for continuous fryers. Huge amount of potato chips were available in only one flavour – plain salted. Then, technology made it possible to season the chips directly. The first flavoured chips were cheese and onion and salt ‘n vinegar.

The next time you visit a supermarket, just look at the potato chips shelf to appreciate how far potato chips have travelled from that accident in a kitchen in upstate in New York. It continued to spark the imagination of anyone wanting to experiment with exotic flavours.

 

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Instant noodles are popular among all age-groups across the globe as they are quick and extremely easy to be prepared.

Birth of instant noodles

In post-Second World War Japan (after1945), food ration was highly limited. People often waited in long queues to buy a bowl of hot ramen (pulled noodles). The Japanese government was given food aid by the U.S. government and this consisted of oil and wheat flour. Therefore, the Japanese officials urged the locals to use these products. Japanese businessman Momofuku Ando saw this as an opportunity and invented the instant noodles. Momofuku used flour, salt and water to make noodles and flash-fried them.

In 1958, the first batch of these dry blocks of noodles was sold for about 35 Yen per piece (in today’s money, that’s about Rs. 350) in supermarkets across Japan. Though they were expensive, they became a huge hit among the working class and students.

This invention is believed to have fuelled Japan’s modern post-war economic rise.

In 1971, Momofuku came up with another important invention – the cup noodles. Following this, instant noodles went global.

Japan most successful invention

Instant noodle is considered one of Japan’s greatest inventions of the 20th Century.

According to a study conducted by the Fuji Research Institute, the Japanese people see instant noodles as the best Japanese invention. Many locals believe that instant noodles represent their country.

Though it was invented in Japan, the largest consumers of instant noodles are the Chinese. Japan stands at the third position with respect to the rate of instant noodle consumption, after Indonesia.

Ever-expanding varieties

One of the most iconic features of instant noodles is that they can be adapted to fit anyone’s taste buds. The traditional ramen noodles consists of wheat noodles served in a tangy, soupy broth and is topped with slices of meat or tofu.

Different countries have their own versions. In Thailand, green curry flavour is a hit. In Mexico, instant noodles are eaten with salsa and a dash of lime juice, and in India, desi masala flavour is a local favourite. Chefs and food experts have been experimenting on newer varieties of noodles. A few quirky types include sweet rose, pizza, ground seaweed, mustard and wasabi noodles.

The cup noodles museum

The cup noodles museum in Osaka, Japan, displays the story of the invention of instant noodles and the growth of this industry.

The museum, opened on November 21, 1999, allows visitors to make their own ramen concoctions and add customised naruto (fish cake) pieces on them. This museum comprises over 5,460 flavour combinations of ramen.

 

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Eaten as an entire with ketchup, mayonnaise or salsa or as part of the main course along with burgers, steaks or flavoured rice, French fries are one of the most popular dishes prepared across the world. The origin of this deep-fried snack is murky as both France and Belgium claim it to be their own.

Many food historians claim that original potato fries originated in Namur, Belgium. According to lore, fried fish was their staple. In the 1680s, when the River Meuse froze, unable to catch any fish, the locals of Namur fried potatoes instead of fish. This is considered to be the birth of fries. It is believed that the American soldiers stationed in this francophone region during World War I, called these deep-fried potatoes “French Fries”. Belgium recently petitioned the UNESCO to endorse fries as an official icon of Belgian cultural heritage. While Belgium claims the fries to be its own. French culinary experts and historians believe the very first fries were sol by street vendors in the 1780s, on Paris’ oldest standing bridge, Pont Neuf.

In addition to this, they state that deep-frying of potatoes could not have been plausible for the peasants of Namur, considering their socio-economic conditions. Former U.S. President Thomas Jefferson is generally credited with introducing French Fries to the U.S. Jefferson is said to have encountered them while serving as American Minister to France from 1784 to 1789. In his manuscript written in the early 19th Century, he talks about “Pommes de terre frites en petites tranches”, which is french for “small slices of deep-fried potatoes”. The French fries, eventually came to be known as fries in the U.S. and it became extremely popular there by the 1900s. In the mid-1960s, American entrepreneur J.R. Simplot invented the frozen fries. This revolutionary invention paved the way for the fries to become a massive hit across the world.

Across the globe

Fries are prepared differently in each part of the world. In Canada, a form of fries, known as poutine, is considered the national dish. The combination of fries, cheese curds and gravy first appeared in rural Quebec, Canada, in the 1950s. In Britain, fish and chips (firies) is a staple. French classic steak-frites is a combination of fried potatoes with grilled meat. In South Africa, slap chips, a softer version of the fries are very famous. South Koreans enjoy eating a sweet type of French fries known as honey butter fries.

A museum just for fries

The first and only museum dedicated to potato fries is in Bruges, Belgium. Known as Frietmuseum, it explains the history of potatoes and fries. The museum is housed in the oldest building in Bruges – the Saaihaile – and is owned by entrepreneur Eddy Van Belle and his son Cedric.

Record-breaking fries

An Indian food expert, Chandresh Bayad holds the Guinness world records for the largest serving of chips (fries) and the largest molded potato chip (French fry). This serving of fries weighed 659 kg and was achieved at an event in Gujarat on September 22, 2018. Bayad prepared the molded potato chip weighing 11 kg in Gujarat, on October 7, 208.

Can fries be cooked in space?

In a 2014 study, a pair of Greek researchers teamed up with the European Space Agency to test how gravity affects deep frying. They attached a deep-fryer onto the arms of a Centrifuge at the European Space Research and Technology Centre in the Netherlands.

Using this device they found that as gravity gets stronger, fries get crispier. This means, fries cooked in zero gravity could end up soggy, with barely any crust.

 

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Origin & Evolution

The origins of biryani can be traced back to Persia (present-day Iran). The name biryani is derived from the Persian term ‘birinj birian’, which means ‘fried rice’. In Iran, biryani is traditionally made in a pot called deg. The rice and meat are slow-cooked in the latter’s own juices for several hours.

Biryani is believed to have been brought to India by the Mughals. There are various theories relating to the evolution of biryani in India. One such is that Timur, a Turk-Mongol conqueror, brought a variant of biryani with him when he came to India in 1398. Another theory suggests, the dish was brought to the Malabar cost in Kerala by Arab traders.

Ancient 2 A.D. Tamil texts have records of a rice dish known as ‘oon doru’, believed to be a predecessor of biryani. Oon soru, a food item consumed by soldiers, is said to have been made of rice, ghee, meat and spices.

Variations across India

Since its arrival, biryani has donned different forms to appeal to regional taste preferences. From the sweet and savoury Thalassery biryani to the famous Hyderabadi Dum biryani, there are several types of biryani prepared across the country. A few of these include Sindhi, Dindigul, Calcutta, Tahari, Beary, Awadhi, Bombay and Bhatkali biryanis.

Main ingredients

Rice, ghee, onions, tomatoes, meat, yoghurt, spices such as nutmeg, pepper, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, saffron and bay leaves.

Quirky adaptations

Over the last few years, there have been several interesting adaptations of this rich Persian delicacy. Ever heard of bamboo, pot or potli (pockets made of dough) biryani? Instead of being served in a platter or a bowl, they are served in bamboo stems, earthen pots or pockets of dough. Biryani has also been very versatile in creating fusion recipes. There are several eateries that prepare offbeat biryani varieties such as biryani wraps, burgers, ice-creams and dimsum.

 

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