Category Food History

When you were biting into a slice of your favourite pizza, did you ever wonder ever why this favourite food item is spelt and named so oddly? With its two Zs, you have to learn to pronounce it properly before you can order it. Say pit-zz-a to get it right!

The word pizza was first seen in English writing in the early 1800s, but lexicographer John Florio had described pizza as “a small cake or wafer” in his 1598 Italian-English dictionary. Pizza, as you can guess, is an Italian word. Some think the Greek pitta (pita, which means “bran bread”) is the source. Some think it is from the Langobardic (an ancient German language in northern Italy) bizzo, meaning “bite.”

 

Who made the first pizza?

The Italian version of the pizza (specially the one from Naples) is what we are most familiar with, and so most people think Italians invented the modern pizza. But baked bread with different toppings was being eaten long ago in different parts of the world. The pissaladiere from Provence, coca from Catalonia, and lahmacun from the Middle East look and taste the same as the modern pizza.

What is a pizza? It is a flat, open pie with a generous coating of tomato sauce and a heavy sprinkle of mozzarella cheese. It was first made by baker Raffaele Esposito in Naples. In 1889, he made a patriotic pie that was topped with mozzarella, basil and tomatoes to reflect the colours of the Italian flag, in honour of King Umberto and Queen Margherita’s visit. The story goes that the Queen loved the pie and it came to be called Margherita.

In the U.S., Italian immigrants began to sell pizza in their stores. The first pizzeria (Lombardi’s) was opened in 1905 by Gennaro Lombardi on Spring Street in New York City. But the wholesome dish became popular only after World War II. Why? American and European soldiers who had done duty in Italy had tasted the pizza and asked for pizzas to be served in restaurants when they returned home.

Is it a pie, a pizza, or a pizza pie?

On the East Coast of the U.S., you can call a pizza a “pie” or a “pizza pie.” The use of “pie” for “pizza” dates back to the 1800s. But outside the U.S., these terms are not used for pizza at all. In some places in the U.S., you can order a “Za”, which will be understood as the shortened form of the word pizza. (In grammar, such a shortening of a word is called a “clipping.”) How do we know a pizza is well-made? A pizzaiolo (a pizza maker) will judge a pizza by its leopard spots (the black spots on the crust) or its hole structure (the holes in the bread’s interior).

 

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Chikki, an Indian battle, has a significant role to play in most Indian States. In the northern region, chikkis are synonymous with winter snacking. Festivals such as Lohri and Makar Sankranti would be incomplete without the preparation of chikkis.

All the way from Lonavala

The origin of the popular chikki can be traced back to Lonavala in Maharashtra. In the late 1800s, when the first train tracks were being laid in Lonavala, several hundred workers were involved in strenuous physical work. Bhimraj Agaewal, a confectioner, made a dish he called gud dani, which comprised jiggery and peanuts to satisfy the hunger of the workers. He also made another variant with puffed rice instead of peanuts. This snack was easy to prepare and also gave the workers enough energy to work.

Soon, gud dani became popular among the workers and also the train services began, several people visited Agarwal for the confection.

Agarwal’s son Maganlal is said to have popularized the sweet treat. Maganlal opened several sweet shops across the region and they are extremely popular even today.

What’s in a name?

There are no evidences of how the snack came to be known as chikki. However, some food experts believe the word ‘chikki’ could be an adaptation of “chikat”, Marathi word for sticky”.

 Chikki is also known by different names across the country. In Tamil Nadu, it is known as kadalai mittai and ellurundai, and in Kerala, it is famously known as kapilandi mittai, ellunda and abhayaarthi katta. In Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, it is called palli patti. In Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, this sweet is called layiya patti. In several northern States, apart from being known as chikki, it is also called gajak or maroonda.

Exciting flavours

Chikkis can be mad with a wide variety of ingredients ssuch as peanuts, walnuts, cashews, almonds, sesame, dates, dry figs, coconuts, hazelnuts, macadamia, pistachios and dried rose petals. There are also several new flavours such as chocolate, peanut butter, berries and orange, being prepared in the last few years.

Chikkis are versatile and can be consumed by people with a wide variety of dietary preferences. Chikkis are also a healthy option for those who keep a count on their calorific intake because ingredients such as oats, sunflower and pumpkin seeds can be used instead of peanuts and cashews.

 

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Did you know that the European staple pasta’s origin can perhaps be traced back to at least 3500 BC Japan and China?

History

 The exact story behind the birth of pasta is unknown. However, most food historians believe pasta was first prepared in ancient China and Japan. This is then believed to have spread to the Middle East and northern Africa via the Silk Road. Some food experts claim that the 7th Century nomadic Arabs would have brought pasta with them as they travelled from Libya to Sicily, Italy.

Pasta is the Italian word for “paste”, referring to the consistency of the pasta dough while kneading. Some reports suggest pasta originated in Italy. There are several mentions of the dish in Italian texts since the early 12th Century. According to Italian writer Boccaccio, pasta was popular in Italy in the 14th Century. Pasta was a dish reserved for the aristocrats and the elite until the end of 17th Century. The recipe of pasta prepared for the wealthy was elaborate and comprised exquisite ingredients. The cheeses used were also very expensive.

Due to poor economic conditions, the common people were not able to afford meat. Hence they resorted to making pasta with cheap wheat that was widely available.

The production of pasta with the help of machines such as a mechanical press also began during this time. This also contributed to the increased consumption of the dish. Pasta was carried by Italian immigrants as they moved to different parts of the world. By the mid-20th Century, it became popular in several parts of the world.

A global phenomenon

From the shape of the pasta to the kinds of ingredients used, pasta is one of the most diverse dishes in the world. As the dish spread to several countries from Italy, it was adapted to suit the local palates. For example, in the U.S., spaghetti and meatballs, and mac and cheese are popular. Argentineans prepare large ravioli-like pasta called sorrentinos.

India has a vegetable masala version.

In all shapes and sizes

There are over 350 types of pastas around the world. Different pastas have different names, and most of them are based on the shape the dough is moulded into.

A few famous shapes of pasta include penne, fusilli, spaghetti, rigatoni, ravioli and tortellini. All the types of pastas can be tossed with a sauce and toppings of one’s choice.

Some of the popular sauces are carbonara, Bolognese, pesto, marinara, alfredo and ragu.

Rarest of rare

In Italy, a few types of pastas are extremely rare. For instance, the recipe of su filindeu, the most expensive pasta in the world, remained in the Italian town of Nuoro for 300 years. This pasta was not served to the public for over 200 years. It is made by folding semolina dough into 256 strands and stretching it to form needle-thin wires, which are diagonally placed in a circular frame in an intricate three-layer pattern. Another such rare pasta is the lorighittas, which is passed down by women from generation to generation, within the Sardinian community. Unlike su filindeu, lorighittas have remained relatively unknown to the outside world.

 

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Green salad

Also known as garden salad, this is mainly made up of leafy greens such as lettuce and spinach mixed with common salad vegetables such as cucumbers, tomatoes, avocadoes, peppers, onions, radishes, mushrooms, beets and olives and flavoured with assorted herbs such as parsley. It might be garnished with eggs, thinly sliced meats and a variety of cheese. Chopped nuts and edible flowers may be used too. Often, the mix is drizzled with lines juice or olive oil served on a lettuce leaf.

Bound salad

Finely chopped salad vegetables are bound in a thick sauce. Mayonnaise, green goddess, thousand island and ranch dressings are commonly used. Typically, bound salads, which hold their shape even when scooped and served in a plate, are used as sandwich fillings. Examples include coleslaw and potato salad.

Dinner salad

These rich salads usually contain meat or seafood with a helping of vegetables. Caesar, Cobb and Chef’s salads are popular diner salads.

Fruit salad

Chopped fruits (fresh or canned, seasonal or not ) are topped with lime juice and honey. Or fresh cream. Or custard. Or a scoop of ice-cream. And garnished with chopped nuts.

Dessert salad

This combination of fruits and vegetables, mayonnaise, whipped cream and jellies is often served along with the main meal rather than at the end.

Chef’s salad

This American salad combines hard-boiled eggs, some form of meat (ham, beef, chicken etc), tomatoes, cucumbers and cheese. It’s served on a bed of lettuce or another green, leafy vegetable with a variety of dressings.

Caesar salad

This is a green salad made of lettuce, Worcestershire sauce (a fermented fish sauce that contains tamarind, sugar, salt, vinegar and spices leading to a medley of tastes), anchovies (saltwater fish), garlic, mustard paste, black pepper, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, eggs and lemon juice.

Cobb’s salad

This American garden salad contains salad greens, tomatoes, crisp bacon, grilled or boiled chicken, hard-boiled eggs, avocadoes, chives, Roquefort cheese (from sheep milk) and vinaigrette (oil mixed with lemon juice).

Waldorf salad

A crunchy fruit and nut salad, this has fresh apples, celery and grapes bound in mayonnaise and garnished with walnuts. It’s served on a lettuce leaf: Modern Waldorf recipes include fruits of every flavour and colour, from oranges to pomegranates.

 

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Marcus Gavius Apicius, a food connoisseur who lived in ancient Rome in 1 AD, is believed to have written a cookbook titled “De Re Coquinaria” (“The Art of Cooking”), which contains several recipes for salads. The name salad comes from herba salata, Latin for raw vegetables seasoned with brine. Of course, the Romans themselves never referred to the dish as salad. They just enjoyed assembling raw vegetables, enhancing the taste with sprinklings of salt and herbs and a dash of vinegar. Medical experts such as Hippocrates recommended it as the ideal dish to begin a meal.

Gone.. and back!

With the fall of the Roman empire, salads became less popular as meal starters and slowly went out of fashion – with raw vegetables increasingly being prescribed as medicine. The, between the 11th and 15th Centuries, basic salads made of raw vegetables, herbs and edible flowers made a comeback. By the end of the 15th Century, a great deal of experimentation was happening with salads and salad dressings. In 1756, mayonnaise debuted as a ‘victory sauce’ to celebrate France’s victory over Spain. Since then it has remained a popular salad dressing, a dip for fries and a part of sandwich fillings.

A Dutch cookbook dating back to 1770 mentions a recipe in which things sliced cabbage (koolsla in Dutch) is mixed with melted butter, vinegar and oil. This went on to become ‘coleslaw’ as it travelled the world. As it travelled, the thinly sliced cabbage remained constant while other ingredients – from grated carrots to pineapple, bell peppers, pickles, onions, herbs, buttermilk, cream and in some cases, even fruit – were added to the coleslaw. It has been toasted as a sandwich filling. And it’s been dressed with peanut sauce, green goddess and blue cheese.

Salads came into their own in the late 1800s, with fruit salads making an appearance and leading to the ‘dessert salads’ course. With their health benefits being wildly recognised by the 20th Century, salads entered the diet of countries such as India that had no real tradition for salad consumption. Salad bars appeared in real tradition for salad consumption. Salad bars appeared in restaurants and chefs began experimenting with offerings. Caesar’s salad, Waldorf salad and Cobb’s salad are well known signature dishes. With cookie salads and pasta salads joining the ranks, we can admit that salads have become whacky and exotic!

 

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The rich and fulfilling butter chicken is one of the most popular dishes in Indian cuisine.

The story of butter chicken is connected to the beginning of two other popular Indian dishes, namely tandoori chicken and dal makhani.

Origin

Kundan lal Gujral, an Indian chef and the inventor of butter chicken worked at Mukhey Da Dhaba, a food joint in Peshawar (now in Pakistan). Around the 1920s, the owners of the dhaba sold it to Gujral. Following this, he changed the name of the food joint to Moti Mahal.

Gujral, also the inventor of tandoori chicken, wanted to find a way to make use of the tandoori chicken pieces that were drying up when left unsold in his restaurant. In order to make the chicken moist and palatable, he tossed them in tomato puree, butter, fresh cream and spices such as coriander, fenugreek, cloves and cardamom. This was the birth of butter chicken.

When the 1947 Partition took place, Gujral flew to Delhi with his family.

He established his hotel Moti Mahal in Delhi and his tasty inventions led to the rise of popularity of his restaurant. After butter chicken, he also went on to create the famous dal makhani.

International appeal

Gradually, Gujral opened a chain of restaurants acroos India and several other countries such as New Zealand, Tanzania and Oman. Several popular names such as Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, former U.S. Presidents Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy, and star chef Gordon Ramsay have visited Gujral’s restaurant to taste the butter chicken. Over the years, many other eateries and restaurants have also developed their own versions of the butter chicken. The dish is now a quintessential part of North Indian cuisine.

Evolution

The butter chicken prepared in Peshawar has evolved into several other dishes such as chicken lababdar and murgh makhanwallah.

Some food experts suggest that the recipe of chicken tikka masala is also inspired by butter chicken.

Quirky adaptations

There are several interesting adaptations of butter chicken today, namely butter chicken tacos, pizzas, rolls, burgers, biryani, lasagna, dumplings and even kurtoskalacs (a Hungarian spit cake).

 

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Unlike several other Mexican dishes, nachos are a fairly recent invention. First prepared in the height of World War II in Mexico, the crispy snack became a huge hit across the globe in just a few decades,

History

The first plate of nachos was created by restaurateur Ignacio Anaya Garcia in 1943 in a restaurant in Piedras Negras, a Mexican city. Garcia, who was working as the head waiter at the restaurant had to feed a group of women, who came from the U.S. military base nearby, situated in Fort Duncan, Texas. As there was no food left at the restaurant at that time of day, he reportedly at that time of day, he reportedly fried some tortilla chips and topped them with shredded cheese and jalapenos. He called this dish, “nacho”, after his nickname. Nachos were first mentioned in a cookbook in 1949 and Garcia was given the credit for creating the dish. In the next few decades, nachos became popular, Garcia opened his own restaurant in Piedras Negras. As Garcia never patented the dish, his son tried to obtain the rights for the original recipe in 1960. However, as a long time had passed since the invention, the recipe couldn’t be owned by the creators and it automatically became free for public use. In the 1970s and 80s, the dish began to be widely consumed as a snack across the U.S. Entrepreneur Frank Liberto is credited with the boom in the popularity of the snack in North America. Liberto invented the special “nacho cheese” and marketed the nachos at sport stadiums and movie theatres.

Not-so-real nacho cheese

In the initial years after the nachos were created, the cheese had to be melted in an oven before being added as the topping. The invention of nacho cheese eliminated the need for an oven and also enabled easy storage and a longer shelf life. Nacho cheese, created by Liberto is a gooey liquid that can be poured over nachos without being melted or heated. The recipe of this cheese remains a secret. However, this cheese is not considered real by many experts, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Nachos with the cheesy topping were first sold at a stadium food stall in 1976. Since then it has become one of the famous snacks in such venues.

Across the world

Nachos are still predominantly consumed only in North America and Mexico. However, owing to globalisation in the last few decades, several other places across the world have also been preparing varieties of nachos. For example, beef nachos are one of the most popular dishes made on Australia Day across Australia Bacon and baked beans nachos are widely consumed in Britain. In India, cheesy, tangy and sweet nachos spiced with cumin seeds and red chilli powder are often eaten with chutneys.

Among the most iconic Japanese variants are the kimchi and miso nachos.

Endless choices

From the tortilla chips to the cheese, there are several options. Tortilla chips made with gluten-free or carb-free ingredients are gaining popularity.

Some even use shredded vegetables such as sweet potatoes or squash to make the chips. The cheese can be made with other plant-based alternatives too. From strawberry cream, pineapple to chilli (gravy made with ground beef) and guacamole (an avocado dip), the choice of toppings that can be added to the nachos are endless.

 

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Salt is now sold in a variety of shapes and size.

Table salt

It is mostly harvested from salt deposits found underground. It’s iodized, highly refined and finely ground, with impurities and trace minerals removed in the process. It’s also treated with an anti-caking agent to keep from clumping.

Kosher salt

It is also called koshering salt. It is flakier and coarser-grained than regular table salt. Its large grain-size makes it perfect for sprinkling on top of meat, where it releases a surprising blast of flavour. Kosher salt also dissolves quickly, making it a perfect all-purpose cooking salt. According to Saltworks, most kosher salt does not contain any added iodine or any anti-caking agents. The salt is used in the koshering process, when surface fluids are removed from meat through drying.

Sea salt

Harvested from evaporated sea water, it is usually unrefined and coarse-grained. It also contains minerals like zinc, potassium and iron, which give sea salt its special flavour. Sea salt is made into several specialty salts.

Himalayan pink salt

Himalayan alt is the purest form of salt in the world. It is harvested by hand from the Khewra Salt Mine in the Himalayan Mountains of Pakistan. Its colour ranges from off-white to deep pink. It contains the 84 natural minerals and elements found in the human body. Himalayan salt is used in cooking and in spa treatments. You can buy a slab of this salt in the shops in the mountains.

Celtic sea salt

It is also known as sel gris (French for “grey salt”). Celtic sea salt is harvested from the bottom of tidal ponds off the coast of France. The salt crystals are raked out from the mineral-rich seawater and this gives Celtic salt its moist, chunky grains, grey colour and briny taste. Bakers prefer this salt.

Fleur de Sel

The word means “flower of salt.” Fleur de sel is a sea salt hand-harvested from tidal pools off the coast of Brittany, France. Paper-thin salt crystals are cut off carefully from the water’s surface, much like cream is taken from milk. This is done on sunny, dry days with a slight breeze, and only with traditional wooden rakes. This salt is rarely found and needs a lot of work and therefore is the most expensive salt (five pounds of it is 80).

The salt is moist, has a blue-grey tint and is rich in minerals. Fleur de sel is used as a finishing salt to add a dash of flavour to meat, seafood, vegetables and even sweets like chocolate and caramel.

Kala Namak

Kala namak or black salt is Himalayan salt that’s been packed in a jar with charcoal, herbs, seeds, and bark, then fired in a furnace for a full 24 hours before it is cooled, stored and aged. It is reddish-black in colour, has a pungent, salty taste and a faint smell of eggs. It’s often used in vegan and vegetarian dishes to give egg-free dishes the taste of egg. Also used in Ayurvedic practice.

Flake salt

Harvested from salt water through evaporation, boiling or other means, flake salt is thin and irregularly shaped with a bright, salty taste and very low mineral content. Its shape makes the salt dissolve quickly. So this can be used for gargling and oral dehydration therapy.

 

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The website Saltworks calls the common salt (sodium chloride) a “timeless ingredient.” And goes on to tell you why.

Salt must have been discovered accidentally, we don’t know when. But there are records to show that in 6050 BC (some 8 thousand years ago), salt was used. Around 2700 BC, in a research paper on pharmacology published in China, more than 40 kinds of salt and descriptions of two methods of salt extraction were mentioned. Nomads spreading westward carried salt, and Egyptian art of 1450 BC records salt making. Phoenicians traded salt with parts of their Mediterranean empire. In all the civilizations, salt has been used for cooking, preserving and in cultural, economic and religious practices.

The expression “not worth his salt” comes from the practice of trading slaves for salt in ancient Greece. Special salt rations given to early Roman soldiers were known as “salarium argentum,” (“sal” is salt in Latin) from which we get the word “salary.” Another theory says the word “salad” also came from “salt”, since early Romans added salt to the green leafy vegetables they ate. In ancient times, salt was a highly valued product, and its production was legally restricted. So it was used as currency. The Bible has 30 references to salt including the phrase “salt of the earth.” Salt stood for purity.

World history has close connections with salt. The city of Tuzia in Bosnia-Herzegovina is named for “tuz,” Turkish word for salt. Salzburg, Austria, has made its four salt mines major tourist attractions. Bolivia’s main tourist attraction is a hotel constructed entirely of salt. In the 16th Century, when the Dutch blockaded the Iberian salt mines, Spain went bankrupt and king Philip II was defeated. Mahatma Gandhi’s resistance to British colonial rule was marked by his Dandi march to make salt.

Portuguese and Spanish fleets used the “wet” method of preserving fish onboard with salt, while the French and English fleets used the “dry” or “shore” salting method. Thanks to this, the French and British fishermen became the first European inhabitants of North America since the Vikings a half century earlier.

In America, the Erie Canal, opened in 1825, was known as “the ditch that salt built” because salt was its principal cargo. Syracuse, NY, is proud of its salt history and its nickname, “Salt City.” The important role of salt in the history of Kanas is captured in a salt museum in Hutchinson, KS. In the American West, a “salt war” was fought at El Paso, Texas.

Salt is an extraordinary ingredient. No kitchen can function without it. Plants need salt to survive. It is a great food preservative. Salt is used in a lot of industries. In the 19th Century, techniques using salt were used to make photographic prints. Salt-glazed pottery is still popular in the U.S.

 

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