Category Food

What is the origin of Hamburger?

Food writer Tori Avey tells us the story of the burger. Hamburgers may well be considered America’s favourite food, she says. You can buy a hamburger anywhere –in small hole-in-the-wall diners, at the drive-through fast food chains, and in high-end restaurants. Worldwide, McDonald’s sells 75 hamburgers per second.

Hamburg, a town in Germany, is where the first hamburger was made. Much later, in the 19th century, beef from German Hamburg cows was minced and combined with garlic, onions, salt and pepper, shaped into patties (without bread or a bun) to make Hamburg beef. Diners loved these burges, but they were expensive because of the price of the Hamburg beef. Then Germans migrated to New York and Chicago, and opened restaurants to make a living. They served an American version of the German burger. During the Industrial Revolution, factory workers were served Hamburg steak from food carts. They were too slippery to eat standing, so a cook sandwiched the meat patty between two slices of bread, and the Hamburg sandwich was born. American soon shortened the name to “hamburger.”

Now, hamburgers are made in a number of ways, including with vegetables. In countries where beef is not part of the traditional diet, it is substituted with potato. So, if you  order a veg burger, be ready to bite into an aloo tikki. The beef hamburger is so popular that environmentalists now fear it is not sustainable. Scientists are trying to grow burger meat in petri dishes in a lab to meet the hamburger demand worldwide.

 

Picture Credit : Google

What is the origin of Pie?

It is a round dish with a crumbly crust filled with jam and jelly. Among the fillings, the apple stuffing is supposed to be the best. In the U.S., the pie is served as dessert during the Thanksgiving and Christmas feasts. But the pies we eat today have a short history, though people have been baking dough filled with stuff for a very long time. According to Time.com, in medieval England they were called pyes, and apart from the sweet fillings, they also had meat –beef, lamb, wild duck, magpie pigeon – and were spiced with pepper, currants, dates. Historians say ancient Greeks made the first pie-shells by mixing flour and water. Wealthy Romans used many kinds of meat – from even mussels and other sea creatures in their pies. Cato the Younger (scribe) recorded the popularity of the sweet pie as a dessert in Roman meals.

In 1621, people (the Pilgrims) crossed the Atlantic Ocean to settle in the New World of America. They carried salty meat pies with them to the colonies in America. The pumpkin pie, now a must-have during the Thanksgiving feast, was first recorded in a cook-book in 1675. The British made this pie with squash, and the American version with red pumpkin became popular in the 1800s. The colonists cooked many types of pies. With their crusty covers, pies were preserved food, and kept their fillings fresh in the winter months. Documents show that the Pilgrims used dried fruit, cinnamon, pepper and nutmeg to season their meats. A cookbook from 1796 mentioned only three types of sweet pies; a cookbook written in the late 1800s had 8 sweet-pie varieties; in 1947, Modern Encyclopedia of Cooking listed 65 different varieties of sweet pies. The original pie had a shell that could not be eaten, and the apples did not have added sugar. The apple pie was mentioned first in 1589 by poet R Greene in the poem Menaphon: “They breath is like the steeme of apple pies.” Pies today are eaten the World over, and have all kinds of stuffing – from apples to avocados.

 

Picture Credit : Google

What is the origin of Pizza?

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).

 

Picture Credit : Google

What is the history of Chikki?

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.

 

Picture Credit : Google

What is the history of pasta?

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.

 

Picture Credit : Google

What are the types of salad?

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.

 

Picture Credit : Google