Last Seen Blogs
expressammunitionshop
Untitled
kxllsbybill
bill
strawberry-capybara
*munch* *munch* *munch*
strawberry-capybara
*munch* *munch* *munch*
Text
Post one: the first recipe
While this blog revolves around history, it will not necessarily proceed in any sort of chronological order, but rather it will look at certain interesting historical points for food and recipes in order to explore the rich effects of food on culture, and compare and contrast the changing perceptions and preparations of various foods over the ages and around the world. However, with that being said, it does seem best to start at the beginning in order to set the stage for this historical progression; the way to do that is by tackling the questions: what was the first recipe, and why did it originate? What does that say about the culture and history of the time and how is it similar or different to the recipes we have today?
The first recipe to be written is one for none other than beer. The recipe originated over 4,000 years ago in Mesopotamia, which is located in the Middle East, between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, and was one of the first organized civilizations. This means that the way food was used and distributed was able to rapidly change and develop alongside this set society. The recipe we are focusing specifically today comes from Sumer, which was in the Southern region of mesopotamia, in current day Iraq. Sumer had the first written language, and with it came the first written recipe. This ancient beer recipe, like so many other things from that culture and time, was part of a tribute to the gods. In fact, beer was such an important part of Mesopotamian culture that there was actually a beer goddess--Ninkasi. The recipe was inscribed on tablets as part of a Hymn to her. Looking at the actual making of the beer, it turns out it was an accidental byproduct of bread. Historians speculate that after the bread was made, there were situations in which it would get wet and self-ferment, and the Sumerians decided to drink that liquid. So, this is not exactly beer as we think of it today, but more of an alcoholic liquid with chunks of solid bread still floating around in it. This made it difficult to drink like we would currently drink, so the Sumerians put to use another interesting invention: straws. This is another example of the rapidly expanding food culture of the time. As their recipes and methods evolved, they began flavoring it with honey and spices, and even made dark and light brews using different kinds of grains.
Obviously beer itself held a great deal of cultural importance to the Sumerians, as it had its own goddess. Ninkasi was the patron of beer and other alcohols, and because of this the women who brewed and served beer in this society were treated with great honor and respect, and sometimes even considered to be priestesses. Along with this status symbol, beer held other areas of importance for Sumerian culture: it was rationed to citizens according to their social classes. As their recipes and methods evolved, they began flavoring it with honey and spices, and even made dark and light brews using different kinds of grains.
The current day associations beer holds have changed since the times of the first written recipe: the position of bartender has still been one primarily held by women throughout history, but it is no longer a place of respect and worship; similarly the shifting of religion has led beer to lose it’s holy connotations. It is no longer rationed by class, but rather something commonplace in society. However, it is still loved by many and has gained new social meaning. At it’s best, it is a symbol of friendship and good times, as well as relaxation in our modern world; examining these differences and similarities offers a connection between cultures of the past and present, as well as a look at how things have changed over time.
Citations:
1.Gindling, Mary. "World." World's Oldest Written Recipe (and It's for Beer!). N.p., 01 Jan. 1970. Web. 28 Apr. 2017.
2. "Goddess Ninkasi." Journeying to the Goddess. N.p., 29 Aug. 2012. Web. 28 Apr. 2017.
3. "Posts about Recipe on ALL MESOPOTAMIA." ALL MESOPOTAMIA. All Mesopotamia, 8 Nov. 2015. Web. 28 Apr. 2017.
0 notes
Text
Post two: usefulness or desirability
As we saw with the last recipe for beer, even the oldest recipes can survive over the ages to claim a place of importance in modern society. Many ancient recipes found their origins in utility, they were the bare necessities to survive in certain climates and cultures, usually stemming from what was available and easy to prepare in a time when there were far fewer options. And yet some of them are still around now, in this day and age of excess and endless choices. Why? How has the progression of culture changed the popularity of certain foods, and specifically why have some recipes weathered the test of time?
To answer this, we will be examining a practically timeless recipe: cornbread. Maize was domesticated by Native Americans long before Europeans discovered the New World, and was used to make a variety of products and foods. While Native Americans would make breads that used corn, it was often mixed with things like berries, sunflower seed, and other additions to add nutritional value. It wasn’t until the New World was discovered that people began making and eating cornbread in the sense that we think of it--with cornmeal being the central ingredient--but once they did it quickly became a staple of life for those living in the Americas. There are recipes for cornbread dating as early as the mid-sixteenth century, which consisted of only three ingredients: cornmeal, salt, and water. The mixture, at the time referred to as one for “Hoe Cakes”, was then fried in animal lard and served with soups and stews. Cornbread gained its importance because it was easy to cultivate, easy to cook, and widely available. These factors allowed it to become an integrated part of life across the Americas, spanning regions, classes, and religions. The popularity of the recipes for this commodity came from it’s utility.
However, as time passed and more and more foods and options became available, cornbread still maintained its popularity. This is because the recipes for cornbread offered high levels of adaptability, and were able to change and diversify along with tastes and preferences of the people eating it. People added molasses, sugar, eggs, milk, cheese, herbs, butter, flour, and any number of other things to change the flavor, texture, and nutrition of cornbread. It evolved to fit modern technology: people began baking it instead of frying it. It went from something that was consumed for its usefulness to a recipe that allowed for expression, individuality, and preference among those cooking it. In the Caribbean they fry simple dough and call it “johnnycakes”, in the south the cakes have whole pieces of corn and are served with sweet butter, across the country in the west the recipes have no sugar and are served in tandem with things like mango jelly. These changes and differences reflect the changes of cultures and societies; they mirror it's splits and shifts, and because of this the recipe survived the tests of time. Now it is served all over the world, and shows the ways in which something with utility can also be something with desirability.
Citations:
"Cornbread History." Indiana Humanities. Indiana Humanities, 03 Aug. 2010. Web. 28 Apr. 2017.
White, Joyce. "Cornbread: The Evolution of a Recipe." A Taste of History. A Taste of History, Aug. 2014. Web. 28 Apr. 2017.
0 notes
Text
Post three: a lost recipe
Equally as important as looking at the previous recipe--one that has remained a popular staple of life through time-- is examining the flipside: there are many things that people used to eat and no longer do, and for a variety of reasons. Whether it was a matter of availability, a lack of regulation, or changing tastes, some recipes that were once important have made their way into obscurity over the ages. How has the progression of culture changed the popularity of certain foods, and specifically why do some recipes fall out of favor?
One such recipe is one that most people in today's America would probably cringe to think about consuming: Robin Pie. Colonial settlers consumed this strange variation of meat pie because there was a wide availability of robins in the time and regions where it was eaten. In fact, it’s consumption can even be paralleled to the migratory patterns of birds. In the north it was a spring meal, and when the birds flew south for the winter, settlers there enjoyed them in turn. This dish circulated for a while, and has recipes that date back to as late as only a little over a century ago. One recipe from 1890 instructs the maker to cover the bottom of a pie dish with bacon and slices of beef, and then layer stuffed and seasoned robins on top of that, before adding broth and covering with puff pastry, and finally cooking in an oven and serving hot. This is not a recipe you will find in american cookbooks anymore.
There are a few reason for this decline in popularity. First and foremost it is the change in regulations over time; the list of which animals can and cannot be hunted has become strict and comprehensive for most US animals. Robins became protected under the migratory bird act of 1918, which marked something of the beginning of the United State’s dedications to environmental protection and regulation, and which happened not long after this recipe saw it’s time of peak popularity. This new regulation caused a steep drop in the ability and desire people had to consume this dish. Working alongside this shift was also a shift in tastes. America saw a preference shift toward red meat in the early 1900s, especially as the industry became industrialized and people suddenly had access to more and a wider variety of meat options than ever before. Now they did not have a need to hunt and eat something as small and difficult as a robin. People acquired a taste for beef and pork, choosing to eat those instead of other animals they may have once eaten. What focus was left on birds turned to larger, easier ones, like chickens, turkeys, and ducks, which could all be farmed and distributed in mass. With this came a change in preference for texture of meat; people wanted more tender, fatter meat--the kind that they were able to get through the new farming industry. Robins offered only lean, tough meat, and that was no longer what Americans wanted or needed. So, despite Robin Pie being an available and common dish in the early days of america, it was unable to shift and adapt with the needs of society. Both changing tastes and changing regulations, as well as changing ease of acquirement, led to a decline in favorability for this recipe. Today there are very few places, if any, where a dish like this might be served.
Citation:
Fessenden, Marissa. "Americans Used to Eat Robin Pie and Calf's Foot Jelly." Smithsonian.com. Smithsonian Institution, 20 Aug. 2015. Web. 28 Apr. 2017.
Weeks, Linton. "4 Foods Americans Don't Eat Much Anymore." NPR. NPR, 18 Aug. 2015. Web. 28 Apr. 2017.
0 notes
Text
Post four: who invented…. Recipe
The history of food is constantly evolving, as new foods and recipes come into being and old ones fall out of favor all the time. However, sometimes this history is not easy to trace. The origins of food can be muddled, hard to distinguish, and lost in legend. Especially with recipes that gain a lot of traction and popularity very quickly, it is not uncommon for there to be multiple claims to fame. Looking at this phenomenon raises the questions: how do new recipes truly get invented? And how does the history of a recipe play into the past and current perceptions of the food?
One of the most popular American recipes of all time, the cheeseburger, has a disputed past. The cheeseburger first came into being in the late 1920's early 1930’s, that much is undisputed, but who actually invented it? That is a largely disputed area, as there are several claims across several places in the United States to the invention of this classic dish. The most widely believed origin story is that the cheeseburger was invented in 1926 by Lionel Sternberger when he was 16 years old and working as a fry cook in his father’s restaurant, The Rite Spot, in Pasadena, California. He supposedly put a slice of american cheese on a hamburger patty at the suggestion of a homeless man passing by, and it quickly became a customer favorite. However, there are multiple other claims from the time to the invention of this recipe. A different story says that the first cheeseburger was coined in 1934 at Kaelin’s restaurant in Louisville Kentucky, by the owner Charles's Kaelin in his attempt to spice up the average burger. The possible validity of this story is backed up by the evidence that the kaelin’s menu boasted the first written claim the invention of the cheeseburger. Yet another story places the claim to fame on The Humpty-Dumpty Drive-In in Denver, where owner Louis Ballast acquired the rights to the actual trademark for the term “cheeseburger”, although the creator of Steak-n-Shake also supposedly applied for the trademark in the early 1930’s only to lose out to it’s competitor from Colorado.
So what is the truth? Unfortunately, there really is no way of knowing. But, perhaps even more interesting than the muddy history of this dish is the effect that history had on the culture surrounding the cheeseburger, both back in it’s time of invention and even now in current day America. The mystery and dispute drew attention to this dish, customers were curious to try this new sandwich that was causing so much talk in so many parts of the nation. It also created incentive for more restaurants to add it to their menus, creating something of a cycle between businesses and customers. The dispute for ownership also added to the all-american nature of the cheeseburger. While no one can say for sure who invented it, the uncertainty allowed to pride of invention to fall on the country as a whole rather than an individual. Even today this is still true, and while the history of the cheeseburger is something lost in American legend, the cheeseburger itself remains an American classic.
Citations:
1."The Birth of the All-American Cheesburger." The Spruce. Th Spruce, n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2017.
2."Cheeseburger History." Burger Web. Burger Web, 28 Nov. 2014. Web. 28 Apr. 2017.
3."History Of The Cheeseburger." Burgers. Burger Net, n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2017.
0 notes
Text
Post five: complexity
While the last post focused on the claim to the invention of the cheeseburger, the idea of the cheeseburger itself leads to another interesting aspect of food history to examine, and that is the concept of complexity. There are many ways in which recipes have grown more complex, like something as small as adding cheese to a patty of meat, and these simple changes accumulate over time, eventually leading to a new image and flavor for a once basic recipe. How and why does a simple recipe become something interesting and intricate, and how does this reflect the progression of society in history?
A food that has simple start and is now widely complex and hold many variations is one that is a favorite in many parts of the world: sushi. The basic concept of sushi originates in Southeast Asia, where raw fish was preserved by wrapping it in fermented. Sushi first showed up as a more common dish in Japan about 2000 years ago; it was closely tied in with the rise of Buddhism, since the religion frowned upon the eating of meat, many followers turned instead to eating fish as a source of protein and nutrition. For many years sushi remained a simple recipe, seeing only three waves of small evolution, even as Japanese culture evolved and the dish gained popularity. The most classic form of Japanese sushi involves only one kind of fish, wrapped in sushi rice, which is specifically made for the dish by being soaked in vinegar, and then wrapped again in nori, which is the seaweed on the outside. It wasn’t until the early 1900s that sushi came to the United States, carried over along with the massive influx of japanese immigrants, and the recipe saw it’s evolution into the various types we eat in the United states today. It was Americans who added fish on the outside of rolls, sesame seeds, sauces besides soy sauce, topping, cream cheese, various other types of seafood, and who began frying the dish. All these changes added interesting and complex American touches while maintaining a traditional Japanese base, creating a cultural fusion that we still see today.
This happened for a number of reasons, some of which tie in with things examined in earlier posts. For one, the progression of society led to more people eating things for flavor rather than necessity. Americans harbored more needy palettes than the japanese, and added ingredients they believed would make the sushi tasted better as a result. They also had more money and options to work with that the ancient Japanese, which made these additions a possibility in the first place. These changes are parallel to the mixing of cultures that accompanied the progression of the world into a more global culture, and are especially representative of the american idea of the melting pot, in which immigrants and their cultures all mixed and melded into something new. A true show of how culture spread and changes over time, the added complexity to this ancient dish shows how society has changed over the ages, while still offering a connection to individual cultural roots.
Citations:
Avey, Tori. "Discover the History of Sushi." PBS. Public Broadcasting Service, 05 Sept. 2012. Web. 28 Apr. 2017.
Bhabha, Leah. "The History of Sushi in the U.S." Food52. N.p., 05 Aug. 2016. Web. 28 Apr. 2017.
0 notes
Text
Post six: where in the world?
While sushi was examined in the last post for its progression of complexity, it ultimately dips into a larger discussion of global identity, and the overlap and sharing of foods across cultures. Many foods that are enjoyed all over the world today have very specific and singular origins, and it was only over time and through the spread of culture that they became the global sensations we now enjoy. How does a recipe come to span borders, countries, and even the globe?
One recipe that is a current-day vegetarian and vegan favorite, as well as a healthy alternative to meat for all, has a surprisingly long and rich history; that food is tofu. Tofu is made by soaking soybeans in water, blending them, then simmering them with water, before straining out the solid from the liquid, and finally coagulating it by heating it again. From there it is molded and cut, and served in a variety of ways. Tofu is enjoyed all over the world today, but it has a very long path that it took to get this global identity. Tofu originated in ancient China, around 164 B.C., during the Han Dynasty. While it was rumored to have been first invented by Lord Liu An, a Han prince, many historian are skeptical that he himself was the one to invent it, as it was common practice for the chinese culture to place the fame for important inventions on prominent historical figures. In China the tofu was not only widely consumed, but also used for other actions of cultural importance; it was often left as an offering at graves, since Chinese folklore says it is the only food soft enough for ghosts who no longer have their physical jaws to eat with. From China, this ancient recipe spread to Korea, then Japan and finally all around Southeast Asia. These places added their own regional touches and variations to the recipe over time.
It wasn’t until the late 1700s that tofu hit the western world, first hitting Europe, then America. Benjamin Franklin was the first American to write about it, calling it “Chinese cheese”, and it wasn’t produced in the United States until almost a century after that, in 1878 when the first tofu company was established. Vegetarianism became more popular, and continues to become so today, and with it tofu had added value as an alternative to meat. That global phenomenon, combined with the increased contact of the eastern and western world over time, have led to a global presence for a food that was once only a staple of life to the Chinese.
This illustrates the amazing global nature of both culture, and more specifically the culture of food. Ideas, recipes, and many other things are able to span nations and all kind of barriers, both physical and otherwise, as a result of the constant expansion and globalization on societies. Things that were once available to only specific sets of people can suddenly be shared across the globe, and impact lives they never would have reached in the past. All of this illustrates the way in which many things, and specifically recipes, can grow to have a global presence.
Citations:
Shurtleff, William. "SoyInfo Center." History of Tofu - Page 1. Soy Info Center, Sept. 2004. Web. 28 Apr. 2017.
"Tofu." Tofu - New World Encyclopedia. N.p., 10 Dec. 2015. Web. 28 Apr. 2017.
0 notes
Text
Post seven: cultural comparison
As we looked at in the last post, the global roots of recipes can often be traced to singular points and cultures in history. However, some things are global by nature. There are many instances in which similar recipes originated closely together timewise, but in completely separate cultures and in different parts of the world. They share certain aspects while still representing completely separate cultures and their individuality; such recipes are a form of historical comparison and contrast that is revealing about the world. What do these disconnected similarities say about the basis of human interaction with food as a whole?
One such food that offers this kind of versatility is rice. There are few foods with such a natural global presence as this grain. Over half the world’s population currently relies on rice as a staple of their daily diet. This is due in part to the wide variety of rice available in different regions, and the multiple points of origin of the grain. Two places that simultaneously cultivated rice and developed with it as part of their societies were West Africa and China. West African rice, scientifically named Oryza Glaberrima, was domesticated about three thousand years ago in Libya and Niger. The rice is large and more orange/red than its Asian counterpart. One common West African recipe is for Jollof Rice, which is made using African rice, seasoned with cayenne, paprika, curry, bay leaves and thyme. Chicken, tomatoes, carrots, and other vegetables are then added to the mixture, and the whole thing is cooked together until the rice is at desired consistency. This very common African recipe has been eaten for ages, and revolves around the varieties of rice specific to the regions of West Africa. Across continents, in China rice had already been domesticated for centuries, but was very different from African rice. It began in the Southern regions of China, before spreading to various other parts of Asia, like Japan, Sri Lanka, Korea, and the Philippines. One common recipe from back then that we still see today is that for fried rice. This recipes consists of Asian rice, which is lighter and smaller than African Rice, being boiled to the point that it is a little sticky, then being mixed with eggs, chicken, peas, carrots, and other vegetables, along with soy sauce. Though this classic chinese dish shares many similar ingredients with African Jollof rice, they are nothing alike in flavor or cultural reference.
Furthermore, these two recipes each found their way to Europe and the new world independently and played into various aspects of cultural development. This combination of differences and similarities give an interesting image of the global history of food, in which different people in different parts of the world were developing in parallel manners. Despite the differences and distances between cultures, like those of West Africa and China, there are some human similarities that connect all people; one way of tracing those connections is through examining food and its rich history.
Citations:
1. Adejoy. "West African Jollof Rice Recipe." Recipe - Food.com. Food.com, 03 Jan. 2011. Web. 28 Apr. 2017.
2. "History of Rice Cultivation." Ricepedia. Ricepedia, n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2017.
0 notes
Text
Post eight: food in class culture
The last post looked at the way foods indicates something about the overarching connections across all of human culture, and the ways in which food brings people together even across time and different parts of the globe. However, when one takes a slightly less global perspective, and instead looks more closely at specific regions and societies within history, it can actually be seen that food was used as a way of dividing people. Often the food people ate was defined by what social class they belonged to. How did food work to divide people in society, and what does the evolution of this division indicate about society?
The idea of divided classes had been around for as long as there had been settled civilizations; there were caste systems as early as Mesopotamia. This led to divided ways of life, of which we will specifically be looking at Europe. In medieval Europe, there were very clear lines between the food of monarchs, nobles, and commoners. For example, monarchs would be served expensive white bread, while commoners would eat brown bread. It was uncommon for the serfs to have access to meat on a regular basis. The royalty, on the other hand, would enjoy meat on a nightly basis, feasting mainly on pork and chicken since it was the most common, and occasionally on beef or other red meat since it was far more work to raise and butcher. Castles also usually had their own fish ponds, in which they kept a constant supply of fresh meal option, of which cod and herring were some of the most common. The monarchs in medieval Europe also had access to spices and preservatives, like salt, that the lower classes lived without. By contrast, the common people at mainly grains, seasonal fruits and vegetables. For protein they relied mostly on beans and other legumes because they couldn’t afford to eat meat, or because it was prohibited by the church for many parts of the year. These differences in diet were a combination of availability and class lines that overall worked together to create the working system of class segregation that dominated medieval times.
The gradual decay of the feudal system, first due to the black death drastically reducing the population, then as a result of the growing middle class that was created from the expansion of knowledge within the renaissance, led to changes in the diet of every class, as well as beginning to blur the lines between the classes. Suddenly people had more education and skills, and with it more money to spend. Meat became more widely available to all the classes. The Monarchs began to lose their power, and the church did too. Things that had once been reserved only for royalty were suddenly within the reach of the common man. Like so many other aspects of food history, this change over time paralleled the development of a more modern world, in which class played less of a role on daily life, and there was an aspect of equality in terms of food available to everyone, both in terms of options and quality.
Citations:
1.International, American. "Life In A Medieval Castle Medieval Food." Castle Life - Medieval Food. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2017.
2. Newman, Simon. "Food & Diet in the Middle Ages." Food & Diet in the Middle Ages | Middle Ages. The Finer Times, n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2017.
0 notes
