history

Iconic food and gustatory moments in history.

A Finnish drink with a heroic past
Finland is known for its triple "s" – sisu (resilience), sauna and Sibelius. But for centuries, there has also been a fourth, more subtle "s": sima, a fermented drink made with water, sugar, lemon and yeast. Today, effervescent and virtually non-alcoholic sima is beloved across the nation, most often consumed by children and adults alike as a special drink to celebrate Vappu, or May Day, a time when Finns flood the outdoors to embrace the coming of spring.
By Di Mo Si3 years ago in Feast
Pice hotels: A lifeline for Kolkata's hungry workers
Pice hotels offered both familiarity and nourishment to these homesick young men It's easy to miss the narrow entry to Hotel Sidheshwari Ashram, tucked in the alley behind Kolkata's Sir Stuart Hogg Market (New Market), but it's the fragrant whiff of fish seared in mustard oil that directs customers to the door. It's rush hour and the restaurant, one of Kolkata's few remaining pice hotels, is packed to the gills: waiters in bright orange livery dart in and out of the kitchen; bowlfuls of vegetables, fish and meat preparations accompany mounds of rice laid out on banana leaf plates. An accountant perched between the staircase and the dining room keeps score of every serve. The seats lining the marble-top tables fill up in quick succession as hungry office workers break for lunch.
By Gay3 years ago in Feast
Where a meal without beans is incomplete
In mid-February this year, if it weren't for the pandemic, hordes of Brazilians and travellers would have packed out Carnival street parties and sambadrome parades for five uninterrupted days of music and dancing. Those in Rio or São Paulo would certainly have come across the black bean-based feijoada, Brazil's flagship stew and an omnipresent meal in south-eastern Carnival celebrations. In Bahia's capital, Salvador, revellers would have likely feasted on acarajé, a typical Afro-Bahian fritter made of black-eyed peas.
By Gay3 years ago in Feast
What did the ancient Romans eat?
It's sunset in Rome, outside the city walls. Golden light filters through umbrella pines and casts its glow on a straight stretch of smooth basalt stones that changed the course of history. This is the Appian Way, the first road built in Rome, where more than 2,000 years ago soldiers set out to conquer distant lands and returned in triumph.
By Turnell Feliu3 years ago in Feast
House of Bennani: the library of the habous of couscous
At the western edge of Tunis' medina, beneath a loud mural of football graffiti, I arrived at an almost invisible arched door set in a pale pink stone doorway carved with flowers. As I pressed the doorbell, I heard shuffling inside and the loud turning of an old lock. The door swung open, and Mohammed Bennani beckoned me inside.
By Mejra3 years ago in Feast
The UK village that lost its cheese
Stilton, Cheshire, red Leicester. There are more than 700 cheeses produced in the UK, but in parts of the English-speaking world, a certain type is so ubiquitous that it's simply referred to as "cheese".
By Gay3 years ago in Feast
Trieste: Italy's surprising capital of coffee
In every Italian city, the day's rhythm begins at the cafe. But in Trieste, a city on Italy's north-east coast, that rhythm comes with a twist. Wander into any cafe here and, in addition to the familiar clinks of cups and hissing of steaming milk, you'll hear people ordering "capo in b": a mini cappuccino served in a glass that's a favourite of Triestini.
By Sweet Holdeman3 years ago in Feast
Spain's 'white gold' super-drink
Stretching across the drying room in a vast, rippled expanse, the tiger nuts seemed almost like desert dunes. I'd come to Valencia towards the end of their harvesting and found the sight of this immense volume – hundreds upon thousands, perhaps even millions – impressive. Singling one out, however, I was surprised to discover a small, wrinkled form that looked distinctly less inspiring. Where tiger nuts are concerned, it turns out, appearances really are deceiving.
By Sweet Holdeman3 years ago in Feast
The UK's heritage apple renaissance
Tom Adams is a detective. But he doesn't track criminals – his targets are "lost" apple varieties hiding unsuspected in orchards around the UK, and his work taps into a renewed British passion for its rich larder of heritage apples.
By Pavlak Montoro3 years ago in Feast
Ep 2: Homegrown Thanksgiving '23
This is the third entry documenting our 14-month challenge to ourselves to prepare a Thanksgiving meal made entirely of food and ingredients grown, harvested, hunted and produced right here on Fain-XX Farm. Regardless of the outcome, subsequent entries, photos, recipes and social media posts will be arranged into a book format for publication.
By The Bantering Welshman3 years ago in Feast
The food legacy of a Holocaust survivor
A mere block from Budapest's mammoth Keleti railway station sits Tibor Rosenstein's eponymous restaurant. The entrance comes off a quiet, unassuming residential corner far from the city's traditional culinary hubs. But like a temple, Rosenstein Restaurant stands alone as a monument to historical Jewish-Hungarian cuisine – drawing celebrities, television personalities and Jewish gastronomic globetrotters eager for a taste of the past.
By Gay3 years ago in Feast
A Brief History of Sofrito and How to Make It (Puerto Rican Style)
Sofrito is a staple in Puerto Rican cuisine. It is a base sauce made of onions, peppers, garlic, cilantro, and sometimes tomato sauce. Traditionally, sofrito is made fresh and in small batches because it only has a shelf life of a few days. However, you can freeze it in an ice cube tray and use one cube as needed.
By Edy Zoo 3 years ago in Feast