Category: Food Facts – Food History

The History Of Carrots & The Invention Of Baby Carrots

Posted on by thenibble

What’s up, doc? Here’s a little history of one of our most popular veggies: carrots. According to the USDA, Americans consume 11.8 pounds a person per year. (Beyond raw carrots, this figure includes carrot cake, carrots in soups and stews, and so forth.) In the beginning, all plants and animals were wild. Over thousands of…
Continue reading “The History Of Carrots & The Invention Of Baby Carrots” →

TIP OF THE DAY: Improving Bad Bubbly With A Kir

Posted on by thenibble

[1] Kir Royale: sparkling wine and crème de cassis, which is blackcurrant liqueur (photo © The Mercury | Atlanta (now closed, alas). [2] The original Kir, simply crème de cassis and white wine, has no bubbly. It begat the Kir Royale (with Champagne, above) and a dozen more variations (photo © Stuart Webster | Wikipedia).…
Continue reading “TIP OF THE DAY: Improving Bad Bubbly With A Kir” →

FOOD FACTS: For Mayonnaise Lovers

Posted on by thenibble

Unlike mustard, pickles and other condiments that are essentially the same as at the time of their invention, mayonnaise evolved into something quite different. The “original” mayonnaise was a sauce served at a banquet following the 1756 Battle of Mahón, a city on the island of Minorca in the Mediterranean. The new recipe was named…
Continue reading “FOOD FACTS: For Mayonnaise Lovers” →

FOOD FACTS: What Makes A Food “American?”

Posted on by thenibble

Thanks to our friends at FoodTimeline.org for this interesting take on what makes a food “American.” Nearly all of today’s popular American foods—apple pie, chocolate, cole slaw, hamburgers, hot dogs, jelly beans, ice cream, pizza, potato salad, steak, tacos, and watermelon—originated in other countries. (Check the origins on FoodTimeline.org.) Their ingredients and recipes were introduced…
Continue reading “FOOD FACTS: What Makes A Food “American?”” →

RECIPE: Have A Cow—A Black Cow (a.k.a. Root Beer Float)

Posted on by thenibble

[1] How now, Black Cow? Make one and find out (photo by ShagPhoto | IST). [2] Prefer a Brown Cow? Substitute Coke for the root beer. Here’s the recipe from Smucker’s. [3] Add a splash of Bourbon for a grown-up root beer float (photo © Bibb & Tucker). [4] Vanilla vodka or liqueur also works.…
Continue reading “RECIPE: Have A Cow—A Black Cow (a.k.a. Root Beer Float)” →