As you may have learned on Mad Men last month, French armies played a role in the creation of margarine (as well as industrial canning). During the Napoleonic wars, the French military offered rewards to anyone who came up with effective food preservation methods for soldiers.
As Peggy noted, the long-lasting spread “was invented for Napoleon III…because armies need to move, and it never spoiled.”
Fruit preserves of one kind or another have been made for thousands of years. Today, many jams and other preserves are made using “canning” techniques. As you’ll learn in Our Global Kitchen, industrial canning methods used today date back to the early 1800s. During the Napoleonic wars, the French military offered rewards to anyone who came up with effective methods for food preservation.
Keep reading for more on the history of jams and jellies.
Image: Dennis G. Jarvis
This week we’re highlighting jams and jellies in Our Global Kitchen. Come taste some delicious jams by Sallie’s Greatest on June 17 and 18 in the exhibition’s working kitchen.
The process of fermentation—transforming foods to make them more digestible and more nutritious—is as old as humanity itself.
In this podcast, join Dan Felder, head of research and development at the Momofuku Culinary Lab, and author and fermentation specialist Sandor Katz, in a lively discussion about kimchi, kefir, and other fermented delicacies.
From the Aztec market: peppers
First domesticated in the Americas at least 6,000 years ago, Capsicum peppers were carried far and wide and bred into countless varieties. People in what is now Mexico used chiles in everything from tamales to chocolate drinks to candy for children.
From the Aztec market: squash blossoms
Many parts of the same plant might be eaten, including the roots, stems, leaves and flowers—such as these squash blossoms. They can be roasted, stewed or placed inside tortillas.
From the archives: a market scene, Toluca, Mexico. 1896
(c) AMNH Library/#24314
On Thursday, June 6, join us for a talk and tasting inspired by New York City’s culinary history with Eleven Madison Park. Chef Daniel Humm and General Manager Will Guidara will discuss how they’ve melded Jewish, Italian, Irish, and other culinary traditions from New York City’s mass immigrations into contemporary fine-dining cuisine.
Tastings from Eleven Madison Park will include:
Smoked sturgeon
Greensward cheese (from Murray’s cheese shop)
Picnic Ale (from Ithaca Brewing Company)
Two types of black-and-white cookie (savory and sweet)
Grab your tickets here!
From the Aztec market: prickly pear cactus
The flat pads of the prickly pear cactus (pictured at right), still eaten today, are called nopales. They can be eaten raw, pickled, fried, boiled, grilled, bake d or stewedand have a earthy taste.
From the archives: a woman making tortillas, Mexico. 1926
(c) AMNH Library/#259973
