#culinary-history

#culinary-history

According to city officials, and a plaque, one of the world's most famous dishes started in Pasadena when, more than 100 years ago, a careless teenager accidentally invented the cheeseburger. "The cheeseburger is a legacy here in Pasadena and this is a nice way to focus on Pasadena restaurants," said Paul Little, president and chief executive officer of the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce, which honors the simple but ubiquitous dish every year with Cheeseburger Week.

Parsnips' signature sweet, nutty flavor comes from their cold-weather cultivation. That subterranean freeze is what converts the roots' starches into sugars as the veggie grows underground. This is also why spring-harvested parsnips tend to be sweetest, although parsnips can be harvested during the fall and winter months, too. Fall- and winter-harvested parsnips feature a firmer texture and earthier, subtly bitter tasting profile.

Filipino food is the kind of thing everyone should try at least once, but it's such a varied cuisine that it bears coming back often. Often bold, bright, and playful, Filipino food is full of life. And, unless you know a very ambitious home cook, there's nowhere better to have your first Filipino food experience than at your local Filipino restaurant.

The use of egg whites to starch religious garments in the early eighteenth century was the catalyst for what is now one of Portugal's most famous dishes. That practice led to a surplus of egg yolks, and to avoid waste, monks and nuns invented rich, egg-yolk-based desserts and pastries. The famous custard tart baked in a crispy pastry shell was created at the Jeronimos Monastery in Belem, Lisbon, and the pasteis de nata were initially sold to help support the monastery.

A trip to the Westin St. Francis off Union Square always comes with a shot of nostalgia, an irresistible jolt of American mythology that covers more than 120 years. The storied walls hold pictures of visiting dignitaries like Dwight and Mamie Eisenhower, Douglas MacArthur, and, in a gloriously chaotic (and age-gap scandalous) photo from the 1960s, newly married Latin music sensations Xavier Cugat and Charo.

Originally called omelette à la neige (snow omelet) in reference to thefluffy snow-like appearance of the meringue, île flottante (floating island)has a lengthy history that dates back to the seventeenth century. (It issaid to have been a favorite dessert of the French royal court during thereign of King Louis XIV.) The beloved dessert can now be found in manyculinary traditions worldwide. The Austrians know it

One thing about me? I love to eat and drink. It's honestly the only thing that can pull me out of the occasional existential crisis. And while I'm busy inhaling my favorite snacks, I often catch myself wondering, "Who thought of this?" Well, turns out, a lot of our beloved foods weren't invented by culinary geniuses; instead, they were happy accidents. Researching one origin story sent me spiraling into a rabbit hole of delicious mistakes that turned into global favorites. Here's a list of them.

You walk into an ice cream parlor and face a wall of colorful choices: Will it be a decadently rich chocolate chip kind of day? Or will it be something fruitier, like cherry or tutti frutti? At a fancier spot, you might even venture into pistachio or salted caramel territory. No matter what you choose, every scoop has a backstory - some of which might be older (or newer) than you'd expect.

Is a teeny tiny po'boy that holds a single oyster. a little bit ridiculous? Yes and is it delicious? That too. I think maybe I forgot fine dining can be all of these things at once until I went to Emeril's in New Orleans. You might associate Emeril's with the famous first name-only celebrity chef who opened it in 1990, but the restaurant was recently taken over by his son.

Anyone can tell you how to cook Italian food - a preliminary search on YouTube will throw up millions of meticulously detailed tutorials competing for your attention. However, when you want to understand why Italians cook the way that they do, you'll want to turn to the culinary maestros and virtuosos at the forefront of this cuisine, from Marcella Hazan and Anna del Conte to Nancy Silverton. But you wouldn't want to consider the Italian cookbooks written by them as simple recipe books, either.

Every city would be blessed to have an array of great locals' spots like Mexico City's cantinas. The venues run the gamut in style and clientele, attracting all kinds of customers. Some are century-old gems, giving visitors a peek into the city's long culinary history. And the food, ranging from free drinking snacks to house specialties worth seeking out, goes well beyond bar bites you might find elsewhere.

When Gabriella Gonzalez Martinez was a teenager, she would grab chamoy-flavored candy from the tiendita, a corner store up the street from her high school in a Los Angeles suburb. She still felt the pull of its sour-spicy-sweet tang as an adult living in Portland, Ore. Now a pastry chef, she treats the classic Mexican condiment as an invitation to play in the kitchen.

Sole meunière is a classic French recipe that translates to "miller's wife," referencing the process of flouring the fish before frying it in butter. This dish requires carefully sourced Dover sole which, when prepared correctly, delivers a delicate and nuanced flavor.

King Henry VII's love for roast beef not only influenced culinary traditions but also gave rise to the nickname 'Beefeaters' for his guards, highlighting the royal impact on food customs.

"We've been coming here forever, for decades. It's almost like a cocoon in here! Is it not cool enough? I'm sorry, this place is very cool. This place was cool before people knew what cool was."

Saleratus, an obsolete leavening agent from the 1800s, was made from bicarbonate of potash and became a staple for pioneers, eventually replaced by baking soda.

Jerk seasoning carries generations of cultural significance, embodying the history, legacy, and enduring spirit of people who experienced colonialism in Jamaica.

Goulash is not just a dish but a cultural symbol originating from Hungary, crafted by gulyás, or cattle herders, who made hearty stews to sustain their travels.

The vibrant green citrus adds a bright burst of acidity to tacos and is an essential part of authentic Mexican cooking.

"Pretty much all our customers walk here or come by public transportation," he noted.

General Tso's chicken is a Chinese-American dish not commonly eaten in China; it was first produced in Taiwan by Hunanese chef Peng Chang-kuei to suit the tastes of an American admiral.

The modern surf and turf carries the message of a happy splurge and symbol of abundance, mirroring lavish historical meals that displayed wealth and generosity.

Fish and chips is often considered a quintessential English dish, yet it actually originates from Spanish and Portuguese refugees who brought battered fish to the UK in the 16th century.

Grated food was a big deal that carried some prestige back in the day. Ancient Greek cheese graters have been found in burial sites, indicating their cultural significance.

Granita is an ancient Sicilian treat originally made with shaved snow, fruit syrups and citrus... Eventually, they swapped the snow for sweetened water and it became a balanced, icy treat.

Fried chicken has long been a favorite fast-food across a vast range of people, with roots deep in Southern and African American culture as well as ancient Rome.