Food Through History

FOOD
THROUGH
HISTORY

One of America’s best-known
culinary figures isn’t a real person
at all; she was created in 1921 by
the company that would later
become General Mills. This
figurehead had a radio show and
has updated her look several
times. Who is she?

A.
Martha Stewart

B.
Betty Crocker

C.
Sara Lee

D.
Aunt Jemima

Multiple Choice

One of America’s best-known
culinary figures isn’t a real person
at all; she was created in 1921 by
the company that would later
become General Mills. This
figurehead had a radio show and
has updated her look several
times. Who is she?

• Martha Stewart

• Betty Crocker

• Sara Lee

• Aunt Jimena

B.

Betty Crocker

Tang, an instant orange
“juice” that hit
supermarket in shelves in
1959, became popular
when it:

A.
Was served with airplane
breakfasts

B.
Was approved by the FDA

C.
Went to the moon.

D.
Was included in school lunches

C. Went to the moon

Ernest Hamwi is credited with an
invention conceived at the St.
Louis World’s Fair in 1904. As the
story goes, an ice cream vendor
ran out of cups, and Hamwi came
to the rescue, using his thin
pastries to make:

A.
Belgian waffles

B.
Ice cream sandwiches

C.
Ice cream cones

D.
Crepes suzette

C. Ice Cream Cones

Among the earliest
fast-food hamburger
chains was this Kansas
establishment, which
opened in 1921. Its name
described the shape of its
building.

A.
The Golden Arches

B.
Fatburger

C.
White Castle

D.
Jack in the Box

C. White Castle

Lombardi’s, the first
American pizzeria,
opened in 1905 in
which city?

A.
New York

B.
Chicago

C.
Rome, New York

D.
Mystic, Connecticut

A. New York

Which of the following
things was introduced in
1937 and has been a
Bachelor-pad staple ever
since?

A.
Swanson TV dinner

B.
Pizza delivery

C.
Kraft Macaroni & Cheese

D.
Lucky Lager

C. Kraft Macaroni & Cheese

If you eat these in
the dark, you’ll quite
possibly see sparks.

A.
Pop Rocks

B.
Wint-o-green Life Savers

C.
Habanero chilies

D.
Electric Eels

B.

Wint-O-Green Life Savers

Which dessert was
created in the 1950s and
named after a customer
of Brennan’s restaurant in
New Orleans?

A.
Bananas Foster

B.
Angel food cake

C.
Charlotte

D.
Napoleon

A. Bananas Foster

Food History

Historical Food: Egypt,
Greece, Rome

►
Egypt 3100 BC to 300 BC

►Made yeast raised and flat breads, tended bees, fish and raised
animals for milk and meat.

►
Greece 750 BC to 146 BC

►Simple food, good quality food, spit roasting, olives, honey, cheese,
seafood, lamb wild herbs.

►Epicurius Greek philosopher – life was to maximize pleasure. The
word today refers to people in search of fine food.

►
Rome 625 BC – 476 AD

►Wide variety of imported and rare products. Game animals,
seafood, spices from Asia and Africa. Ham from France, oysters
from British Isles.

►Apicius wrote first complete western cookbook.

Historical Foods: Middle
Ages, Renaissance

►
Middle Ages 500 to 1500 AD

►Religious Influence – Meatless days (fish on Friday)

►Arab Culture – Almonds, eggplant, citrus fruits, sugar and rice.

►People ate with only a knife and occasionally a spoon, ate
on stale or roasted bread called trenchers.

►
Renaissance 1400-1600 AD

►Sauces were lighter and more refined.

►Exchange of culinary tradition between France, Spain and
Italy. Caterina de Medici (Italy) married King Henry II (France)
Taught the French to use a fork.

►World exploration introduces tomatoes, potatoes, peppers,
corn, chocolate, beans and vanilla.

Historical Foods: 1700-1800

►
1700-1800

►After French Revolution Restaurants began to pop up.

►Marie-Antoine Careme - Defined the art of Grand Cuisine –
elaborate and time consuming style of cooking.

►Born to poor family in France 1784. Abandoned as a child and
found work as a kitchen boy, worked his way up through the
kitchen. Private chef to the social elite.

►Refined recipes, trained chefs, wrote cookbooks, known for
elaborate buffets and centerpieces, chef uniform and
toque (hat)

►US Melting Pot: Regional food developed because of
the following:

►Local Native American tribes

►Immigrant groups settling in specific areas.

►Region’s climate, types of agriculture, indigenous foods.

►1800’s Long term preservation

► Canning, Louis Pasteur (pasteurization), frozen and

refrigerated foods, first stoves were invented.

Historical Foods: 1900

►
Auguste Escoffier (1846-1935)

►Refined Grand Cuisine into Classical Cuisine, Father of modern
cuisine.

►1898 – with Cesar Ritz, opened the London Savoy Hotel.

►Categorized sauces in to 5 grand/mother sauces, he named dishes
after famous individuals or events.

►Code of conduct and dress for kitchen staff.

► Kitchen brigade (responsibilities).

►Cookbook Le Guide Culinaire industry leading text on cuisine.

►

Nouvelle Cuisine – 1960s – New Cuisine, simply prepared, small
portion, artistic plates.

►

1970s cooking on TV

►JuliaJulia Julia Child – revolutionized American cooking,
cookbooks, TV shows.

Current Trends,
Influences,
Segments

Government regulations
and safety

►
Labeling laws

►Allergens

►Use by dates

►Ingredients

►
Laws regarding
selling of food to
consumers

►
Guidelines for food
storage at home,
laws for food
industry.

Cycles and Popularity

►
Inception: Originality in flavor, preparation and
presentation.

►
Adoption: Trend grown by using simpler
preparation and lower price points.

►
Proliferation: Adjusted for mainstream appeal

►
Ubiquity: Reached maturity and can be found
across the food industry.

►Examples: Fiji Apples, Gluten Free, Quinoa, Food
Trucks, Upscale, Quick Service Restaurant, Street
Tacos, Door Dash & Uber Eats.

►
Careful: 85-95% of all new food items fail.

Media and Current Events

►
Media

►Social Media, TV, Written,
Internet

►Food blogs, Food
Network, cooking
channels

►
Current Events

►War or political climate

►Economic conditions

►Weather conditions

Fads vs. Trends

Fads

►

Short lived

►

Media Driven

►Social Media, TV

►

Hyper Growth

►Space food in the 1960s

►Keto diet

►

Retail Catalyst

►Starbucks unicorn drinks

►

Limited True Need

►Pod foods like Keurig or
Flatev making tortillas
from pods of dough.

Trends

►

Longer lasting

►

Restaurant driven

►Organic or farm to table

►

Organic Growth

►No forced influence, like
the introduction of
Quinoa

►

Democratize-able

►Readably available,
locally grown, purchasing
restraint items in grocery
story like Panda Express
sauces

►

Greater underlying need

►Gluten Free – Food
Allergies

Cultural Influences

►
Health Limitations

►Diabetes, heart disease, celiac disease, allergies

►
Personal Factors

►Social class, mood, personality

►
Geographical

►Costal – seafood, BBQ is regionally different, South
West food

►
Age

►Chucky Cheese, The Wash in Provo – late night
urban eatery open 7:00-11:00 p.m. to appeal to
college students, Disneyland creating kid appealing
food

Cultural influences

►
Religion or Culture

►Soda pop vs. coffee shops (Mormon)

►No meat on Friday – Fish only (Catholic)

►Not eating beef or pork (Hindi or Muslim)

Cultural Influences

►
Jewish Culture

►Certain foods, notably pork and shellfish, are forbidden; meat and
dairy may not be combined, and meat must be ritually slaughtered
and salted to remove all traces of blood.

►The dough of challah is shaped into forms having symbolical
meanings;

►When using wheat, it is very important that the wheat does not
come into contact with liquid until ready to be cooked to insure the
wheat is clean and whole. It is watched when kneaded to make
sure the dough doesn’t come in contact with heat or the sun to
ensure that it has not fermented.

Cultural Influences

►
Jewish culture cont.

►Latkes are for Hanukkah

►Blintzes are eaten on the holiday Shabuoth which
celebrates the torah being given on Mt. Sinai

►Matzah is a type of unleavened bread eaten at
Passover. Symbolizes the Jews leaving Egypt too
quickly to let it rise.

Cultural Influences

►
Christian

►A common origin story of pretzels is that
they were created by a monk around
610 in Italy.

►The monk baked strips of dough that he
folded into a shape resembling a child
crossing its arms in prayer.

►He would give these treats, which he
called “pretiolas” or “little rewards,” to
children who had memorized their
prayers.

Cultural Influences

►

Mardi Gras, which is French for “Fat Tuesday,” is the last day of a
season called “Carnival.” The Carnival season is characterized by
merrymaking, feasting, and dancing, from Christmas to Ash
Wednesday.

►

It is one last “binge” before having to give something up for 40 days.
King cake is often eaten. King cake often has a small plastic baby (to
represent the Baby Jesus) inside or underneath; and the person who
gets the piece of cake with the trinket has various privileges and
obligations.

►

In general, Mardi Gras revelers engage in a binge of sinning before a
time of consecration to God.

Cultural Influences

►
Catholic

►Lent is a solemn religious observance in the Christian
liturgical calendar that begins on Ash Wednesday and
ends approximately six weeks later, before Easter Sunday.
The purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer for
Easter through prayer, doing penance, mortifying the flesh,
repentance of sins, almsgiving, and self-denial.

►In Lent, many Christians commit to fasting, as well as giving
up certain luxuries in order to replicate the sacrifice of Jesus
Christ's journey into the desert for 40 days.

Cultural Influences

►
Muslim

►Ramadan is a holy month of fasting,
introspection and prayer for Muslims, the
followers of Islam. Around May-June.

►Fasting is one of the five fundamental
principles of Islam.

►Each day during Ramadan, Muslims do not
eat or drink from sunrise to sunset.

►They are also supposed to avoid impure
thoughts and bad behavior.

►Muslims break their daily fasts by sharing meals
with family and friends, and the end of
Ramadan is celebrated with a three-day
festival known as Eid al-Fitr, one of Islam’s
major holidays. When Ramadan is over
Muslims often eat dates, as did Muhammad.

Food service industry
segments

►
Fine Dining

►Dress code, multiple courses, higher price range, sometimes
courses are individually priced or might be one price for a full
meal (table d’ hote). Tipping mandatory.

►
Family Dining

►Causal, family friendly, lower prices, specials, courses are
included – like a salad as part of the meal. Tipping mandatory.

►
Quick Service

►Order at counter, get your own drink, no tip necessary

►
Catering

►Onsite or elsewhere

Commercial

►
Restaurants

►
Catering

►
Retail

►
Stadiums

►
Amusement Parks

►
Airlines and Cruise Ships

Noncommercial

►
Schools & Universities

►
Military

►
Health-Care

►
Business & Industry

►
Clubs (golf course)

Supply Chain
and
Sustainability

Supply Chain

►
Agriculture

►Farmers and ranchers

►
Processing – transform food product

►Consumer driven

►Reduces waste

► Portions, preserved

►Increase shelf life

►
Retailers and distributors

►Offers goods to consumers for purchase

►
Hospitality & Consumer

►Purchase and consume goods

Sustainability

►
Economic Sustainability

►Making smart financial decisions in regards to foods
grown, processed and consumed.

►
Food Availability

►Over use, natural disasters

►
Reduce Food Waste

►Using all parts of the food we purchase