Popcorn history is as interesting as the popcorn types and so the question – why does popcorn pop? Popcorn is a convenient short form of a variety of corn, which bursts from the kernel and puffs up when near a source of heat. The popcorn became a popular snack especially when watching movies in theatres, at a time when the United States was in the grip of the Great Depression. The popping quality of the corn was first discovered thousands of years ago by the Native Americans. Some native tribes believed that when the corn popped, it was noise made by an angry god who escaped the kernel.
Archive for the ‘Food’ Category
Ever Wonder Why Does Popcorn Pop?
Friday, August 28th, 2009
Pasty – A Michigan Food, A Miners Cuisine
Wednesday, June 24th, 2009
The Pasty has traveled a long way from being a Miners cuisine to a Unique Michigan Food in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The past is believed to have originated in Cornwall and was considered to be a tin miner’s cuisine. It is made by placing the filling in the center of the circular pastry dough and folding it to cover the filling, crimping the semi-circular edge to seal it. This gives it the raised half – moon shape. The Cornish pasty traditionally contains sliced meat, potato, onions and parsley.
Culinary Salt – How Much Do You Know About It?
Thursday, June 4th, 2009Salt has been around for millennia, being used as a preservative for food, especially meat. The harvest of salt is dated back to around 6000 BC from the surface of Lake Xiechi in China. Salt was also one of the funeral offerings found in Egyptian tombs. The Romans used salt as payment to soldiers, hence the term “salary” from the Latin root for salt “sal”. Today, it is used in various industries but the most common form in which salt is known to the public is culinary salt.
A Brief History of Pizza in the United States
Thursday, May 7th, 2009by Marq Blanks, Food Tour Guide, Culinary Escapes LLC
The origins of pizza can be traced back to 6th century BC Persians or 3rd century BC Greeks. But for Americans, the modern love affair with the flat dish began in New York at the turn of the last century.
In 1897, Gennaro Lombardi, an Italian immigrant in New York, opened a store in Little Italy where one of his employees made pizza. It became so popular that by 1905, Lombardi had opened New York’s first stand alone pizzeria. Its popularity picked up in the Italian communities and the ethnic restaurant became a profitable enterprise. According to US pizza history, Lombardi’s pizzeria was the first U.S. restaurant to dedicate its entire menu solely to the Italian favorite.