The (Mostly) Delicious Histories Of Our Favorite Foods

We eat them pretty regularly, but have you wondered about how exactly your favorite foods came to be? Are french fries really French? And who exactly had the brilliant idea to dip slices of fried potatoes in a smooth sauce made of crushed tomatoes? Everything has an origin story, even food, and in this article, we’re going to explore the delicious histories of some of your favorite foods.\r \r 1. Burgers\r \r Contrary to popular belief the hamburger is actually German in origin, and can be traced back to the German city Hamburg. It first started out as a beef steak that was made by grinding up the meat then calling it “Hamburg steak,” and later “hamburger.” As for the idea of sticking the steak between two buns, no one knows for sure how that idea came about,  but it was probably the Germans as well. There’s also this obscure little piece of history which places the Romans as the inventor of the first burger, but the recipe was for a sausage, not an actual burger.\r \r 2. Chocolate\r \r Chocolate has been around for a really long time, going all the way back to when the Olmec decided to find a way to utilize cocoa beans. It was known to them back then as  “kakawa,” the root word for “cocoa.” Apparently, they managed to turn it into a drink, and their neighbors the Mayans absolutely loved it so much that they began identifying it as a food of their rain and wind god, Kon and would often drink it during rituals as a substitute for blood. Chocolate bars, however, weren’t a thing until the year 1850.\r \r 3. Marshmallows\r \r The name “marshmallow” is a combination of the words “marsh” and “mallow,” which refers to the Mallow plants that grew around marshes. Now this specific plant used to be harvested during ancient Egyptian times and was often used by doctors as an effective way of curing a sore throat in children, though it may have simply been eaten by richer kids as a treat. But the real marshmallow we know and love can be traced back to the 1800s in France as a treat for both kids and adults alike.\r \r 4. Tomato Ketchup\r \r In America, the first ketchup recipe popped up in a 1801 publication the “Sugar House Book.”  However, this recipe was based on an even older one that can be traced back to 17th century China. Back then it was known as “kê-tsiap” and was originally made up of fish brine and spices, not tomato. It was a favorite among Dutch and English sailors due to its long shelf-life. So they took a few bottles for themselves back to Europe where the sauce would undergo a large number of moderations before landing on the tomato variation.\r \r 5. French Fries\r \r France and Belgium have been engaging in an ongoing dispute for a really long time regarding who really created French fries. According to the French, it all started during the late 17th century, a time when potatoes were considered to be unfit for human consumption. This mindset quickly changed during the 1785 famine and by 1795, when potatoes were now in high demand, someone had the great idea to fry them, and the rest is history. As for the Belgians, they claim the credit goes to the 17th century people of the Meuse Valley who resorted to frying slices of potatoes due to the frozen rivers, otherwise it would have been fried fish on the menu.