The Origins of Cooking

THE ORIGINS OF COOKING 0000000000000000000000000000000000. D00000000000000000000000. How we went from hunting and gathering to an era of culinary innovation Prehistoric age 9000 B.C. Cooking allowed early humans to tap a wider variety of food sources and gain more nutrition from them First traces of agriculture in the fertile crescent region of the Middle East Researchers have found what appear to be campfires made by homo erectus 1.5 million CAVEMEN were not sophisticated chefs. They had a boring diet and mainly cooked to make food digestible, remove toxins and improve taste. years ago The invention of fire and the agricultural revolution were a major turning point in human history. Farming fed people more reliably than hunting wild game or digging for plants II Early Civilizations PEASANT FARE vs ARISTOCRATIC FOOD In the ancient world nobility had a big role in culinary advancement. Chefs were only employed by kings, aristocrats and priests. Countries with established aristocratic classes influenced the peasants who would try to mimic royal cuisine MOST CHINESE DISHES GO 5,000 years ago BACK TO THE IMPERIAL COURT WHICH RULED CHINA FOR Egypt already had various food related jobs including butchery, brewing and winemaking OVER 1,000 YEARS Fortune cookies are not actually Chinese. They were popularized in America early 20th century ANCIENT ROME ANCIENT GREECE Fish sauce and a plethora of spices were typical of the sophisticated and elaborate Imperial Roman cuisine. It is close in spirit to Thai or Indian cuisine today The delicate and complex cuisine of ancient Greece bears few similiarties with modern cuisine today. Records of early Greek food remain fragmented in lost literature. Apicius was a famous Roman epicure who lived in the 1st century A.D. One of the first cook- books in history De res coquinaria is attributed to him. Most of the dishes (including desserts) contained Garum, a fermented fish sauce Life of luxury (330 B.C) may be the world's first gourmet travel book. Archestratos of Gela toured the cosmopolitan ancient Greek world recording cuisine from the Black Sea to southern Italy similar to Asian fish sauce O Middle Age Despite having a vibrant peasant cuisine, France has been dominated by aristocratic food for centuries. Early on, French nobles used dinners as status symbols VIRTUALLY IDENTICAL England also had an elaborate monarchy which ruled for a thousand years, but its geography made it difficult to develop a sophisticated cuisine Medieval cuisine was highly flavored with imported spices (cinnamon, ginger and black pepper) England, France and Italy shared almost the same flavor profile Italy did not have a centralized monarchy but it did have one permanent fixture: the Papacy. Distinctive foods were developed for religious feasts and celebrations The average man had no kitchen and most of the food was bought from a cookshop. Dinner included game, a roast, white bread and a custard or a pudding II French Influence ALLO- ALLO With the beginning of the Renaissance individual cooks began to acquire consideroble fame, specially French chefs Brillat-Savarin in his book Physiologie du Goût explained that humans distingish themselves from other animals by treating food no only as La Varenne in Le Cuisiner François and Nicolas de Bonnefons in Les Délices de la Campagne extolled the virtues of vegetables paired with simple seasonings that allowed their true flavors to nourishment but also as shine art Antonin Carême the cook of kings, was not fond of the prerevolution cuisine and aimed to create a new culinary ethic. He prized beautiful presentations, rich ingredients and good In the 1650's and 1660's, French chefs began to take Auguste Escoffier systematized french cooking, simplified food service and streamlined the organization of a radical new approach to food that emphasized fresh ingredients and flavor for its own sake professional kitchens. service Courtesy of Encore Food with Elegance Design by Stephanie Canarte Sources http://www.cookingwhiz.com/cookhistory.htm http://longtail.hubpages.com/hub/history-of-cooking Myhrvold, Young, Bilet, Modernist Cuisine: History and Fundamentals Encore focoed arith Elegance ..........