Tastes Of History
Food History: A Roman soldier’s diet
The diet of a Roman soldier consisted of wheat, rations of smoked bacon or fresh meat (when available, usually pork), vegetables,...
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Tastes Of History
- Nov 3
A Brief History of Food: Chicken à la Marengo
Chicken à la Marengo is a French dish, similar to chicken à la Provençale, that consists of a chicken sautéed in oil with garlic and...
Tastes Of History
- Oct 26
Food History: What did ancient Egyptians eat?
The longevity of ancient Egyptian society, some 3,500 years, was largely because they had the good fortune to live in a sunny land,...
Tastes Of History
- Sep 20
A Brief History of Food: Grog
Grog is a term used for a variety of alcoholic beverages. In naval parlance, the word originally referred to rum diluted with water to...
Tastes Of History
- Jun 14
A Brief History of Food: Peacock
Birds have long been revered, feared and assumed to be capable of predicting weather, marriage partners, disaster and death. In ancient...
Tastes Of History
- Feb 10
Dispelling Some Myths: Roman Cheshire Cheese
The BBC’s Bargain Hunt has struck again. On this occasion the claim was made that Cheshire cheese was made by the Romans. That was news...
Tastes Of History
- Dec 5, 2022
A Brief History of Food: Titanic Cuisine
The RMS Titanic, operated by the White Star Line, sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on April 15th, 1912 after striking an iceberg during...
Tastes Of History
- Dec 2, 2022
Food in the 17th Century
Grain and legumes Peas and beans, which made up a very large part of the diet of the Mediæval poor, were still treated as a staple food,...
Tastes Of History
- Nov 30, 2022
Where's all the rum gone?
Over the centuries a seaman's diet, whether they were part of the crews of Sir Francis Drake or Admiral Horatio Nelson, hardly changed....
Tastes Of History
- Nov 21, 2022
A Brief History of Food: Victorian Innovation
The Sun never sets When Victoria succeeded to the throne in 1837, Britain was already a global maritime trading power. From the late...
Tastes Of History
- Oct 31, 2022
A Brief History of Food: The Mediæval Kitchen
Possibly the most significant year in English history, 1066, saw the end of Anglo-Saxon England and start of the reigns of first the...
Tastes Of History
- Sep 15, 2022
A Brief History of Foods: Sugar
Sugar is one of the world’s oldest documented commodities, and at one time it was so valuable that people kept it safe under lock and key...
Tastes Of History
- Aug 20, 2022
The Forme of Cury
The Forme of Cury (‘The Method of Cooking’ [1]) is an extensive 14th-century collection of medieval English recipes. Although the...
Tastes Of History
- Jul 29, 2022
Eliza Acton: cookery writing pioneer
Eliza Acton (April 17th, 1799 - February 13th, 1859) was an English poet and food writer who produced one of Britain's first cookery...
Tastes Of History
- Jul 24, 2022
A Brief History of Foods: Oranges
Origins The name 'orange' derives from the Sanskrit word for 'orange tree' (नारङ्ग nāraṅga). The Sanskrit word reached European...
Tastes Of History
- Apr 19, 2022
A Brief History of Foods: Pineapple
The pineapple (Latin: Ananas comosus) [1] is a tropical plant with an edible fruit indigenous to South America, where it has been...
Tastes Of History
- Apr 6, 2022
A Brief History of Foods: Leeks
According to a BBC News tweet (see right), the ‘Welsh leek’ could be set for protected status [1], alongside foods including Cheddar...
Tastes Of History
- Dec 31, 2021
On This Day: Catherine of Braganza and tea
December 31st, 1705: Catherine of Braganza, widow of Charles II whom she had married in 1662, died in Lisbon, Portugal. Most notably,...
Tastes Of History
- Dec 30, 2021
On This Day: Yes, we have bananas
December 30th, 1945, a cold Sunday morning, saw the cargo ship Tilapa docked in Bristol. It was carrying the first bananas to be seen in...
Tastes Of History
- Dec 17, 2021
A Brief History of Foods: Coffee
Origins Exactly how and when coffee was discovered is uncertain. A legend of its stimulating effects being identified in Ethiopia is...
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