Food History

From hours before sunrise until late into the night, the kitchen was a beehive of activity in the proper Victorian home. The kitchen was usually

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal live. John 3:16 (NIV)

Up until the late 1700's the rich and poor shared some similarities when it came to the kitchen and one of those was cooking on an open fire. But the turn of the century ushered in the more enlightened Victorian age and with it came the highly efficient cast iron ovens where the Lord of the Manor's cravings for rich baked goods and hearty puddings could be better served.

Although the new stove was efficient, it was anything but convenient. Coal had to be carried in regularly and ashes removed throughout the day. A servant would rise early to fire the stove and domestic kitchen staff were required to keep it stoked all day.

Time passed and amazing new stoves were invented that allowed cooks to actually regulate temperatures by adjusting a series of flues and metal plates. Later, gas and electric stoves were introduced that allowed Victorian cooks to regulate temperature by simply twisting a knob. The Victorian age was an age of rebirth in the kitchen.

Copper pots, specially tinned on the inside to avoid chemical reactions with certain foods, were replaced with cast iron and the tastes of the Victorian family were reflected by the invention of mass produced kitchen gadgets such as pastry cutters, jelly and pie moulds, and biscuit tins. The Victorian era also saw the introduction of tools that are still in use today including cheese graters, the can opener and potato peelers.

Refrigeration was not available and food preservation techniques like salting, pickling, drying, and smoking gradually gave way to the discoveries of Louis Pasteur and to the introduction of tin-canning (and the first can opener). Soon, thanks to canning and the invention of the steam engine which enabled fresh food to be distributed throughout the country, fish, milk, meat and vegetables were available all year long. And for the first time, exotic meats and foods from other countries could be imported without fear of spoiling.

Perrier water, canned soup, canned pork & beans, Tabasco Sauce, Gulden Mustard and Folgers coffee are just a few of the household names of today that first appeared during the 1800's as the Victorians struggled between home cooking and the lure of ready made foods.

Insects and rodents filled their bellies under counters and in cabinets while stews boiled and meat roasted. The cook was a valued position in the Victorian home and one who bore the title Professed cook, meaning that they had the skills to create fancy banquets in addition to the daily meal, could earn as much as $72 a year. Cooks and kitchen maids saw to it that in spite of the challenges the Victorian kitchen produced sumptuous food that was fit for a Queen.

You can learn more about the Victorian kitchen by visiting http://www.thecooksguide.com a site brimming with historical recipes and household management wisdom imparted by the celebrity chef of his time Charles Elme Francatelli.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Web ChefJackie.com

A Brief History Of Cheesecake To 1545 by Andrew Krause
A Brief History of the Cookie Jar by Sarah Freeland
A History of Teapots - How to Improve the Tea Experience by Jon Stout
A Look At Some Of The Dining Habits Of Ancient Romans by Gregg Hall
American Food History: A Work In Progress by Andrew Krause
Ancient Fig Trees Through History by Patrick Malcolm
An Elizabethan Madrigal Dinner (Part 1) by Andrew Krause
An Elizabethan Madrigal Dinner (Part 2) by Andrew Krause
Can Openers – A Brief History Lesson by John Gibb
Charles Elme Francatelli - Chef to Queen Victoria by George Matel
Chef Hat History by Jason Gluckman
Chef's Outfit by Celeste Yates
Chile Con Carne: A History by Dhiraj Bandurkar
Chinese Food by Marci Crane
Chocolate History - Part I by Michael Russell
Chocolate History - Part II by Michael Russell
Chocolate History - Part III by Michael Russell
Coffee Cake Is A Tasty Treat With A Rich History by Robert J. Carlton
Colonial Cooking - A History Of American Cuisine by Abhishek Agarwal
Culinary Challenge (Quiz) by Deanna Mascle
Culinary Herbs - Definition, History and Future by Rhonda Holland
Cutlery - A Brief History by Harwood E Woodpecker
Digging The History Of Cutleries by Stuart Wintergear and Carol Wintergear
Down the Ages - The Rich History Of Chinese Cooking by Abhishek Agarwal
Eating History - The Potato by Paul Rinehart
Fannie Merritt Farmer - Mother of the American Cookbook by Terry Kaufman
Food Timeline -- A chronology of food history.
Greece - The Ancient Kitchen by Sofia Petrakou
Growing Tomatoes - Harvesting History And Health by Annette Welsford
Historic Recipes
History of Chocolate Gifts by George Murray
History Of Citrus by Patrick Malcolm
History of Coffee: Part I - Africa and Arabia by James Grierson
History of Coffee: Part II - Spread of Coffee to Europe by James Grierson
History of Coffee: Part III - Colonisation of Coffee by James Grierson
History of Coffee: Part IV - Commercialisation of Coffee by James Grierson
History of Coffee: Part V - Speciality Coffee by James Grierson
History of French Cooking by Michele Robbins
History Of Green Tea by Jon Stout
History of Pasta by Jessica Ackerman
History of Salsa Sauce - The Mexican Connection by Chris McCarthy
History of the Bridegrooms Cake by Yolanda Nash
History of the Coffee and Espresso Machine by Chris Vorelli
History Of The New York Cheesecake Recipe by Andrew Krause
Ice Cream History Facts - Where Did This Creamy Cool Dessert Originate? by C. Steendahl
Inside The Victorian Kitchen by George Matel
Pizza: Its History and Ancestors by Holly Bliss
Popcorn History - From Caves To Children's Birthday Parties by Mike Dougherty
Rich History of Chocolate by Celeste Yates
Snack Facts: The Incredible History Behind Some of Your Favorite Foods by Suzanne Lieurance
The History of Aprons by Thomas Morva
The History of Beef Jerky by Tommy Stabosz
The History Of Chocolate by Lee Dobbins
The History of Culinary Arts by Milos Pesic
The History Of Italian Food by C. Steendahl
The History of Pie by Susanne Myers
The History of Refrigerators by Chris Vorelli
The History Of TexMex Cuisine by Patt Carpenter
The History of the Birthday Cake by Jeff Cisneros
The History of The Hamburger by Ian Macdonald
The History of the Microwave Oven by Low Jeremy
The History of the Wedding Cake by Jeff Cisneros
Waffles - Contemporary Food with Thousands of Years of History by Terry Kaufman
Wine and the Roman Empire by Jennifer Jordan

< Back to Culinary History