Today, we use the phrase ‘square meal’ to refer to a full, balanced meal. We might say, “Boy, I’m full. That was a square meal” or “I’m hungry, let’s find a place we can get a square meal.” It basically means a good and filling meal. One good meal is called a square meal but we also … Read more
The French have a whole lot to do with the croissant as it is known today. Starting around 1920, they began making the croissant with a laminated-dough similar to puff-pastry and Danish dough. This gave the croissant the flaky layers it is cherished for today. Like the dough, the origin of the croissant is also layered. … Read more
The treat called Turkish Delight that Edmund ate in The Chronicles of Narnia is a type of confection is a type of confection known as a starch jelly. Examples of starch jellies familiar to Americans are orange slice candies, spearmint leaf, gumdrops, or even Swedish fish. You would never be able to make any of … Read more
When people ask who invented ketchup, they are often surprised to learn it wasn’t a modern company like Heinz. The true origin of ketchup isn’t American at all; it traces back centuries to ancient Asian fish brines. Our favorite red tomato condiment actually began as a pungent fermented sauce called ke-tsiap. This is the surprisingly … Read more
Although the word dram was originally used colloquially to mean a small quantity of anything, it eventually came to be used primarily to describe an amount of liquid of a drink, specifically the amount of liquid drunk all at once. For instance, you might have heard, “I’m dying of thirst, can you give me a … Read more
Allspice is the dried unripened fruit of an evergreen plant in the Myrtle family called Pimienta dioca. It is commonly called the pimento tree. The tree is indigenous to Central America and grows from Southern Mexico to Panama and throughout the Caribbean. Other names for the spice is Jamaican pepper, clove pepper, pimento, and English spice. Although dried allspice … Read more