The History Behind Some of Our Favorite Baked Goods.
How often do we ponder the origins of our favorite foods? Do they come with intriguing stories? For me, yes! Many of these delights came into existence through accidents—ingredients added, subtracted, or substituted. Some were crafted to satisfy the picky palates of royalty, while others were inspired by foreign cuisines or ingredients, tailored to suit specific tastes.
Come with me on a delightful journey through history to uncover the origins of some of our most beloved foods, still savored today!
Image: constellation InspirationArnold Ruben, a Jewish German immigrant, fulfilled his dream of opening a deli and later a restaurant in Manhattan—the legendary Turf Restaurant at 49th and Broadway. Socializing extensively in New York's bustling scene, Ruben encountered a cheese pie at a dinner party made by his friend’s wife, sparking the inspiration for his iconic New York-style cheesecake. In 1929, his family crafted a revolutionary recipe, substituting cream cheese for the then-popular cottage cheese and opting for a graham cracker crust, setting their cheesecake apart from the rest.
The Danish pastry which really is French, is also known as "Copenhagener" by Germans, and “Viennese” by the Danish. Legend has it that Claudius Gelee, a French apprentice baker in the early 17th century, accidentally created the dough by forgetting to add the butter, but then attempting to make up for it by folding it in later. The resulting fluffy dough birthed what we now know as the Danish. Gelee later opened a patisserie in Paris which the French called the “Thousand Leaves.” The pastry traveled through Western Europe creating a buzz in the origin of the pastry by the Danish Bakers’ Union. To know more about the pastry, click here.
Adorned with intricate patterns and filled with cured salted duck yolks, mooncakes have symbolized the Chinese New Year festivities and historical triumphs for around 3000 years. It is said that during the Mongol rule in China, rebel leader Liu Bowen devised a clever plan to incite rebellion by distributing mooncakes containing secret messages, leading to the tradition of celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month.
Introduced to the French by Italian queen Catherine di Medici's chef, in the 1530s, macarons gained popularity over the centuries. Ladurée, a renowned macaron parlor, elevated the delicacy by pairing it with various fillings and colors, inspired by Monsieur Adam's grand display at Louis XIV's wedding. Unlike their modern counterparts, the original macarons were simple and pale brown, devoid of fillings. Monsieur Adam’s bakery is still run by the inventors family. To know more about the original macaroons, click here
The iconic breakfast staple, often associated with American culture, traces its roots back to Poland, where similar ring-shaped breads existed as early as the 17th century. Bagels gained popularity in the United States with the influx of Eastern European immigrants in the late 19th century, eventually becoming a commercial success in the 1970s.
During the Great Depression of the 1930s, the scarcity of food prompted resourceful cooks to repurpose ingredients, leading to the creation of banana bread. Utilizing overripe bananas and the newfound accessibility of baking powder, cooks crafted quick bread recipes, which soon became ubiquitous in cookbooks and product packaging. To know more click here.
So, the next time you savor your favorite dish, take a moment to appreciate the journey it took to land on your plate and relish the stories that accompany each delectable bite. Hopefully, this sparked your curiosity further and maybe even stirred a craving for one of these iconic foods. Bon appétit!
Much love, Rhea