Vegemite is an Australian spread made from brewer’s yeast and that is strongly connected with the island continent’s identity. Vegemite showed up on Australia’s grocery store shelves in 1923. Its inventor was Dr. Cyril P. Callister, a food technologist who used brewer’s yeast to make the spreadable paste that was …
Chinese mustard is a condiment made with brown mustard seeds, which come from a variety of mustard plant called Brassica juncea. It is a relative of the plant that gives us black mustard, called Brassica nigra and the plant that provides white mustard seeds called Brassica alba or Sinapsis alba. …
Avocado is a member of the laurel family, which also provides us with bay leaves and cinnamon. Botanically speaking, the avocado fruit is considered a berry. There is archaeological evidence of wild avocados being gathered and consumed 10,000 years ago in central Mexico. Mesoamericans were cultivating the trees 5,000 years …
The full story of mole’s origin is still a mystery but there are a few facts about it that are well-known. Those include the fact that while mole sauce is a Mexican preparation, it contains global elements in the form of spices that came to Mexico via Spain. At the …
Yakisoba sauce is an essential part of the yakisoba dish. Yakisoba is a Japanese dish but it evolved from the well-known Chinese chow mein. It consists of stir-fried noodles along with vegetables such as carrot, cabbage, and onions. Bite-sized pieces of pork may also be included along with bonito shavings. …
Hoisin sauce is a Cantonese sauce that is often used both as an ingredient in dishes and as a table condiment. Some sources claim that hoisin sauce was invented in Beijing and that its original name was Peking sauce. The reason for this is that it is a popular glaze …
Dijon mustard was named for the city where it was first made: Dijon in Burgundy, France. Mustard in France began with the Ancient Romans who grew mustard plants in French vineyards. The Romans made a condiment with the seeds by soaking them in vinegar and then grinding them. The production …
Pesto originated in the Ligurian city of Genoa in Northern Italy. Some historians believe that it was first made around the 1700s. Others believe that it originated with the Ancient Romans who ate a paste of cheese, olive oil or butter and herbs called moretum that is mentioned by the …