OK; here we go: What do Jerry Garcia, lead guitarist of the Grateful Dead and Vittore Carpaccio, the 16th century Venetian painter have in common? Does it help to know that Carpaccio is best known for his painting cycle, The Legend of Saint Ursula? Didn’t think so. Well; here’s another hint: What does Marie Ana Smith, the 1868 Australian gardener share with Rudolph Hass, a 1920’s California Postal worker? Still stumped? Think Sylvester Graham, the entrepreneurial 19-century Presbyterian minister and….. here’s the big clue: Dame Nellie Melba, the famous soprano singer.
YES ! All have foods that bare their name.
Horticulturists and artists, heads of state and entrepreneurs, restaurateurs and chefs have long embraced the old maxim: You Name It, You Claim It. To name a soup or a sauce, a beverage or a candy, a fruit or a dessert in someone’s name, or claim it in your own, has been an honor when bestowed upon others, and at times, just plain good marketing!
During his tenure as chef de cuisine at the legendary Delmonicos, from 1862- 1896, Charles Ranhofer was the true father of the gastronomic name game in the United States.
Though we rarely see his Sarah Potatoes (for Sarah Bernhardt) or Salad a la Dumas (in honor of Alexandre Dumas), you can still find baked Alaska, which he popularized in 1976 in honor of the newly acquired Alaskan territory, and the puzzling history of Lobster Newberg remains linked to Ranhofer.
But all puzzles aside, there are some straight –ahead, non-contested stories behind the names of foods we eat today. Need a theme for a dinner party? Fill your table with some of these and charm your guests with your knowledge. Or, have a young child who is a finicky eater? Take a tip from Ranhofer. Create a nutritional, delicious dish, endow it with the name of your young charge, and present with pomp and fanfare. They’ll down it every time.
Here’s a short list:
German Chocolate Cake: If you are like me, then you thought this had something to do with Germany, like German Black Forest Cake, a.k. a Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte. But, no. German Chocolate Cake, a 1950’s American dessert was originally knows as Baker’s German’s Chocolate Cake, which took its name from Sam German who developed the sweet baking chocolate in 1852.
Oh Henry!: This candy bar with a built-in advertising jingle, was introduced by the Williamson Candy Company in Chicago in 1920, and was named for a young man who frequented the store and was often commandeered to do odd jobs with that call. (and I don’t think it was Henry Aldridge!)
Bing cherry: Seth Leulling, a horticulturist from Oregon, developed the cherry in 1875, and named it after the Manchurian foreman who assisted him.
Now back to the clues at the top:
Cherry Garcia: The popular flavor of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream and frozen yogurt was introduced in 1987 in honor of the famous guitarist Jerry Garcia, and features Bing cherries (see above). For the month following his death in 1995, the confection used black cherries as an expression of mourning. It wasn’t until after his death that his heirs requested a royalty payment.
Carpaccio: The thinly sliced raw beef is said to resemble the red hue Vittore Carpaccio is known for in his paintings.
Granny Smith: This Australian apple was the result of a chance seedling propagated by Marie Ana (Granny) Smith in 1868.
Hass avocado: Postal worker Rudolf Hass, was a backyard gardener in California. While planting Lyon avocados trees, he also planted a chance variant. His children noticed it as unique. Hass filed a patent on the variety in 1935. Now, Hass avocados comprise up to about 75% of United States avocado production.
Graham Crackers: Much has been written about Sylvester Graham, the 19-th century American Presbyterian minister whose pursuit of good health via a rather spartan way of life, gave us Graham Crackers. Aside from promoting hard mattresses, open bedroom windows, chastity, cold showers, loose clothing, pure water and vigorous exercise, he also endorsed the high-fiber benefits of unsifted and coarsely ground wheat flour. That flour was called “graham flour” and was the main ingredient in the original Graham Crackers.
Melba Toast , Peach Melba: The extraordinary Australian soprano took her stage name from her hometown, Melbourne, and toured the world. During the years 1892-93 she was living in the Savoy Hotel in London, which was managed by Cesar Ritz and Auguste Escoffier, who named both the toast and dessert in her honor.
So as many of us are trying, dutifully, to “find out where our food comes from” to lighten the carbon miles, or to make good on the revelation that “we are what we eat.” Don’t forget. Food can also be illuminating and entertaining, with a story in every bite.
Comments