My Science School

Origin

One of the earliest versions of the French toast can be traced back to 5th Century A.D. Roman Empire. The first-known mention of a French toast-like dish was mentioned in “Apicius”, a 1st century AD collection of Roman recopies. The Romans dipped bread pieces in a milk-based mixture, before frying it in oil and butter.

Similar toasts were prepared in Europe and known by different names during the medieval period. For instance, suppe dorate in England, arme ritter in Germany and fattiga riddance in Sweden. Most of these toasts used a batter comprising milk and eggs, to make stale loaves of bread more palatable. In France, a toast made with bread, milk and eggs, known as tostees dorees, was mentioned in “Le Viandier de Taillevent”, a French recipe collection originally written around the year 1300.

In the 15th Century, a toast known as pain perdu rose n popularity in France. Pain perdu is seen as the modern variant of French toast prepared today. In fact, pain perdu is how French toast is referred to in France. By the 16th and 17th centuries, pain perdu began to be prepared in Britain and a few other European cities. As the dish spread to regions outside France, it came to be popularly called French toast. According to reports, 1660 is the year the word “French toast” first made an appearance in the Oxford dictionary. Within the next few years, the toast’s recipe spread across the British colonies.

Evolution

As the toast began to be prepared in several regions across the globe, they also came to be known by different names such as Spanish toast, German toast, nun’s toast, eggy bread, torriga and poor knights of Windsor, among others.

As the French toast became a global hit, most places adapted the pain perdu recipe according to their taste preferences. For instance, Bombay toast has a sweet and savoury variants, where the sweet is prepared using bread slices, eggs, milk and sugar or honey and the savoury consists of bread, milk, eggs, ginger, garlic, onion, salt and coriander leaves.

Unlike the Europeans toasts that are served with cream and chopped fruits, in the U.S., the toast is topped with powdered sugar, maple syrup and butter.

In Scotland, the toasts are eaten as a sandwich with a filling made of sausages. In Italy, they are served with cheese and ketchup. In Hong Kong, the batter includes peanut butter or fruit jam along with eggs and milk. Australians eat the toasts with fried bacon.

Wide varieties

There are several unique varieties such as waffle, peanut butter and jelly-stuffed, smores, cereal-coated, red velvet, cheesecake, cinnamon roll, hot chocolate, corn flakes, basil and cherry tomato, muffin, rosemary and cheese casserole French toast prepared today.

French toast has become such a popular breakfast within the U.S. that each year on November 28 is celebrated as National French Toast Day.

 

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Though cookies, hot chocolate, eggnog and gingerbread are iconic Christmas treats, the festive season would be incomplete without indulging in some rich plum pudding or cake.

Origin and evolution

Fruit cakes date back to Roman times, where the people prepared a dessert called satura, which comprised barley, dried raisins, pine nuts, pomegranate seeds and mead (wine made with honey). According to reports, the English began making a different version of satura during the Victorian period. This became a popular and an integral part of holiday feasts. They came to be known as plum cakes or plum puddings in England. Some food experts suggest that a version of plum cake has been consumed in England since the medieval period. During this period, there was a popular tradition of observing a period of fast before Christmas. Right before indulging in heavy treats and meals during Christmas, most people consumed a rich porridge that “prepared the stomach for feasting”. This porridge was made of oats, dried fruits, spices, honey and meat. Ingredients such as oats and meat were excluded from the recipe eventually. New ingredients such as flour, eggs and butter replaced meat and oats, paving way for the birth of the famous plum cakes, which are also known as plum puddings or fruit cakes.

Journey across the globe

Plum cakes moved out of England primarily due to colonization. English men working in colonies such as Australia, and the Americas, Canada and India received Christmas gifts and hampers from their families in England. Plum cakes were sent along with these hampers. The locals eventually began making these cakes in their households during the holiday season.

Do plum cakes really contain plum?

Plum cakes and puddings do not contain plum in them, though the name suggests the same. In medieval England, dried fruits such as raisins were generally referred to as plums. This is believed to have given rise to the term “plum cakes”, as dried fruits are an integral part of this dessert.

Plum cakes for all

Plum cakes are prepared and served in different ways across the world. In most western countries, plum puddings and cakes are baked in semi-spherical moulds and are gently set on flame with a spirit while being served. In India, boiled plum cakes are made in households that do not own an oven. In this case, the batter is bound in a muslin cloth before being boiled. These cakes are more dense and fudgy than the baked cakes.

One of the most famous Indian varieties is the Kerala plum cake.

Plum cakes can also be prepared according to one’s dietary requirements such as keto, gluten-free, vegan or dairy-free. There are a wide range of plum cake flavours, including spiced, pumpkin, orange, toffee and ginger.

 

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To an Indian, Chinese food ideally includes hakka noodles, chicken or gobi manchurian, spring roll and probably honey chilli potato. However, none of these dishes is popular in China. The Chinese cuisine popular in India, known as Indian-Chinese cuisine, has roots in Kolkata and Mumbai.

Origin

The birth of Indian-Chinese cuisine can be attributed to Chinese migrants can be attributed to Chinese migrants who moved to Calcutta and Bombay in the late 1700s. One of the first recorded migrants who travelled to India for material prospects was Yang Tai Chow, a Chinese businessman, in 1778. With more number of Chinese migrants arriving, Chinatown was established in Calcutta.

Like most immigrant communities, the Chinese acquired and incorporated Indian sensibilities into their food and this eventually led to the birth of the famous Indian-Chinese cuisine. According to reports, the first Indian-Chinese restaurant, called Eau Chew, opened in Calcutta. The dishes on their menu were a blend of Chinese ingredients such as soy sauce and noodles, and Indian spices. The dishes impressed the locals, and, eventually, a number of such food joints sprung up in Calcutta.

The iconic chicken manchurian

Mumbai, which too had a substantial number of Chinese immigrants, also witnessed a similar trend. One of the most iconic moments was the invention of chicken manchurian, which today is synonymous with Chinese food in Indian. Invented by Nelson Wang, the then caterer of Chinese food at the Cricket Club of India, chicken manchurian was first prepared in Mumbai in 1975. Wang, who was born in Calcutta, moved to Bombay for work.

According to popular legend, he created the dish by tossing soy sauce, cornstarch and chicken together in a pan, when a customer demanded a new dish. Now, there are a few varieties of manchurian are available in our restaurants.

Comfort food

Though the Chinese community in India has dwindled significantly, the dishes are a fan-favourite. According to reports, there is a significant rise in the consumption of restaurant food among the millennials, and many choose Indian-Chinese food, as it is easily available across the country. The predominance of gravy and rice makes Indian-Chinese a comfort cuisine. Indian-Chinese dishes have become a quintessential part of Indian cuisine, that most of these items can hardly be found anywhere outside the country, even in China.

Rooted in India

Several Indian-Chinese dishes bear very little resemblance to the food actually eaten in China. Here are a few such dishes:

Chilli chicken or paneer: Stir frying paneer (cottage cheese) or chicken in soy sauce adds the Chinese element to this dish, which makes use of Indian spices as well. This dish, which comprises deep fried chicken or paneer is hardly found in China.

Spring rolls: This crispy fried appetizer filled with vegetables or meat, known as chun juan in China, is a Cantonese-style dumpling made during the Spring season. The Indian spring roll sometimes includes noodles as part of the filling, which is unlike the Chinese variant.

Chowmein and fried rice: The spicy, greasy, stir-fried chowmein and fried rice prepared in India are very different from the noodles and rice consumed in China. Often boiled and served with meat and vegetables, these dishes are not spicy or fried in China.

Date pancakes: This dessert, made with flour, dates and served with ice cream, can be found in almost every Chinese restaurant in our country. However, they are hardly served in China.

 

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It is the diet recommended to improve not only in individual’s health but also that of the planet. EAT-Lancet Commission on Healthy Diets from Sustainable Food Systems was formed to do a thorough scientific study of what constitutes a healthy diet. This is the first ever study of its kind. The Lancet is an old and prestigious medical journal headquartered in London.

The commission comprising 37 scientists from various fields like environment, agriculture, nutrition, health etc from across the world, has chalked out a diet that will ensure the health of the people while safeguarding the environment.

The diet consists of half a plate of fruits, vegetables and nuts. The rest of the plate contains mainly whole grains, plant proteins – beans, lentils, pulses – and unsaturated plant oils. It includes modest amounts of meat and dairy products, some added sugars and starchy vegetables. In other words, the report recommends that the consumption of red meat and sugar should be reduced by half and eating of fruits, vegetables, nuts and pulses should be doubled. The plan is also flexible allowing for the dietary needs of individuals and cultural traditions.

Experts opine that if the diet is followed, 11 million people can be saved from diseases and death along with natural resources. The commission also recommends reduction in food waste.

The report released in January this year has been given to policy makers in 40 cities across the world.

At present unhealthy food practices are rampant all over the world. They not only increase the rate of chronic diseases but cause large-scale environmental degradation.

 

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