Since ancient times people have used condiments to enhance their food. The first condiment was salt. Salt has always been used both as a preservative and to enhance the flavor of food. Vinegar has also been used since ancient times. Its name is probably derived from the French words vin aiger meaning sour wine. (Vinegar was used as a medicine as well as a food).
The Romans liked condiments and they made many sauces for their food. One of the most common was a fish sauce called liquamen. The Romans also grew mustard and they introduced it into the parts of Europe they conquered. They also made mint sauce.
In the Middle Ages mustard was a popular condiment in Europe. At first, English mustard consisted of coarse powder and it was not very strong. However, in 1720 Mrs. Clements of Durham began making a much smoother mustard powder. When mixed with water to make paste it was very hot but it proved to be popular and Durham became a center of the mustard industry. (For centuries mustard was used as a medicine as well as a food).
In the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, new condiments were invented. Pesto sauce was invented in 16th century Italy.
Furthermore, new sauces were invented in the 17th century including bechamel and chasseur. Chutney comes from India. It was first exported to England in the 17th century. Soy sauce, which was invented in China reached Europe in the 17th century and by the mid-18th century, it was popular in Britain.
According to one story, a French chef first made mayonnaise in 1756. However, there are many stories about where it comes from. Hollandaise sauce was also first recorded in the mid-18th century. Ketchup began life as a Chinese fish sauce called ke-tsiap. The name was gradually changed to ketchup and in Britain, people added other ingredients instead of fish. In the 18th century, they began adding tomatoes. Sauces similar to tartar sauce were made in the Middle Ages but ‘modern’ tartar sauce was first made in the 1800s.
Modern Condiments
In the 19th century with the Industrial Revolution condiments began to be mass-produced in factories. Tomato ketchup was a bestseller and HP sauce was invented at the end of the 19th century. Meanwhile, Worcester sauce was invented in 1835 by John Lea and William Perrins. Horseradish sauce went on sale in bottles in the USA around 1860. Tabasco sauce was invented by Edmund McIlhenry in 1868. Salad cream was invented in 1914.
As well as sauces people have also looked for ways to sweeten their food. Since the time of the Ancient Egyptians and probably before people have kept bees for honey. Over the centuries honey was very valuable and it was sometimes used as a currency or it was given as a tribute to a conqueror. Since ancient times people have also made an alcoholic drink called mead from honey.
Sugar cane first grew in South Asia. Later the Arabs and Europeans grew sugar cane. At the end of the 15th century sugar cane was taken to the New World. Sugar was first made from sugar beet by a German chemist called Andreas Marggraf in 1747. Saccharine was invented in 1879 by Constantin Fahlberg.
History. Condiments were known in Ancient Rome, India, Greece and China. There is a myth that before food preservation techniques were widespread, pungent spices and condiments were used to make the food more palatable, but this claim is not supported by any evidence or historical record.
And it's 5 calories per serving compared to 20 calories per serving for ketchup. I also learned a little bit about the history of these favorite condiments. Mustard's journey starts long before ketchup. “Modern mustard first emerged in Europe in the sixth century B.C.E.
The first condiment was salt. Salt has always been used both as a preservative and to enhance the flavor of food. Vinegar has also been used since ancient times. Its name is probably derived from the French words vin aiger meaning sour wine.
Mayonnaise is said to be the invention of the French chef of the Duke de Richelieu in 1756. While the Duke was defeating the British at Port Mahon, his chef was creating a victory feast that included a sauce made of cream and eggs.
The first sauces date back to around 200 BC in the midst of Roman antiquity. The sauce then used is garum, a typical Roman sauce made from fermented fish (anchovies, sardines, etc.) and seasoned with spices such as cumin, cardamom, coriander, honey and fragrant flowers.
Ketchup. Ketchup is the most popular condiment in the United States, with over 10 billion ounces sold every year. It is a tomato-based sauce that is typically used on burgers, fries, and hot dogs.
Americans were the first to create ketchup with tomatoes, a crop native to North America, and an 1896 issue of The New York Tribune even declared tomato ketchup to be America's national condiment found “on every table in the land.” The most famous tomato ketchup is the Heinz 57 variety.
The Romans were probably the first to experiment with the preparation of mustard as a condiment. They mixed unfermented grape juice (the must) with ground mustard seeds (called sinapis) to make "burning must", mustum ardens—hence "must ard".
Originating in China over 2,000 years ago, soy sauce is a condiment made from fermented soybean paste, water, and salt. As a result of its fermentation process, soy sauce exhibits a unique umami flavor that has made it a staple in the Chinese cuisine. China is the world's largest soy sauce producer.
mustard, condiment made from the pungent seeds of either of two main herbs belonging to the family Brassicaceae. The principal types are white, or yellow, mustard (Sinapis alba), a plant of Mediterranean origin; and brown, or Indian, mustard (Brassica juncea), which is of Himalayan origin.
Americans were the first to create ketchup with tomatoes, a crop native to North America, and an 1896 issue of The New York Tribune even declared tomato ketchup to be America's national condiment found “on every table in the land.” The most famous tomato ketchup is the Heinz 57 variety.
Records of sauces dating from around 200 AD and attributed to Apicius, an authoritative text of cooking from ancient Rome, include highly seasoned preparations containing herbs, spices, vinegar, honey, and a form of fermented fish sauce called garum.
Spices have long been used in the human diet for both flavouring and health purposes. A variety of spices including cardamoms, anise seeds and cinnamon provide both great tastes in curries and dried food and help stave off damage to vital organs of your body.
Introduction: My name is Terence Hammes MD, I am a inexpensive, energetic, jolly, faithful, cheerful, proud, rich person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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