The existence of olives as food is the result of sheer chance combined with a stroke of genius. Present-day olive trees are apparently descended from a wild tree of Greek origin. The first such individual must have been the result of a chance mutation, some time as far back as 3000 B.C., and all the olive trees raised nowadays are its offspring, multiplied by man.
The fresh leaves of the curly variety are used to decorate window displays by butchers and fishmongers. Parsley did not become a culinary herb until the Middle Ages when Charlemagne had it raised in his vegetable gardens, after which it rapidly became an essential part of all vegetable dishes. It reached England in the 16th century and was brought to America by the settlers.
Though a traditional flavouring of Italian cookery, oregano is widely used throughout Europe and is commonly available in shops. It is one of the most widely-used seasonings in Mexico, perhaps because it grows wild there too. It is generally used dried, even though the fresh herb has a more penetrating flavour. It is very good togethei- with tomatoes, cheese, vegetables (especially beans), meat and fish.
Pickled green olives are prepared from unripe fruits, black olives from ripe fruits. Both may he added to cold hors d'ceuvres and salads, as well as to hot dishes, mainly to roast poultry, cooked vegetables and Italian pizza. Not only the pickled olives but also the fine oil obtained by pressing the ripe fruits is a flavouring. It is yellowish to greenish and has a very delicate flavour and aroma.
In cookery the ripe seeds arc used to make poppy-seed cakes and fillings for pastries. Cooking and baking makes their pleasant, nut-like flavour more pronounced. Poppy-seeds are also sprinkled on rolls and buns. Ground seeds are added to pungent herb mixtures not only for their flavour but also to improve the consistency and increase the weight of the mixtures. This is much better than diluting them with starchy flour, as is often done by European producers.
The type species from which the currently cultivated varieties are derived was already grown in Europe and Asia Minor for its oily seeds in the Stone Age. The opium poppy made its appearance in the first century A.D. and its cultivation, this time for its narcotic effects, rapidly spread to Italy, Egypt and Arabia, and later in the 9th century farther east to Iran, India and China.
The fresh leaves of the curly variety are used to decorate window displays by butchers and fishmongers. Parsley did not become a culinary herb until the Middle Ages when Charlemagne had it raised in his vegetable gardens, after which it rapidly became an essential part of all vegetable dishes. It reached England in the 16th century and was brought to America by the settlers.
Though a traditional flavouring of Italian cookery, oregano is widely used throughout Europe and is commonly available in shops. It is one of the most widely-used seasonings in Mexico, perhaps because it grows wild there too. It is generally used dried, even though the fresh herb has a more penetrating flavour. It is very good togethei- with tomatoes, cheese, vegetables (especially beans), meat and fish.
Pickled green olives are prepared from unripe fruits, black olives from ripe fruits. Both may he added to cold hors d'ceuvres and salads, as well as to hot dishes, mainly to roast poultry, cooked vegetables and Italian pizza. Not only the pickled olives but also the fine oil obtained by pressing the ripe fruits is a flavouring. It is yellowish to greenish and has a very delicate flavour and aroma.
In cookery the ripe seeds arc used to make poppy-seed cakes and fillings for pastries. Cooking and baking makes their pleasant, nut-like flavour more pronounced. Poppy-seeds are also sprinkled on rolls and buns. Ground seeds are added to pungent herb mixtures not only for their flavour but also to improve the consistency and increase the weight of the mixtures. This is much better than diluting them with starchy flour, as is often done by European producers.
The type species from which the currently cultivated varieties are derived was already grown in Europe and Asia Minor for its oily seeds in the Stone Age. The opium poppy made its appearance in the first century A.D. and its cultivation, this time for its narcotic effects, rapidly spread to Italy, Egypt and Arabia, and later in the 9th century farther east to Iran, India and China.
0 comments:
Post a Comment