Recently, in China, while excavating for an airport, a bronze cooking pot, sealed tightly, was uncovered and when examined by Archeologists the pot was opened and liquid soup was within, along with some bones. Sounds like someone was making stock and just after I had that thought I wondered what had happened that the soup wasn't consumed. The pot dated to 2500 years ago.
Another discovery that dated to 6000 years ago was the recipe for Hippopotamus soup.
More toward the present but long before the Americas were discovered and settled, Europeans had moved fire inside the home by way of a Stone Fireplace and chimney to remove the smoke generated by the burning wood and later, coal. At the sides of the fireplace were imbedded iron rods of varying lengths that held pots of various size but soup was the primary food and remained so for centuries. That same fireplace setup was also used in the Americas and was the principal way to cook meals until the iron stove was invented. The Ben Franklin stove was probably the first. You can probably find a picture of one if you do the search.
Wow...hippopotamus soup! Loved the fact about the iron rods to hold pots at the fireplaces.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I was blown away by that hippo recipe too. It also included sparrow bones, and vegetables.
DeleteOne thing I forgot to note about the iron rods: They were swivel capable by way of a bolt attached to the flattened out part of the permanent attachment and the last few inches of the rod which was also flattened; a short handheld rod with a hook was used to pull the rod from the fire. Then the cook could serve the food directly from the pot via forks and ladles without handling the pot itself.
When cooking, I tend to throw chicken bones and turkey bones into whatever I'm cooking, then scoop them out again before I serve. I like to think they add nutrition AND additional flavoring. I thought I was being clever, but I guess the tradition goes back a-ways :-)
ReplyDeleteYes, probably back to the Neanderthal era. The problem with getting exact dates on something like this is that the evidence is consumed on the spot and that is why that the bronze pot discovery is so tantalizing to me.
DeleteDad