Pomegranates accompanied humans as they travelled across the globe, gaining a reputation as a highly appreciated foodstuff and an effective remedy. A short history of a fruity companion.
At first floppy, then tall and straight, the chef’s hat, or toque, became popular in the 19th century and continues to appeal to chefs as far afield as Japan.
In our collective imagination, brightly coloured, spicy or even fiery chilli peppers evoke faraway lands and their exotic flavours. They have been incorporated so well into so many culinary traditions that it is far from easy to guess their origin. Thailand? Mexico? Cameroon? Or perhaps India?
The fork is clearly an object that is emblematic of Western culture, with complex origins that blend legends and differing accounts of how it was used.
Presented in one single display cabinet that stretches along an entire section of wall in the Espace Lait area at the Alimentarium until August 2015, a multitude of feeding bottles collected by Professor Rossi (1915–1998) take you on a journey through history, from ancient times to modern day, to discover how newborns have been fed during the first few months of their lives.
Throughout history, nutrition has played a crucial role in our development. The study of human remains, like those of the glacier mummy Ötzi, shows how the ingredients of our ancestors’ diets changed over time and what role this played in the spread of humankind.
Why do we eat fish on Fridays? Why fried food for carnival? Days of feasting and days of abstinence have marked the Catholic calendar since the Middle Ages.
A tattered box from a second-hand bookstore in the Mitte district of Berlin contains a surprising find: photos of the 20th anniversary celebration of East Germany. The culinary highlights have a socialist flair and the atmosphere is downright homey.
Christian leaders declared gluttony a sin in the Middle Ages in order to keep people from indulging their animalistic instincts. Views from this period continue to influence our culinary customs today.
In China people commonly greet each other with a question: “Have you eaten already?” Drawn-out multicourse meals are an important part of daily life. But foods are becoming increasingly contaminated. A visit to the Zhang family in the heart of Shanghai shows how people are coping.
One hundred and fifty years ago people bought fresh milk directly from local farmers. The rapidly growing demand in cities led not only to new distribution systems but also to conflicts between trading partners. From 1900 on, “milk wars” raged in several German cities.
In October 1971 the Shah of Persia flew in eighteen tons of food to celebrate his country’s 2,500th anniversary and his own glory. Emperors, kings, presidents and sheikhs from all over the world were regaled for three days amidst the ancient ruins of Persepolis.