Why things are named just so, can, for food and drinks be a social history lesson, as they often carry names linked to the then famous, and now not so famous people of that era ..... nothing brings home the fleeting nature of fame, than the fact that many of these foods or drinks have out lived the fame of those they were named after, or in one famous case, denied they were ever named after.
Here's a few I thought of, but there are no doubt countless others .... many even more obscure than these.
Bourbon Whiskey: Either from Bourbon county in Kentucky (so named after the war of American independence as a gesture of thanks to the French king, the Bourbon Louis XVI, for his help against the Brits ~ tactical error as it led to the French Revolution). Or, from Bourbon Street, home of the carousers of New Orleans, a town which was of course founded by the French and named after the Bourbon Duke of Orleans, son of Louis XIV.
Garibaldi Biscuits (UK): Named after Giuseppe Garibaldi, an Italian general and leader of the struggle to unify Italy. Garibaldi made a popular visit to South Shields in England in 1854.
Battenberg cake: Named after one of the late-19th-century princely Battenberg family living in England, who gave up their German titles during World War I, and changed their name to Mountbatten.
Margherita Pizza: Created in Naples, Italy in 1889, when a famous pizza maker made a pizza in honour of the visiting Queen Margherita. He created a pizza featuring all the colours of the Italian flag, and the recipe has been used ever since. Or maybe not.
Peach Melba and Melba Toast: Both created at the Savoy Hotel in London by the chef Auguste Escoffier in the 1890's, in honour of Dame Nellie Melba, the Australian opera singer (she was performing in Covent Garden at the time).
The Pavlova: Named after the Russian ballet dancer Anna Pavlova, and is thought to have been created in either New Zealand or Australia, after her tours there in the 1920s. There has been fierce argument over which country, and which chef, created the dish ... with New Zealand possibly having the best claim.
The Sandwich: The sandwich is named for the fourth earl of Sandwich, John Montagu. Supposedly the Earl, who was busy with a game of cards, didn't want to stop for a meal, so ordered his servant to bring him meat held between two pieces of bread. But although he may have popularised them, 'sandwiches' by whatever the name, were eaten in one form or another for many preceding centuries or even longer.
Dongpo Pork: Named after Chinese poet Su Dongpo (1037–1101 AD) these are squares of pork, half lean meat and half fat, pan-fried then braised.
Earl Grey Tea: A tea blend named after Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey, Viscount Howick, and British Prime Minister 1830–1834.
Lady Kennys: aka 'Ledikenis' these are a Bengali sweet of fried chhana balls (a milk-based chickpea-flour dough), stuffed with raisins. It is named after Lady Charlotte Canning the wife of the Governor-General of India (1856–1862). The Canning's were in India during the Indian Mutiny of 1857, and Lady Canning's popularity (although with whom I am not sure), there is remembered in this sweet which was one of her admitted favourites.
Napoleon Brandy: Named for Napoleon Bonaparte.
Beef Wellington: Named after Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, of Battle of Waterloo fame. This is a dish of beef with pâté, mushrooms, truffles and Madeira sauce, all encased in a pastry crust, and it was probably created by his personal chef. Ironically it was alleged that Wellesley had no sense of taste and didn't care how his meals tasted.
and to finish .... perhaps the most famous in the US name branding in the US.
Baby Ruth: The 'Baby Ruth' candy bar was allegedly not named after baseball player 'Babe Ruth' especially when he announced he was to sue the Curtiss Candy Co. who then, and ever since, have insisted that from the beginning, the candy bar was named after a daughter of ex US President Grover Cleveland, Ruth Cleveland who had died in 1904, even though the Baby Ruth was only invented in 1921. The baseball player was a superstar in the 1920's, and oddly the very early versions of the candy bar's wrapper offered a baseball glove for 79 cents. The company was located on the same street as Wrigley Field baseball park where 'The Babe' played .... smoking gun comes to mind.
This last entry illustrates that cashing in on a living persons fame needs their permission and a good lawyer.
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| The 'Baby Ruth' ... Not Named After Who You Think. |
Here's a few I thought of, but there are no doubt countless others .... many even more obscure than these.
Bourbon Whiskey: Either from Bourbon county in Kentucky (so named after the war of American independence as a gesture of thanks to the French king, the Bourbon Louis XVI, for his help against the Brits ~ tactical error as it led to the French Revolution). Or, from Bourbon Street, home of the carousers of New Orleans, a town which was of course founded by the French and named after the Bourbon Duke of Orleans, son of Louis XIV.
Garibaldi Biscuits (UK): Named after Giuseppe Garibaldi, an Italian general and leader of the struggle to unify Italy. Garibaldi made a popular visit to South Shields in England in 1854.
Battenberg cake: Named after one of the late-19th-century princely Battenberg family living in England, who gave up their German titles during World War I, and changed their name to Mountbatten.
Margherita Pizza: Created in Naples, Italy in 1889, when a famous pizza maker made a pizza in honour of the visiting Queen Margherita. He created a pizza featuring all the colours of the Italian flag, and the recipe has been used ever since. Or maybe not.
Peach Melba and Melba Toast: Both created at the Savoy Hotel in London by the chef Auguste Escoffier in the 1890's, in honour of Dame Nellie Melba, the Australian opera singer (she was performing in Covent Garden at the time).
The Pavlova: Named after the Russian ballet dancer Anna Pavlova, and is thought to have been created in either New Zealand or Australia, after her tours there in the 1920s. There has been fierce argument over which country, and which chef, created the dish ... with New Zealand possibly having the best claim.
The Sandwich: The sandwich is named for the fourth earl of Sandwich, John Montagu. Supposedly the Earl, who was busy with a game of cards, didn't want to stop for a meal, so ordered his servant to bring him meat held between two pieces of bread. But although he may have popularised them, 'sandwiches' by whatever the name, were eaten in one form or another for many preceding centuries or even longer.
Dongpo Pork: Named after Chinese poet Su Dongpo (1037–1101 AD) these are squares of pork, half lean meat and half fat, pan-fried then braised.
Earl Grey Tea: A tea blend named after Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey, Viscount Howick, and British Prime Minister 1830–1834.
Lady Kennys: aka 'Ledikenis' these are a Bengali sweet of fried chhana balls (a milk-based chickpea-flour dough), stuffed with raisins. It is named after Lady Charlotte Canning the wife of the Governor-General of India (1856–1862). The Canning's were in India during the Indian Mutiny of 1857, and Lady Canning's popularity (although with whom I am not sure), there is remembered in this sweet which was one of her admitted favourites.
Napoleon Brandy: Named for Napoleon Bonaparte.
Beef Wellington: Named after Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, of Battle of Waterloo fame. This is a dish of beef with pâté, mushrooms, truffles and Madeira sauce, all encased in a pastry crust, and it was probably created by his personal chef. Ironically it was alleged that Wellesley had no sense of taste and didn't care how his meals tasted.
and to finish .... perhaps the most famous in the US name branding in the US.
Baby Ruth: The 'Baby Ruth' candy bar was allegedly not named after baseball player 'Babe Ruth' especially when he announced he was to sue the Curtiss Candy Co. who then, and ever since, have insisted that from the beginning, the candy bar was named after a daughter of ex US President Grover Cleveland, Ruth Cleveland who had died in 1904, even though the Baby Ruth was only invented in 1921. The baseball player was a superstar in the 1920's, and oddly the very early versions of the candy bar's wrapper offered a baseball glove for 79 cents. The company was located on the same street as Wrigley Field baseball park where 'The Babe' played .... smoking gun comes to mind.
 |
| The 'Baby Ruth' Advertised On Wrigley Field. |
This last entry illustrates that cashing in on a living persons fame needs their permission and a good lawyer.
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