#Potatos from south America

[nivalingreenhow]

I have many thoughts now on food an colonialism that I need to write down but I am at work and on mobile

[twelvemonkeyswere]

#fantasy#fantasy history#the myth of tolkien#exists despite itself#it did well because paperbacks#and hippies#but in and of itself#if youre studying the genre#you spend very little time with him#dungeons and dragons was way more influential#and robert e howard#and i bet you don't even know who he is#he created conan#and red sonja#and solomon kane#and lord dunsany was the first who said a history for a world should be cohesive#and he can write a world in ten lines that will physically break you#if you only know LotR and GoT you are missing out on one of the best genres#the dragon and the george#the sword in the stone#all of these are delightful

@athenadark I am frankly astonished at the amount of assumptions you made here. did you say thank you to south americans, at least?

not even JRR Tolkien, who famously developed the concept of the Secondary World and firmly believed that no trace of the Real World should be evoked in the fictional world, was able to remove potatoes from his literature. this is a man who developed whole languages and mythologies for his literary world, who justified its existence in English as a translation* simply because he was so miffed he couldn't get away with making the story fully alien to the real world. and not even he, in extremis, was so cruel as to deny his characters the heavenly potato. could not even conceive a universe devoid of the potato. such is its impact. everyone please take a moment to say thank you to South Americans for developing and cultivating one of earth's finest vegetables. the potato IS all that. literally world-changing food. bless.

[rotting-bones-will-sing]

another thing that makes the human facade a little more bearable: eating potatoes, humanity's greatest agricultural achievement. delicious, varied, nutrient-dense and calorie-packed, easy to grow, extraordinarily versatile, it is the perfect plant. chips, fries, hashbrowns, baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, tator tots, potato salad, baked potato soup, forever and ever it goes. no matter how miserable being a wolf trapped in human society is, at least i have the capacity to enjoy potatoes.

[uh-mxtx]

The presence of Potatoes in MDZS implies that some ballsy cultivator took a flying sword over the pacific to South America and brought them back and I would like to pose the idea that that particular potato loving dumbass was Wei Wuxian’s ancestor

(Edit: AND CHILIES!)

(EDIT 2: also watermelon except thats from africa. For reference, irl it’s Song dynasty for watermelon and Qing dynasty for potatoes and chilies)

[antisisyphus]

as a non american i have to ask what american cultural food is there.. i cant think of anything

there is creole cuisine of the usamerican south that is a blend of indigenous, west african, french, and spanish food (side note creole cuisine is not a monolith, there is creole food basically everywhere that was colonized & had a large population of enslaved people)

there is also cajun, which is specifically from the southern state louisiana, it has a lot of similarities to creole cuisine as it is influenced by the acadian french, west african people, and the spanish (ppl often use creole and cajun terms interchangeably but they are distinct)

the food of hawai'i which started as indigenous food of the islands and the goods that was traded within the polynisian triangle, but because of colonization has influences from the US military (spam being a notable case of this), portugal, japan, and china

there is south western cuisine (and the many subtypes) that blends indigenous (pueblo, O'odham, and more) colonial spanish, and mormon foods! this food was shaped by the jobs the people of this area held - lots of influence from cowboys/vaqueros and ranch workers. each southern state has a specific twist!

soul food is based on what enslaved people cooked for themselves, actually a lot of cultural knowledge was passed down & preserved in soul food! lots of southern dishes are based on, inspired by, or straight up stolen from soul cuisine. during the 60s soul food restaurants were important places for organizing! there are also several different styles of bbq

midwestern cuisine is based on various european foods (mainly eastern europen but not solely) and also the agriculture of the area (lots of wheat & pork).

since ~1850 there has been chinese american cuisine! fortune cookies, crab rangoon, general tsos chicken and beef & broccoli are all chinese american.

italian american food uses more cheese & milk than italian food. there are also differences in how we serve pizza

the hot dog is a classic american food! in germany frankfurters weren't served on buns. again most major cities of the us have their own style of hot dog.

other american foods are cheese stake, clam chowder, many fruit pies, milkshakes and rootbeer are all usamerican

potatoes, corn, squash, tomatoes, maple syrup, cashew, pecan, peanut, sweet potato, avacado, chocolate, allspice, chili peppers, lima beans, and vanilla are all foods that are from the americas and are NOT native to europe.

no vodka, no goulash, no christmas turkey roast, no cassoulet, no gazpacho, no cashew korma, no shakshouka, no bruschetta, no gnocchi, no aloo gobi, no colcannon, no latkes, no polenta...

[alpaca-clouds]

Solarpunk Autumns. Solarpunk Winters.

Solarpunk as a genre exists in a state of a permanent summer. Both as a genre, and an aesthetic. Solarpunk pictures usually show us worlds that have everything in so many shades of green. Green bushes. Green trees. Green everything. Fields in Solarpunk are always filled with ripe corn and wheat. And trees in Solarpunk are full of ripe fruit.

But if we look into Solarpunk worldbuilding there is also the fact that of course at some point at many places of the world it will become autumn, and winter.

I mean, I am feeling it right now, sitting here in my bed with three blankets and shivering, as the summer has very suddenly ended.

Sure, Solarpunk originated from Brazil. And while I do not know a whole lot about Brazillian climate, I do understand that it is close enough to the equator to be fairly warm yearround.

But I honestly would love to see more stories and artworks set in Solarpunk worlds during the autumn and winter. Especially because it is a very interesting topic when it comes to both the renewable energies and the food systems of Solarpunk worlds.

Now, admittedly, the renewable energy is less interesting to me, but we still should talk about it. In winter and autumn a lot of the renewable energy sources are a bit less viable. The sun has less energy and the further north (or south) you go, the less sun you get during the winter. Wind turbines also often struggle because there is in fact too much wind - and some older turbines do not do too well during harsh winter conditions. Water usually has less of a problem, unless the water energy is created in shallow conditions where the water freezes. But of course, there is nuclear energy to take care of most issues, even if everything else fails - even though some people still do not want to hear about it.

The food aspect is a lot more interesting though, especially from a modern point of view.

Because we people today are very used to eating the same stuff year around. Like potatoes, carrots, bellpeppers, tomatoes, cabbage, oranges, apples, pears, and bananas are usually available in the supermarket no matter when you go there. But of course we also know that those only are there because of the rather destructive ways we use to cultivate food and bring it to us. These things usually are grown somewhere closer to the equator and then are brought to Europe/North America via plane, emitting a lot more CO2.

Of course, this is a fairly new development. For the most of human history, nobody - or only the very richest people - had access to imported food like that. So instead they would only eat was either was available in their own country and their own fields right now, or that they could conserve in some way or form.

And frankly... I think that is something I would like to see some more off in Solarpunk media. In people not needing everything to be available all the time. And people also working to conserve food in one way or another to make it last longer.

Also I do want to bring it up again: There were a lot of well known "winter vegetables" in Europe during most of our history there. Stuff that would get ripe in late autumn and would keep rather well. And a lot of those vegetables have been forgotten.

So... Yeah, I really would see that issue discussed a bit more.

And sure, we might be able to worldbuild around the issue in some degree with greenhouses and stuff. But I think it would be nice to just question our relation with the always available foods.

[elbiotipo]

You see, the thing is that first worlders (and wealthy people in general, this is an increasing trend) have never had to think where their food comes from. Their all-(US)American cup of black joe comes from coffee beans harvested in South America, from a plant originally domesticated in the Arabian Peninsula. From the way most fantasy is with potatoes, you would think they come from say, Germany, and not the Andes (and I'm sure some people believe that). People in the first world have unprecedented access to food (and other items) from all over the world, including items that were luxuries to most people not long ago, and they don't really think that much of it.

Of course my space captain drinks coffee, I do! How hard would it to get coffee in space (really hard), I drink it all the time! Of course my fantasy wizard eats a stew with potatoes and tomatoes (domesticated in the American continent) and seasons it with pepper (an item so incredibly valuable in medieval europe it was worth its weight on literal gold), I do, I mean, you get potatoes and pepper from like, the store, right?

I'm not saying you have to include a cited ethnobotanical paper on the history of food in your world detailing domestication centers, varieties and social effects (I'm actually 100% saying that), but the mere act of researching where your food comes from, not only now but its history, will make you not only a better writer but also increase your concioussness about the world. You will learn history, ecology, botany, zoology, culture, social issues, perhaps even a few recipes. And hey, maybe instead of making another Standard European Fantasy World, you might set your next novel in some other place with more spice, or maybe include a Turkish or Persian space captain interested in the history and culture of tea, something that isn't your Standard USAmerican Space Crew.

try it.

[alexlwrites]

You ask and you shall receive!

Here's part 2 of "Yoongi never had a crush until you" from my notes app. I'm always open to more requests <3

(Check out part one here)

(Buy me a coffee on ko-fi!)

....

Tonight was the night. Yoongi could feel it, from the tip of his long luscious hair to his weirdly long toe. There was something in the air - whispers of certainty and peace that could either be a sign that Jungkook had left the premises or that tonight was the night that Yoongi was finally going to gather all the courage within his tired body and ask you out!

Furthermore! - he shook his fist in front of his mirror, eyes slightly crazed with a decidive stance - you'd say yes!

From there, everything would fall into place, stars aligning and errors corrected. His shoes would fit better, the wifi faster, the coffee tastier. Everything improved by your presence in his life.

He just couldn't stand all this nervous, jittery energy anymore! It was all so unlike his cool, calm, collected persona and he didn't know how to deal with his sudden difficulties to form full coherent sentences when you showed up. He had to put a stop to it and act on his new and, to be honest, slightly concerning feelings.

You see, he was a man with a written plan! In the depths of his pockets, under seven layers of coffee shop receipts from 5 months ago and guitar picks he thought he had lost, there was a small piece of paper with his plan detailed step by step: first he would calm the fuck down (crucial). Then, check for sweaty hands, unknown food stains on his outfit and bad breath (Just in case!!!!). Then, present his five slide power point showcasing his feelings and finally - finally! - ask you out.

In case you'd say no, he had an extra slide with more appealing arguments (i'm rich, it said). Otherwise, he'd move to south america and live his life as Carlos, the potato farmer.

Of course, as Yoongi's life was never as simple as a power point presentation, all his plans were forgotten when you showed up in his studio dressed up in a way he'd never seen, skin tight dress clinging to your body in the way he wanted to, rendering him speechless and brain dead.

"Yoongi! Sorry for the late hour, I just had to drop these documents before I left and I rushed here because I have plans for the evening..."

Ask her out, his heart said, beating so loud he was surprised you didn't hear it. Ask her out, make her yours, rip this sinful devil sent dress into pieces. Fuck the power point, fuck your canva vision board, ask her out, ask her out, ask her out, ask her...

"Out" he spluttered at last and he swore his heart shattered at the hurt in your eyes.

"Oh, im sorry" you said, dropping the stack of papers on his coffee table, lips pouting and eyes saddened in a way that made yoongi want to choke on his own fucking wrist "I'll leave you be, mr. Min"

"No-nO! I DIDN'T MEAN..." but it was too late and youd already left.

BUGGER.

BUGGER IT ALL TO HELL!

(Part three)

[mysticsublimeperson]

I want to express my frustration because... im trying to write some time travel Merthur fanfic as one does...

and I keep hitting my head against the same wall. Because just in case you didn't know England SUCKED before imperialism and colonialism.

Not that that made it better but, the English isles didn't have a variety of fruits or vegetables, the did have meat and fish and salt I think, but no sugar or way of producing it but honey if I remember correctly.

And admittedly climate change is a pain in the ass, but in medieval times the winters probably consisted in huge blizzards and freezing for 4 months.

They didn't even had tea!!!

All the good stuff its because of colonialism which is horrible for the world but whatever.

Im trying so hard to ignore this facts... to be free and write about silly angsty boys but I needed someone to know how difficult it is.

Because Merlin having lived in a 21 century would have spent since the 16th drinking bloody tea, and now he is back in time and doesn't have tea, doesn't even have sugar, it's a pain in the ass to get milk, and he can't even get his favorites foods because the fruits and vegetables aren't even evolved yet.

BECAUSE YES! All of the greens have suffered a tremendous amount of change because of selective farming!! so even if there were apples back there, they probably wasn't the same apple, probably weren't even half as sweet as they are now a days!

Same with animals, and plants. Many of the species have gone extinct but they existed back then. And im dying for a chance to bring this into the fic, to prove just how difficult the transition it's, but a the same time, it doesn't matter right? not really.

bUT I NEEDED TO VENT A LITTLE SO thank you for listening to my rant.

Also im not even a history girly, im an art babe, so all of this I know by logic and assumptions from my art history clases, and my hyper fixation, so obviously take everything with a grain of salt.

((It's just that I was cooking and I was trying to think which ingredients were available at that time to make the most simple dish but no, there was almost none, no spices, no tomato, I think the had cabbage, and like broccoli because its the same plant, but probably wasn't evolved into all of the different versions we know, they had beans, and lentils I think, the potatoes come from South America, so no potatoes, the had bread but what kind of bread??? sO YEAH, this is my head.. all the time))

[thedevilinmybrain]

First date gone wrong, yet you know that the person might just be right

I had way too much fun writing this.

"You didn't cook this." Harry stares down at the King Salmon on his plate, at the roasted brussel sprouts, the buttery mashed potatoes.

"I could have." Louis indecisively spears a piece of breaded chicken - one that suspiciously looks like is a cut up version of a dino nuggie.

"Could have." Setting his own fork to the side, he laces his fingers together, resting his chin on the bridge he's just formed. "Louis, how do you cook salmon?"

"Well uh," Louis pauses to take a long sip of his wine. "I had a mate in college who said you can make it in a coffee maker, can you believe? And someone on TikTok made it in their dishwasher. Got to give it to the Americans. They're gross but they are creative."

"Louis Tomlinson, how do you cook a salmon? The British way?" Harry sounds more amused than angry, but that one perfectly manicured eyebrow is mildly terrifying the more it hikes up to his hairline.

"You just-" Louis pulls in a big breath, then exhales miserably. "Look, pet, it's not what you think."

"And what do I think?" Harry interrupts, that eyebrow goes a skosh higher.

"You're just…impressive." Louis shrugs a shoulder, looks annoyed even as his whole plan comes unraveled. "So impressive. And I wanted to impress you."

"I'm impressive?" Tilting his head, Harry's curls spill over his shoulder in a pretty cascade of mahogany.

"Yes. You're impressive. High class. Posh." Louis rambles, waves his hand a little. Always been an expressive talker. "And like, what was I supposed to do? You agreed to have dinner at my flat. My flat! I had to order in. It was the only way to distract you from the state of the place."

"But not the state of you." Pushing his chair back, Harry slowly walks around the table, the clip of his boots on the hardwood sounding almost threatening. But then he runs his hand over Louis' chest, pushing him back. And Harry looks a whole lot less threatening when he's sat astride Louis' lap like that.

"I find you very impressive too." Harry murmurs, his grin soft and a little too pretty given the lighting of the place. "Even if you ordered take out on our first date and then lied about it."

"It's not take out! Someone did cook it!" Louis shakes his head in protest, still a little in awe of the fact that Harry is so close to him.

"At a restaurant?" Harry giggles, his fingers petting over Louis' jumper.

"No. Uh," Louis shrugs helplessly. "Oli. Next door. He's a real chef, you know? Traveled Europe and South America to learn."

[probablyasocialecologist]

The oft-used description of early humans as “hunter-gatherers” should be changed to “gatherer-hunters,” at least in the Andes of South America, according to groundbreaking research led by a University of Wyoming archaeologist. Archaeologists long thought that early human diets were meat-based. However, Assistant Professor Randy Haas’ analysis of the remains of 24 individuals from the Wilamaya Patjxa and Soro Mik'aya Patjxa burial sites in Peru shows that early human diets in the Andes Mountains were composed of 80 percent plant matter and 20 percent meat. The study, titled Stable isotope chemistry reveals plant-dominant diet among early foragers on the Andean Altiplano, has been published by the peer-reviewed journal PLOS ONE. It applies methods in isotope chemistry and statistical modeling to unveil a surprising twist in early Andean societies and traditional hunter-gatherer narratives. “Conventional wisdom holds that early human economies focused on hunting -- an idea that has led to a number of high-protein dietary fads, such as the Paleodiet,” Haas says. “Our analysis shows that the diets were composed of 80 percent plant matter and 20 percent meat.” For these early humans of the Andes, spanning from 9,000 to 6,500 years ago, there is indeed evidence that hunting of large mammals provided some of their diets. But the new analysis of the isotopic composition of the human bones shows that plant foods made up the majority of individual diets, with meat playing a secondary role. Additionally, burnt plant remains from the sites and distinct dental-wear patterns on the individuals’ upper incisors indicate that tubers -- or plants that grow underground, such as potatoes -- likely were the most prominent subsistence resource. “Our combination of isotope chemistry, paleoethnobotanical and zooarchaeological methods offers the clearest and most accurate picture of early Andean diets to date,” Haas says. “These findings update our understanding of earliest forager economies and the pathway to agricultural economies in the Andean Highlands.”

[rarepears]

Imagine if South America/Mexico got hit by an S rank gate, what would be the world wide repercussions of the avocado industry going down? Would people beg Sung Jinwoo to clear it? Would he already be on his way as soon as he hears about it?

I don't think avocado is big enough to result in people begging Sung Jinwoo to clear it per say. A polite invitation from the avocado cartel? Sure - but I think the Korean Hunter Association filters out such requests before it would even be sent to Jinwoo and his guild lol. Plus there's S ranked Hunters in South America too! I think people would look to their local hunters first for help - and for domestic pride too. It's kind of embarrassing to be needing to request foreign aid plus what kind of compensation can the countries really provide when they have already been decimated by such a gate? They can't afford it nor afford to own a favor. That's a pretty risky political position to be in, to say nothing else of the geopolitical implications and existing alliances they have to balance.

If this was a staple crop like a wheat, rice, or potato where it would be a catastrophic failure, sure. But the good news is that staple crops are far more diversified in where they are grown so while one region getting hit raises prices (cough see Ukraine war, wheat, and fertilizer), it's not going to result in massive shortages akin to the toilet paper crisis of 2020. Avocados are a large export item. The United States is the number one market for Mexico's avocado exports, with an 81 percent share, followed by Canada, Japan, and Spain, so I think the first foreign hunters called in to help would be the American guilds. (Plus they would be more personally motivated to keep their supply of guac going.) Koreans? I don't think they are as keen about avocados.

[whencyclopedia]

Walter Raleigh

Sir Walter Raleigh (c. 1552-1618 CE) was an English courtier, soldier, mariner, explorer, and historian. A one-time favourite of his queen, Elizabeth I of England (r. 1558-1603 CE), Raleigh organised three expeditions to form a colony on the coast of North America in the 1580s CE. The colony was abandoned but the expeditions were notable for introducing tobacco and the potato to England. Unsuccessful at colonisation and falling out with his queen when he married one of her ladies-in-waiting, Raleigh turned instead to finding El Dorado, the fabled golden city of South America. Once more, success was elusive. Back in England, the adventurer was accused of treason by King James I of England (r. 1603-1625 CE) and imprisoned in the Tower of London for 13 years. Writing poetry and an important work of history, the beached mariner was improbably freed in 1616 CE to explore one last time South America. This final expedition was another failure and led once again to imprisonment. Raleigh was executed in the Tower in 1618 CE.

Early Life

Walter Raleigh (or Ralegh as he himself preferred) was born c. 1552 CE in Devon, the son of a member of the local gentry. Educated at Oxford University, Walter volunteered to serve in France to assist the Huguenots there against Catholic oppression. Moving on to Ireland in the mid-1570s CE and establishing a plantation there, Walter was a young captain involved in putting down the Irish rebellions against English colonialism. Raleigh hardly covered himself in glory, though, when he participated in the massacre of 600 surrendered Italian troops at Smerwick in 1580 CE.

From 1581 CE Raleigh arrived at court and his family connection to Elizabeth I's childhood nurse was a helpful point of introduction to his monarch. He made a positive impression with his height, good looks and quick wit. Although 20 years her junior, Raleigh's charm and poetry soon attracted the good favour of his queen. Polite and chivalrous - at least in outward form, Raleigh's eccentricity is illustrated by the likely fictional story that he once lay down his cloak upon a puddle so that the queen need not get her feet wet. Raleigh's good relationship with Elizabeth was helped by his position as captain of the Yeoman Guard which gave him more access to his queen than most. The relationship thus had practical and often lucrative consequences. Over time, Raleigh accumulated large estates in the southwest, Midlands and Ireland which went along with his political influence as a Member of Parliament for Devon and Cornwall. He was given royal monopolies for tin and playing cards, and licences for taverns for 30 years. Rich and proud of showing it, critics once quipped that Raleigh's jewelled shoes alone cost a ridiculous £6,000. The pinnacle came when he was knighted in 1585 CE. All this social progress came despite the rumour Raleigh was said to have denied the immortality of the soul and questioned Elizabeth's foreign policy as not aggressive enough; Raleigh once joked, "Her Majesty did all by halves" (Guy, 289). Perhaps, for this very reason, Raleigh was never admitted to the Privy Council, England's executive seat of government.

Continue reading...

[katiajewelbox]

November is National Native American Heritage month in the USA! Did you know that many of the UK’s favourite kitchen garden plants were originally domesticated by indigenous peoples in the Americas? The Native Americans’ domesticated plants now feed most of the world and have become an integral part of cuisines in Europe, Africa, and Asia.

1. Potato: Potato (Solanum tuberosum) was domesticated by indigenous Americans in the Andes at least 10,000 years ago. Genetic studies indicate hybridization of different wild potato varieties in the species Solanum brevicaule in Southern Peru produced the original domesticated potato. Today, indigenous people in Peru have over 4000 varieties of potato, each with their culinary and cultural significance. The Chuño potato can be preserved for up to 15 years, making it an important food source during lean times in the days of the Inca Empire.

2. Corn: Indigenous Americans domesticated corn (Zea mays) from the wild grass Teosinte (Zea mays parviglumis) of southwestern Mexico approximately 9,000 years ago. The wild Teosinte is a miniature corn, with ears containing only 5-12 hard seeds. From the initial domestication in Mexico, corn spread north and south to become the iconic food plant of indigenous America. Native American corn differs from the familiar sweetcorn because it was selectively bred to be dried and preserved rather than eaten fresh. Native American corn varieties can be a kaleidoscope of beautiful colours and are either flint corn (dried for preservation and then soaked for food purposes), flour corn (processed into masa harina flour), or popcorn.

3. Beans: Our familiar kitchen garden beans all come from indigenous American agriculture. The fresh green beans and most of the dried beans belong to the same species, the Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) which was domesticated via hybridization of several wild species in Mesoamerican around 4,000 years ago. The Lima Bean (Phaseolus lunatus) was domesticated in South America around 4,000 years ago and spread north of the Rio Grande by the 1300’s.

[hetaologist]

World Meeting (pt. 1)

England: *Enters the meeting room* Right, I want to address a particular Tweet as today’s meeting topic…

*All Nations stop what they’re doing to look at England*

England: Just last week, I read a Tweet from a *specific* individual, talking shit about my food.

*All Nations groan, America snickers to himself*

England: *Narrows eyes at America*, I’ll have you know, my ‘Pie and Mash’ is a good, hardy meal and a British classic!

America: *Stands from his desk with a cheeky grin* Come on dude, don’t tell me you actually look forward to eating dry ass meat pies covered in nuclear green gravy and a side of wall paste~. *He laughs mischievously*

England: WHY YOU CHEEKY BAST-

France: *Clears his throat* Mon amie~, I’m forced to agree with America…unfortunately.”

England: *Snaps his head towards France* WHAT!? Says you, you snail sucker! Your food is overrated and overly complicated to make.

France: *Clutches pearls* Sacré bleu, you heathen! At least my food is desired for and doesn't make people fat, no~?!

*America and England both glare at France*

America: Excuse me bro...?

*Germany stands up and places hands on table*

Germany: Now's not the time to talk about frivolous topics as such. The three of you, sit down und shut up!

America: Hmph, says you. You think it's perfectly okay to eat boiled sausages with boiled potatoes and noodles with no seasonings.

*Germany gasps and gets taken a back*

Germany: DON'T TALK SCHEISSE ABOUT MY FOOD, YOU LARD COVERED ARSCHLOCH!

France: And no, covering everything in mustard or paprika doesn't count~.

*Germany is fuming like a hot baked potato*

England: Hehe~. Now you know how I feel in this situation, you bland Kraut!

America: HAHA! And your beer tastes terrible~.

*Everyone deadass looks at America*

America: What?

Russia: That's some bold words coming from you, Америка~. Germany's beer is pretty good, your beer tastes like man pissed into bottle before closing it.

America: HEY! At least my food is well seasoned and diverse...

China: Yeah right, your shit is just our stuff but with too much sugar and salt.

*All Nations nod their head in agreement*

America: No it isn't! I just like lots of flavor....

*England looks over at America's Stanley cup on his desk*

England: I bet that coffee cup is filled to the BRIM with pure sugar and syrups, you fat ass.

America: Nah dude, it's filled with my *:･ﾟ���special sauce*:･ﾟ✧.

*America opens up his giant cup filled with sauce*

America: It's a combination of ranch, hot sauce, chicken tender sauce, tangy BBQ sauce, ketchup, mustard, mayo, bacon bits, chipotle, sour cream, sweet n' sour and chili sauce~.

*Everyone looks in horror at America's concoction*

England: What in the ACTUAL FUCK AMERICA ?! Why do you have a huge ass cup of JUST SAUCE?!

America: To quench my thirst, of course!

*Everyone's jaw drops in disgust, some start to gag*

Russia: I should have bombed you when I had chance...

America: Nah, I'm just playing! It's for my chicken tenders.

*America pulls out a box of fast food chicken tenders out of coat pocket*

Germany: WHY DO YOU HAVE THAT WITH YOU?!

America: It's my snackies :3c , this is the sauce I use for everything! Like tacos, burgers, pizza...

*North Italy faint after hearing 'pizza'. South Italy gasps and tends to his brother.*

South Italy: You sick fuck, you always fuck up our beloved pizza and pasta!

America: Wha- no I don't!

South Italy: You are the bastard that put pineapple on pizza and fucked it all-a up!

America: Actually, that's Canada's invention...

South Italy: WHAT?!

*Everyone looks at Canada*

Canada: ...damn it. It's really not that bad, honestly.

South Italy: You're just as bad as your brother!

Canada: Fair...

*America gets on the desk and stands on it*

America: How about we once and for all decide who has the best food in the world and that person can talk all the shit they want about other countries food!

*All Nations agrees to the motion, except for Germany*

Germany: Gott in Himmel... *facepalms*

(to be continued...)

[mariacallous]

This time of year, I’m often thinking about latkes. As the days get shorter and colder, my main consolation is anticipating Hanukkah, and planning what to cook for gatherings with friends and family. I grew up eating latkes, as did my dad and grandparents, and it can feel like they have always been part of this time of year. But in reality, latkes are a new addition to Hanukkah.

The potato is native to the Americas and although it’s now essential to Ashkenazi Jewish and European foods, from kugel to vodka, it didn’t become a staple in Eastern Europe until the mid 1800s. This is true of many ingredients. Before the Columbian Exchange, Italian food didn’t have tomatoes and Indian food didn’t have hot peppers. With Hanukkah coming up, let’s dive into the history of how fried South American potatoes became a quintessential Jewish food.

One popular pre-latke Hanukkah food was cheese (a point for Team Sour Cream). The Book of Judith was associated with Hanukkah starting in at least the 14th century. In a commentary on the Babylonian Talmud from the Middle Ages, Rashbam wrote that just as Esther was primarily responsible for the miracle of Purim, Judith was primarily responsible for the miracle of Hanukkah. Her story actually takes place a few hundred years before the Maccabees were fighting the Seleucids, but in the oral tradition in the Middle Ages it was said that Judith was related to Judah Maccabee. The basic story is that Judith seduced the Assyrian general Holofernes and fed him salty cheese and wine. When he passed out drunk, she beheaded him with his own sword and the Israelites were able to defeat the Assyrian army. People in the Middle Ages ate cheese around Hannukah to remember Judith’s bravery.

The earliest written reference to fried pancakes (levivot in Hebrew) being served for Hanukkah comes from a 1322 poem by Rabbi Kalonymus ben Kalonymus that describes “levivot large and round, the whole size of the frying pan.” So there’s a historical reason to make extra-big latkes this year. Susan Weingarten connects this poem to a version of the Book of Judith copied in 1402 in Provence that says that Judith fed Holofernes fried cheese pancakes.

In the “Encyclopedia of Jewish Food,” Gil Marks traces the spread of ricotta cheese pancakes, which originated as a Hanukkah food in Italy and gradually spread through Europe. In Italy and Central Europe, olive oil and butter were common cooking fats, but in Eastern Europe, especially in the winter, schmaltz was easier to come by. Kosher law prohibits mixing meat and milk, so cheese pancakes evolved into being made with root vegetables like turnips or with rye or buckwheat flour. Once fried pancakes became meat dishes instead of dairy dishes, it was common to serve them with jam (a point for Team Applesauce).

As fried pancakes were becoming a widespread Hanukkah food, potatoes were spreading through Europe. It took some time after potatoes were brought over from South America for them to become a staple. People were initially wary of many new vegetables, including tomatoes and pumpkins. But because potatoes are nutritious, grow well in low-quality soil, and can be stored for long periods of time, they gradually spread across the continent. Potatoes went from being unheard of to being responsible for a quarter of the population growth in Europe between 1700 and 1900. In Eastern Europe, the tipping point to greater acceptance came with crop failures in 1839 and 1840 in Ukraine and Poland. To prevent a famine, people planted huge numbers of potatoes. They became such a staple that they were cheaper than flour, and potato latkes became the default they are today. The word “latke” itself comes from the Slavic “oladka” for a small fried pancake, from the Greek “elaion” for olive oil, and came into use by the mid 15th century.

As latkes moved to America along with waves of Eastern European Jewish immigrants in the early 20th century, the default cooking oil switched to neutral vegetable oil, a win for my personal Team Plenty of Both. This brings us to today – but the evolution of the latke isn’t necessarily over. There are plenty of modern recipes that incorporate other fried, shredded ingredients like zucchini, spinach and beets. 

If you’re feeling particularly adventurous this year, you could try one of the oldest fried pancake recipes in recorded Jewish history. Ashishim are sweet, fried red lentil pancakes and there’s a recipe for them in the Jerusalem Talmud that dates from around 400 CE. Whatever kinds of latkes you fry up this year, hopefully the taste will connect you to history and the people you’re celebrating with, and also remind you that trying out new recipes and ingredients is part of a long tradition.