In anticipation of the New Year holidays, the housewives begin to puzzle over what to put on the table. Moreover, the next year is the year of the Pig. What dishes to appease this animal? Of course, in my head I immediately recall salads - the main attributes of the New Year.
If you look into the dictionary, then salad means a cold dish, the ingredients of which can be vegetables, fruits, sometimes meat or fish, mushrooms, eggs, sprinkled with various dressings. Most often, green lettuce leaves, tomatoes, peas, potatoes, cucumbers, greens, onions, root vegetables are put in it. Various spices are added to the dish, such as salt, pepper, oregano and others. As a dressing take vinegar, vegetable oil, mayonnaise, lemon or lime juice. But where did this miracle come from? Let's plunge into the world of the history of salads, which briefly tells about the most important moments in the creation of this dish.
Antique times
The history of these dishes has more than one millennium. In ancient Greece, there was an analogue of salad, which consisted of pomegranate seeds, aromatic herbs, onions, seasonings and garlic, sprinkled with olive oil. And the ancient Greek writer Athenaeus in his work āFeast of the Wise Menā talks about a salad seasoned with a mead.
With the development of relations with other countries, the conquest of colonies, the establishment of trade relations with neighboring states, the history of the salad was replenished with new pages.
The very word "salad" appeared during the time of the Roman Empire and in Italian means "salty", "salted". Although some scientists believe that the name given to the dish was a vegetable of the same name. Most often, the salad was served with meat, and not as an independent snack.
Ancient Egypt
In the history of the emergence of salads, ancient Egypt played a significant role. On the Egyptian table was always fresh herbs, onions, garlic. Moreover, lettuce leaves played a special role. This plant of the god Mina was considered sacred. Each resident of the country grew it in his garden. Serving the dish on the table, the Egyptians seasoned it with a mixture of oil, spices and vinegar.
Middle Ages
Medieval chefs also influenced the history of salads. In the period from the 5th to the 12th century, the diet and cooking methods changed. Appetizers began to consist of hot and spicy herbs, cheese was added to the salad. True, such a dish was not very popular among the lower strata of society, since it was considered low-calorie. Due to the terrible unsanitary conditions, many people refused a salad of fresh vegetables. Fried meat was preferred.
In the upper class, salads were not refused. Chefs tried to please their monarchs and competed in the art of cooking this dish.
Renaissance
A real boom is experienced in the Renaissance. During this period, great masters attached to the history of the creation of salads. For example, Leonardo da Vinci. Few people know that he was not only an artist and inventor, but also an excellent culinary specialist. In 1473, Leonardo da Vinci in the Florentine tavern "Three Snails" begins to instill in his fellow citizens a food culture. We owe him the appearance of a plate for salads, which, according to the engineer, was to be transferred from one eater to another. True, at that time this invention failed, having been left without use for almost two centuries.
We offer one of the recipes for the famous artistās snacks: boil a hard-boiled egg, peel, get the yolk. Grind and combine it with pine nuts, pepper and carefully lay in egg nests. Season with cream sauce and taste.
In the Renaissance, Christopher Columbus discovered America. This seriously affected the history of the origin of salads. There are new products that began to be added to these dishes. Sometimes snacks included more than thirty ingredients, including flowers of roses, marigolds, nasturtiums. The cooks of King Henry IV of England and Queen of Scotland Mary I used celery greens, lettuce with dressing from aromatic herbs with mustard.
The history of salads XVII-XIX centuries
Since the 17th century, gourmet cuisine lovers have been experimenting with salads, adding new ingredients to them. Boiled root vegetables, shredded fragrant herbs appear in the dish more and more. French culinary specialists create new dressings by mixing wine, vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil.
In 1699, a book by the English author John Evelin Acetaria: A Discourse of Sallets was published. In it, Evelyn tells how to cook a salad, recommends sprinkling greens with cold water, put in a colander, dry and pour olive oil with vinegar, sprinkle with salt. In the collection, Evelyn gives recommendations on growing vegetables for such dishes. Spinach, fennel, arugula, romano and others appear in recipes. The book was intended for the lower strata of society. People were told about the need for salads rich in vitamins.
In the 18th century, the famous sauce - mayonnaise appears under the Duke of Richelieu. In salads began to add meat and fish. In Europe, another type of salad appears - vinaigrette, in which chopped vegetables, pickles and beets are mixed. Sometimes mushrooms are added.
Salads in Russian History
Which of us before the holiday does not pronounce names familiar from childhood: āOlivierā, āMimosaā, āHerring under a fur coatā? These salads are considered the basis of any feast in Russia.
The French chef, Monsieur Olivier, who worked in Russia, launched the whole direction of cooking salads using mayonnaise, which was served as a separate dish before him. Lucien Olivier mixed the ingredients with the sauce in order to please the restaurant visitors, getting a dish that was later named after him.
Initially, only officials visiting restaurants could enjoy salads. But over time, the filling of the dish changes. It appears green peas, sausage, canned vegetables and fish, cream cheese. Mayonnaise and sunflower oil are used as dressing. At the same time, green leaves disappear from the salad. This set of products is becoming available to ordinary Soviet people. Salad ceases to be an addition to snacks, and becomes an independent dish.
āHerring under a fur coatā has an interesting revolutionary history. According to one version, āFur Coatā is an abbreviation: ...., which means āChauvinism and Decline - Boycott and Anathemaā. At the beginning of the 20th century, for a New Year's holiday, such a salad was prepared by Aristarkh Prokoptsev, the cook of one of the taverns. Everyone liked the dish, having migrated from restaurants to tables of ordinary citizens in the early 60s. His classic recipe does not contain onions and eggs.
The history of the Mimosa salad, unfortunately, is silent about its author. The dish was very popular in the 70s of the 20th century. The composition includes canned fish, mashed with a spoon, boiled eggs, cheese, onions. The top of the salad is covered with mayonnaise, which is sprinkled with ground egg yolks resembling mimosa flowers.
Nowadays
In an age of abundance of food, various varieties of salads appeared. States washed by the seas began to add seafood to them. The crab salad, popular today, has appeared on the American coast. The famous Italian tenor Enrico Caruso told him about old Europe.
The inventions of the 20th century include the Caprese, Caesar, Nicoise and many others salads. Shrimp, squid, lobster, shellfish are added to the dish.
Types of Salads
- Cheesy. Consists of grated cheese, eggs and mayonnaise, may contain other ingredients.
- Vegetable salad. It is based on various types of vegetables.
- Fruit salad. Contains finely chopped fruits.
- Herring salad. Used chopped herring.
- Warm salad. It is filled with cooked warm meat, eggplant, vegetables.
Salads have many benefits. They are usually low-calorie. Rich in various groups of vitamins and fiber. Contain nutrients and minerals. A fresh salad with a delicious and aromatic dressing is an excellent both festive and everyday dish.