In ancient Egypt bees were known to have flown into being
from the tears of sungod, RA. Wax
candles were used on cakes to celebrate birthdays, sending honeyed smoke back
to the creator asking RA for favors (or that ‘wishes may come true.’) 1400 B.C.
Do you ever wonder which birthdays we should be
celebrating for delices we enjoy without counting the years? Staples that spice up our meals; staples we
toss into our market baskets without further thought? Well here are a few to whom we can all offer
Big Birthday toast of Champagne. SANTE!
Bonne Anniversaire to:
Pepsi Cola, 121 years old
Dr. Pepper, 110 years old
French’s Mustard, 110 years old, born at the St. Louis
World Fair, 1904
A-1 Steak Sauce, 119 years in the USA
Kellogg’s Corn Flakes, 118
Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar, 114
Hershey’s Kisses, 107
Nabisco’s Barnum Animal Crackers in that circus box,
112. They originally were created at
Christmas time, and the strap at the top was to hang on the tree.
Peter Pan Peanut Butter was born in 1928 and put into
cans. But metal shortages in World War
II introduced the change into glass bottles.
Beaulieu Vineyards is also 100 years old: “When you know fine wine, you know B.V.” the old radio commercial ran.
Ice-cream in cones, 86 years old.
Now here are some really old-timers:
Bananas, lemons, limes and oranges, 6000 years old, born
in the Indus Valley.
Cinnamon brought by Phoenician traders to the
Peloponnesos, 1250 B.C.
Fois Gras brought to Greece by armies from
China where fattened geese provided such a luxury, 450 B.C.
Sake produced in the Nada area of Japan by a special rice
and Miyamizu or ‘holy’ water, 225 B.C.
Bread is produced and sold en masse in bakeries in Rome, 190 B.C.
Kiku-Masamune sake, 1659 A.D., Kobe, Japan.
(I am working on a next blog featuring Taketo Kano,
owner, Kiku-Masamune traditional sake.)
When you see and re-taste such dear old friends, please
raise a frothing Champagne glass and toast them with appreciation for the joys
brought into our lives by their flavors and aromas and goodness gracious, that je ne
sais quoi that brightens our eyes and sparks taste buds, much as
Champagne does.
Soon Imperial General Julius Caesar will stride onto
these pages and tell us all about marvels that we enjoy today that were born
even farther back in time and space.
Soon. Just not quite yet, Caesar.
Madam Champagne,
The Night Julius
Caesar Invented Champagne
20 January, 2014
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