Monday, December 8, 2008

desserts

DESSERTS

First encounter with sweet for man kind definitely starts with honey. The history of honey is very loaded. This ancient material has been used for food, drinks medicine, gifts for the gods, cosmetics, cooking, food preservation, cosmetics, art, etc.). "The oldest written reference to the use of honey is to be Egyptian, around 5500BC. At that time Lower Egypt was called Bee Land...
Honey was a valuable commodity used widely in exchange, But during 1200bc man kind made his most important approach and start using sugar as a sweet substance and sweet history of dessert had begun.
The word of dessert comes from the Old French “desservir”, meaning is to clear the table. The Oxford English Dictionary (2nd edition) confirms this information:
"Dessert... [A. F. dessert (Etienne 1539) 'removal of the dishes, dessert', f. desservir to remove what has been served, to clear (the table)...

Desserts are lovely, unforgettable little dishes also in many case most erotic part of our modern day eating habits, this lovely sexy mostly chocolaty and fruity last course typically comes at the end of a meal, usually consisting of sweet food but sometimes of a strongly-flavored one, such as some cheese and fruit pairing. As I mentioned in previous paragraph historically our first natural sweetener is honey and addition with fruits is our first desserts particularly fig walnut and honey combination for me still one of the best dessert.
Before the rise of the middle class during the 19th-century, and the automation of the sugar industry, sweets were a benefit of the lords and ladies, or an extraordinary holiday luxury for middle class. In the 17th century, desserts had become more elaborate and were decorated with flowers. They included marzipan, nougat, pyramids of fruit, dry and liquid preserves, biscuits..., creams, sugar sweets...sweet almonds in sugar and orange-flower water, green walnuts, pistachios, and marrons glaces. At the end of the century, ice creams made their appearance, and at the same time patisserie became extremely popular, with different basic mixtures, such as puff pastry, sponge, choux pastry and meringue. In the 20th century, dessert in France evolved to include cheese and fresh fruit as well as sweet dishes.

As sugar became cheaper and more available, the progress and popularity of desserts spread consequently. But when cocoa was introduced to Europe by the Spaniards (god bless them they made one the biggest favor to mankind) during mid 1600s theory of dessert making and consuming changed forever.
Until early 20th century In the United States term of dessert often used to include pies, puddings, and other sweet dishes. But as an ingredients and drink, cocoa became very trendy in USA little later than other countries after the Boston Tea Party when tea was being boycotted Hot cocoa became very in style. Since then milk and cocoa are one of the most significant ingredients our modern dessert menu after sugar.

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