Interesting Historical Facts About Soup

Soup is on! The weather is getting colder in many parts of the country. There's nothing like a warm bowl of soup whe you've been out in the cold. Soup is something that all cultures make. There are cold soups, Vichycoise for instance whe the weather is cold but I htink nothing beats hot soup on a cold day.

Everyone has heard the childrens nursery rhyme, "Peas, porridge hot, pease porridge cold peas, porridge in a pot , nine days old. In olden days the main meal was whatever was in the pot on the fire. Peas, porridge (cereal type food), bits of meat. Everything was thrown into the pot and it cooked away. It would sit there for days as is described in the nursery rhyme.

Soup can be medicinal. I'm sure everyone is familiar with the curative value of chicken soup. A whole chicken, cut into pieces,is put into a pot along with parsnips, carrots, dill and if so desired dumplings made from matzoh, called matzoh balls. Noodles could also be added. That's the basic Jewish chicken soup. There are of course, Italian variations and all Amercian variations. Old grandmas would put this together on a regular basis and if you were sick it was a must have. Many physicians feel there is merit to the curing powers of a nice bowl of hot chicken soup. For those who don't have the time or inclination to whip up a chicken soup there are always the canned varieties. Campbell's chicken noodle soup being quite good.

I don't know what cannibals called it but we've all seen movies or cartoons with people being put in a cauldron as punishment or as a main course.

Soup can be made with so little. Stone soup is another old tale that has been told forever. A soup made out of rocks. As kids we read this story with amazement. Nowadays, you go to your local supermarket and there are boullion cubes in chicken or beef, soup base in jars in chicken or beef, cartons of stock in fish, vegetable, beef orchicken and cans and cans of soups in heart healthy or low salt as well as regular flavors.

Soup is super (no pun intended) for curbing your appetite if your dieting. Just stay away from heavy,creamy soup or subsitute cream with low fat milk .

Soup can be thrown together with whatever you happen to have around the house, vegetables, meats, noodles, left over bits and pieces. Creamy or regular. Soup bones are sold in the meat section and ad to the flavor. In our home, hubby is the chef and hemakes his own soup stock. Stews are really thickened soups , soups with much larger pieces of food in them and less liquid. Soup is inexpensive and filling.

Some soups are specifically from certain areas, Creole gumbo from the South, a major part of the New Orleans cooking elements. New England Clam Chowder. People used whatever was available where they lived to create soups that have become a staple in most homes and restaurants even though they started out specifically in certain areas. Japanese and Thai serve Miso soup, Indian menus have Coconut Soup and Mulligitawny soup, there's Gumbo in many native recipes, the French are famous for Boullabaise, basically a fish stew. The Chinese intorduced bird's nest soup (actually made from a rare bird's nest, and egg drop soup.

Soups can be clear and thin like Miso or creamy and rich like New England Clam Chowder. They can be vegetarian or a combination of meats and vegetables. They can be made of one vegetable like an Onion. A nice crock of Onion soup topped with crusty bread and melted cheese is a particularly popular soup served at most restaurants.

China has been made specifically to serve soup. Soup bowls, soup crocks and a good old cup of soup. Soup tureens made to ladle soup out of were very fashionable at one time. Soup spoons ,of course to go with the bowls were made so that the bowl of the spoon would hold more liquid.

Depending on who invaded who the foods took on a blend of cultures. Soup is multi cultural and soup is grand on a cold day.