August 2024
Hello Tastorians!
Welcome to the very first Tasting History Newsletter. This is a place where I can share the interesting stories and bits of research that didn't make it into an episode for one reason or another. It's also a way to share links to occasional videos, websites, and articles that I used in my research or that I just find fascinating. I hope you enjoy it!
Tasting History Leftovers
A couple of weeks ago, I posted a video about history's taste testers: those unfortunate individuals tasked with tasting the food of the rich and powerful in order to test it for poison. Something that didn't make it into the video was a possible etymological link between this practice and the piece of furniture known as a credenza.
The credenza is a sideboard or short cabinet that is set against the wall and the original word in Italian literally meant trust or belief. It's also connected to the English word "credence". How this piece of furniture earned that name is a matter of debate, but one theory is that, once a food taster had tasted a food and deemed it safe from poison, it was set on the credenza; food there was now trusted to be safe. Another theory posits that the mere act of the tasting was called credenza and that word applied to the room in which the tasting took place. This word then came to apply to a piece of furniture in that room.
There is another theory which has nothing to do with food tasters. This theory claims that the table earned its name from being the place where the holy sacrament was held before communion, but this theory seems to have less evidence.
You Might Like…
And now, some recent videos and links I've come across which you might find interesting.
Confused Japanese Historian Describe Weird First Europeans The channel Voices of the Past shares a primary source from 16th century Japan talking about the first Europeans arriving to the islands.
Medievalist Professor Answers Medieval Questions from Twitter Dr. Dorsey Armstrong dispels myths about Medieval Europe and answers questions like why couldn't medieval artists draw realistic cats?
Why Italy Fell Out of Love With Cilantro This article, written by Andrew Coletti, asks the question "why has coriander/cilantro, which was so popular in Ancient Roman recipes, fallen out of favor in modern Italian cuisine?"
Last Month’s Videos
The True History of Deep Dish Pizza
Eating in a Civil War Prison - Andersonville to Elmira
The Accidental Invention of Modern Strawberries
The Deadly Job of Royal Food Taster
The Truly Disturbing Story of Kellogg's Corn Flakes
So that's it for now. This newsletter will be an ever evolving project, so feel free to let me know what you'd love to see included.
Serving it Forth,
Max