These 12 Culinary Creations Were Inspired By Famous People Throughout History
SHARE
@indulgenteats
You might not think much about where the names of your favorite foods come from, but a lot of dishes that are now cultural staples were named after famous figures throughout history. If you’re going to enjoy these comforting foods, you might as well know about who’s behind them, right? Plus, you’ll then be able to rattle off some fun facts the next time you’re at a party or in an awkward social situation where you need an icebreaker. (You’re welcome.)
1. Dr. Pepper
You’ve probably always wondered why there is a doctor associated with a soda brand at all. There was, in fact, a real 19th-century practitioner, Dr. Charles T. Pepper. He didn’t invent the drink himself — you can thank his former assistant Wade Morrison and his colleague Charles C. Alderton for this soda recipe. The name was chosen intentionally to sound medicinal since tonics and carbonated drinks were trendy at the time.
2. Margherita Pizza
In 1889, Queen Margherita of Savoy traveled to Naples. A tomato, cheese and basil pizza (representing the Italian flag) was created in her honor. She liked it so much they named the creation after her.
3. Tetrazzini
This baked noodle casserole — made with diced chicken or seafood and mushrooms in a butter, cream and parmesan sauce — was named after the famous Italian opera star Luisa Tetrazzini. A chef at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco, where Tetrazzini was a long-time resident, named the dish in her honor.
4. Beef Wellington
You might not see this item on menu too often these days since it’s insanely heavy. Beef Wellington is a beef filet that’s coated with pâté and mushrooms and then wrapped in puff pastry and baked. It was named in honor of Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington, who became a British national hero after he defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo. Apparently, he was always wrapped up in his work, so a steak wrapped up in puff pastry makes sense.
5. Carpaccio
The Italian dish of thinly sliced raw beef was named after the Italian Renaissance painter Vittore Carpaccio who lived from 1465 to 1525. Carpaccio was known for painting with bright red colors, which resembles the raw beef.
6. Granny Smith Apples
These crisp, green and juicy apples are named after British-Australian orchardist Maria Ann “Granny” Smith who actually discovered the apple variety.
7. Peach Melba
Peach Melba is a dessert of peaches and raspberry sauce with vanilla ice cream. It was invented by the French chef Auguste Escoffier — who is basically known in the culinary world as the “king of chefs” — at the Savoy Hotel in London. Escoffier made this dessert for the famed Australian opera singer Nellie Melba.
8. Earl Grey Tea
The Earl Grey tea blend, which is black tea flavored with oil of bergamot, was named after Charles Grey (who is also known as the 2nd Earl of Grey since earls were people of British nobility). Grey was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom back in 1830. The 2nd Earl of Grey was presented with this tea blend as a gift and the rest is history.
9. General Tso’s Chicken
Even though this Americanized Chinese dish of sweet, deep-fried chicken with a tangy, spicy and sticky brown sauce has no traceable roots to China, it’s named after Zuo Zongtang, a Qing dynasty statesman and military leader who was also referred to as General Tso.
10. Sandwich
Who can you thank for sandwiches? John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich. Sandwich is a historic town in the Dover district of Kent County in southeast England. The British figure, who was a notorious gambler, is said to have invented the convenient concept of the sandwich that we’ve come to know so that he wouldn’t have to leave his gambling table to eat dinner.
11. German Chocolate Cake
No, German chocolate cake isn’t actually German — it’s American. The layered chocolate cake is filled and topped with a coconut-pecan frosting. It’s named after Samuel German who invented a type of dark baking chocolate used to make the cake.
12. Clementines
It was a French monk named Père Clément Rodier who discovered these little oranges in North Africa in the early 20th century. It’s been said that clementines exist because of accidental hybridization, and Rodier discovered them in the garden of his orphanage in Algeria.
Next on
