More Specials That’re Not Really That Old

By: Yasunari Ramon Suarez Taguchi There are certain dishes that’re so popular to a point that one could think that they’ve been around for centuries. However, a cursory look at the “origin stories” of some of these shows that they are actually relatively

Carpaccio

A staple appetizer and hors d’oeuvre in Italy, apart from gaining a standing as a fixture in charcuterie spreads, carpaccio is an Italian antipasti (first course or appetizer) that’s made from thin cuts of meat or fish that’s been thoroughly seasoned, chilled and served raw.

Widely accepted as a “traditional Italian” dish, one could think that it has been around for at least a century owing to how popular it is. But as it turns out, the special is not really that old, as food historians note that its earliest incarnation was developed in the 1950s.

Attributed to have been invented by Venetian restauranteur Giuseppe Cipriani, the dish is noted to have been inspired by a specialty from the Piedmont region in Itally called “cruda all’abese”. It is said that Cipriani came up with the special for the Countess Amalia Nani Mocenigo, who was advised by her physician to avoid cooked meats, and that he served this at his restaurant, Harry’s Bar.

More than a dish that’s made of a base of thinly-sliced cuts of meat, the carpaccio is typically prepared with shaved parmesan and seasoned with capers, salt, pepper, olive oil and lemon juice. It got its name from painter Vittore Carpaccio, whose paintings that’re rich in red and white tones are said to have inspired Cipriani to name it after the him, after seeing the overall look of the dish that he made.

Tiramisu

Identified as one of the world’s well-known Italian desserts, tiramisu holds a special place in the lexicon of delectable sweets and treats. Characterized as the fifth most recognizable Italian word in Europe, it is so popular that one would think that it has been around for some time.

However, a number of food historians are convinced that it was only developed in the 1950s-60s, with two different “origin stories” dishing on its provenance.

The first says that it was developed by pastry chef Loly Linguanotto at the restaurant Le Beccherie in Treviso during the late 1960s. The chef is said to have based the special on the “Sbatudin” – a traditional Venetian dessert that’s primarily based on an egg yolk-and-sugar-based mix. The other notes that the dish first appeared in the hotel-restaurant Roma in Udine in Italy in the 1950s.

Traditionally made with egg yolks and sugar combined with mascarpone and Marsala wine, discussions and debates on the specific history of tiramisu may still be ongoing, but this hasn’t stopped people form all over the world from enjoying it.

Uramaki

Uramaki is a type of sushi wherein the rice is rolled on the outside, as opposed to it being rolled inside a sheet of nori. Often included in lists that identify the different types of “traditional sushi rolls”, many are under the view that it has been around since the first sushi rolls were made in Japan, but this is not really so.

The sushi was actually developed in the 1960s in North America – not Japan. A number of food historians are convinced that it was first served in the restaurant “Little Tokyo” in Los Angels, USA by Machita Ichiro.

It is said that Japanese dishes were not commonly served in North America at the time, with nori (the dried seaweed used in sushi maki rolls) appearing as an exotic ingredient that didn’t appeal to customers. The story is that the sushi rolling procedure was reversed in a bid to avoid scaring customers, which resulted in the making of the dish. With a name that literally translates to “inside-out-roll”, uramaki is enjoyed by diners in Japanese restaurants all over the world today. However, there are Japanese cuisine purists who aren’t keen on it, as they often view it as a fake type of sushi that was not made in Japan.

Banoffee Pie

A popular type of pie for those with a penchant for bananas, caramel and cream, banoffee pie holds a special place in the compendium of tarts and pies. Given that the Ancient Egyptians have been attributed to be the progenitors of pies in general, many have been convinced that banoffee has been around for centuries.

But as it turns out, the pie is relatively new as it is said to have been invented in the 1970s by Nigel Mackenzie and Ian Dowding at The Hungry Monk restaurant in East Sussex in England.

The recipe for the pie was published in the 1974-released cookbook “The Deeper Secrets of the Hungry Monk”, and was reprinted in the 1997-released “In Heaven with The Hungry Monk Cookbook”.

It got the name from combining the words “banana” and “toffee”, which is basically a shortened version of its key ingredients. Food historians note that the name was originally meant to be a placeholder name, but it got so popular that it became its official name.