FOOD HISTORY ALMANAC - EVENTS OCCURRED IN SEPTEMBER, 6

IRISH POTATO FAMINE

1845: Ireland


The first report of the devastating potato blight to appear in the Irish press was in the Dublin Evening Post on this day.

We regret to learn that the blight of the potato crop, so much complained of in Belgium and several of the English counties has affected the crop, and that to a considerable extent, in our own immediate locality. . . . We are assured by a gentleman of vast experience that the injury sustained by potatoes from blight on his domain is very serious—that they are entirely unfit for use; and he suggests potatoes so injured should be immediately dug out for the use of the pigs.

The blight which completely destroyed potato crops across Europe and precipitated the Irish Famine (“The Great Hunger”) of the 1840s was caused by a fungus-like organism called Phytophthora infestans. It was first reported in Philadelphia in 1843, quickly appeared in Europe, and reached
Southern England in 1845.

ANNIVERSARY

1634: England

Thomas Tryon was born on this day near Cirencester. He received no formal education as a child, but taught himself to read and write. In his early twenties he became a Behemist (a follower of the German mystic theologian Jakob Böhme) and embarked on a personal crusade of asceticism. Although he became a hatter by trade, he is best known for his self-help-type books and as an early proponent of vegetarianism. It is said that he persuaded the young Benjamin Franklin to follow a vegetarian diet (which he did, for a time, until he noted one day that at big fish ate little fish and decided that as “God had sensibly included such sacrifices as part of his overall rational plan for the universe; who are we to deny ourselves what the rest of nature freely enjoys?”). Tryon embraced all of the ethical issue of his, and all of our, times. He was a pacifist and a temperance advocate, had an anti-slavery view, and was a passionate vegetarian.

One of his books had the full title of Wisdom’s Dictates: or Aphorisms and Rules, Physical, Moral, and Divine; For Preserving the Health of the Body and the Peace of the Mind, fit to be regarded and practiced by all that would enjoy the Blessings of the present and future World. To which is added, A Bill of Fare of Seventy five Noble Dishes of Excellent Food, far exceeding those made of Fish or Flesh, which Banquet I present to the Sons of Wisdom, or such as shall decline that depraved Custom of Eating Flesh and Blood. It was published in 1691. Many of the seventy-fived noble dishes listed are essentially in the form of recipes.

53. There is also a brave sort of Food made of Wheat and Milk, called Furmity; some make it plain, and others add Fruit to it; the plain is the best, but they are both very good, affording a firm substantial nourishment, of a mild friendly operation: The frequent use of this is a grand enemy to the generation of sower windy Humours.

54. Boiled Wheat buttered is a noble Dish, and with this alone, a Man may make a better and more satisfactory Meal, than with Princely variety; it affords a sweet, friendly, and most agreeable nourishment, easie of concoction, and generates fine thin Blood.

55. Take good white Pease, boil them, when near done, add green Sage and Onions cut small, then season it with Salt and Butter; but in the Winter, when green Sage is not good, then take that which is dried according to our Directions in the Way to Health, long Life and Happiness, which is to be preferred before green. This is a brave strong and substantial Pottage, very grateful to the Palate, and agreeable to the Stomach.

HOW TO COOK PEMMICAN

1874: Canada

Sam Steele joined the “Mounties” in 1873. He kept a journal and later wrote of his experiences in Forty Years in Canada Reminiscences of the Great North-West. At this time he wrote of pemmican:

"Inspector Jarvis bought a supply of pemmican, which is the best food in the world for the traveller, soldier and sailor, either on the plains of America or in the Arctic regions... It [the pemmican] was cooked in two ways in the west; one a stew of pemmican, water, flour and, if they could be secured, wild onions or preserved potatoes. This was called “rubaboo”; the other was called by the plain hunters a “rechaud.” It was cooked in a frying-pan with onions and potatoes or alone. Some persons ate pemmican raw, but I must say that I never had a taste for it that way."

Instructions on the basic preparation of pemmican were given in The Market Assistant, Containing a Brief Description of Every Article of Human Food Sold in the Public Markets of the Cities of New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and Brooklyn (1867): “Pemmican ... This is prepared by cutting the lean meat into thin slices, exposing it to the heat of the sun or fire, and, when dry, pounding it to a powder. It is then mixed with an equal weight of buffalo suet, and stuffed into bladders.”

EXPLORERS & ADVENTURERS

1811: USA

From the journal of Wilson Price Hunt’s overland expedition in 1811–1812:

"We camped near a brook that flowed north and emptied into the Big Horn River. The ground was covered with gooseberries of two species, the best that I have ever eaten. One of our men brought me some strawberries that he had just picked. We had killed an elk and several black-tailed deer. Buffalo were quite numerous, too, so that the mountainside looked like one continuous barnyard. Farther on, however, we found only an occasional animal. We could see clearly a third, snow-covered mountain; we had avoided the first and now turned southward."

JOURNALS & LETTERS

1664: London, England

From the diary of Samuel Pepys: “So going home and my coach stopping in Newgate market over against a poulterer’s shop. I took occasion to buy a rabbit; but it proved a deadly old one when I came to eat it—as I did do after an hour’s being at my office.”

1666: London, England

From the diary of Samuel Pepys. The Great Fire of London was still burning, and Pepys wrote,

"I saw good Butts of sugar broke open in the street, and people go and take handfuls and put into beer and drink it. ... At home did go with Sir W. Batten and our neighbour knightly... to Sir R. Ford’s, and there dined, in an earthen platter a fried breast of mutton, a great many of us. But very merry; and endeed as good a meal, though as ugly a one, as ever I had in my life".


By Janet Clarkson in "Food History Almanac", general editor Ken Albala, Rowmann & Littlefield, UK, 2014, excerpts pp.995-997. Adapted and illustrated to be posted by Leopoldo Costa

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