Spanish cuisine midterm

Cooking midterm study guide

Sofia Konkolics 


 About Cereals

  • Who is Ceres/Demeter?
     Ceres (Roman) and Demeter (Greek) are goddesses of agriculture, grain, and fertility. They were worshiped as protectors of the harvest.

  • Who is Proserpina/Perséfone?
     Proserpina (Roman) or Persephone (Greek) is the daughter of Ceres/Demeter. She was kidnapped by Pluto/Hades and taken to the underworld, causing her mother’s grief, which led to the cycle of seasons.

  • What cereals can you name?
     Wheat, barley, rice, oats, corn (maize), rye, millet, sorghum, quinoa, buckwheat.

  • Types of bread and types of flours

    • Breads: Baguette, ciabatta, pita, naan, brioche, focaccia, sourdough, tortilla.

    • Flours: Wheat flour, cornmeal, rye flour, oat flour, rice flour, almond flour, chickpea flour.

  • What are some drinks you can obtain from cereals?

    • Fermented: Beer, sake (from rice), chicha (from corn).

    • Distilled spirits: Whisky, bourbon, rye, vodka (from grains like wheat, corn, or rye).

  • How did beer save humanity?
     Beer played a crucial role in early civilizations by providing a safe source of hydration (fermentation killed bacteria). It also contributed to the development of agriculture, settlements, and trade.

About Christianity

  • Where does it come from?
     Christianity originated in Judea (modern-day Israel/Palestine) in the 1st century CE.

  • When was it founded and where?
     Around 30 CE, following the life and teachings of Jesus Christ in the Roman province of Judea.

  • By who?
     Jesus Christ, with early spread by his disciples and apostles, particularly Paul of Tarsus.

  • Any dietary restrictions?

    • Traditional Christianity has no strict dietary laws.

    • Some sects (Catholic, Orthodox) observe fasting periods, avoiding meat on certain days.

    • Some Christian groups (e.g., Seventh-day Adventists) follow a vegetarian or kosher-style diet.

  • Holidays?

    • Christmas (birth of Jesus)

    • Easter (resurrection of Jesus)

    • Good Friday

    • Pentecost

    • Saints' feast days (varies by tradition)

  • Why was all of Europe Christian?
     The Roman Empire adopted Christianity in the 4th century under Emperor Constantine. Later, it spread through European monarchs, missionaries, and the Catholic Church.

  • Any non-Christian countries in Europe?

    • Albania (majority Muslim)

    • Bosnia & Herzegovina (mix of Islam, Christianity)

    • Kosovo (majority Muslim)

    • Turkey (partially in Europe, majority Muslim)

Jewish People and Judaism

  • Where are they from?
     The Jewish people trace their origins to the ancient Israelites in the Middle East, specifically Canaan (modern Israel/Palestine).

  • Differences between Israeli, Palestinian, Jewish, and Hebrew

    • Israeli: A citizen of Israel, can be of any religion.

    • Palestinian: An ethnic group from Palestine, mostly Muslim but includes Christians.

    • Jewish: A religious and ethnic identity based on Judaism.

    • Hebrew: The language of the Jewish people and historical term for ancient Israelites.

  • Palestine from 135 AD, named after Hadrian
     After the Jewish Revolt (Bar Kokhba Revolt), Roman Emperor Hadrian renamed Judea as Palestina to erase Jewish ties to the land.

  • State of Israel
     Established in 1948 as a homeland for the Jewish people.

  • What does Sepharad and Sephardic mean?

    • Sepharad = Hebrew name for Spain.

    • Sephardic Jews = Jews of Spanish and Portuguese descent, exiled in 1492.

  • Why are they all over the world?
     Due to historical expulsions (e.g., Spain 1492, European pogroms, Holocaust) and forced migrations.

  • What are the books they follow?

    • Torah (first five books of the Bible)

    • Talmud (interpretations of Jewish law)

    • Tanakh (Hebrew Bible)

  • Some holidays

    • Passover

    • Hanukkah

    • Yom Kippur

    • Rosh Hashanah

    • Sukkot

  • Sabbath (Shabbat)

    • Weekly day of rest from Friday evening to Saturday evening.

  • Some dietary restrictions

    • No pork or shellfish.

    • Meat and dairy cannot be mixed.

    • Kosher slaughtering laws.

  • Some restricted activities

    • No work on the Sabbath.

    • Restrictions on lighting fire, carrying objects, and writing.

  • Kashrut (Kosher laws)

    • Kosher (כָּשֵׁר): Foods that meet Jewish dietary laws.

    • Treif (טְרֵפָה): Foods that do not comply.

About America

  • Aztecs, Mayas, Incas

    • Aztecs: Central Mexico, famous for agriculture, warriors, and human sacrifices.

    • Mayas: Yucatán, Guatemala; advanced writing, astronomy, and pyramids.

    • Incas: Peru, Andes region; vast empire, Machu Picchu, road systems.

  • Key figures:

    • Fray Bernardino de Sahagún: Chronicled Aztec life in General History of the Things of New Spain.

    • Felipe Huamán Poma de Ayala: Wrote Nueva Crónica y Buen Gobierno about indigenous rights.

    • Antoine-Augustine Parmentier: Promoted potatoes as food in Europe.

  • Foods from the Americas:

    • Staples: Corn, potatoes, quinoa, beans.

    • Fruits/Vegetables: Tomatoes, peppers, avocados, pineapples.

    • Animals: Turkeys, llamas, alpacas.

    • Spices: Vanilla, chili peppers, pimentón.

About Spices & Ingredients

  • Key historical figures:

    • Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin- 18th century

    • -one of the first food philosophers

    • -animals fill themselves; man eats. The man of mind alone knows how to eat

    • -Tell me what kind of food you eat and I will tell you what kind of man you are.

    • Cooking: transforming, making more digestible

    • -Hanging to dry

    • Ferment

    • -eating stuff form stomachs or intestines (primitive people eat this first)

    • Burying food

    • Lucius Tunius Moderatus “Columela”

    • -Roman upper class, government worker, agronomist, wrote 12 books on agriculture, and dedicated part to cooking and properties of olive oil Roman upper class, government worker, agronomist. “res rustica” wrote 12 books on agriculture and dedicated part to cooking and properties of olive oil.

    • Apicio Celio –“de Re coquinaria” gourmet, gourmet love to eat, most info about cooking from him, gastronomy all organized into 10 books. A collection of over 400 Roman cookery, recipes, translated into English, offering fasting pictures on dietary habits of Roman and Mediterranean people

    • -wrote a fill book of recipes: there was no documentation of recopies for a long time after this, only book of recipes until the 13th century

  • The Silk Road
     Trade route that introduced Eastern spices and foods to Europe.

  • Citrus & Fruits introduced:

    • Oranges, lemons (China)

    • Quince, pomegranates (Persia)

    • Apricots, peaches (Middle East)

    • Figs (Constantinople)

    • Watermelons (Africa)

  • Vegetables & Crops introduced:

    • Rice, eggplant (India)

    • Spinach (Nepal)

    • Artichokes, asparagus (Middle East)

    • Sugarcane, cotton (India)

  • Dishes & Traditions:

    • Alboronia: A Moorish-Spanish stew made from eggplant and vegetables.

    • Halal & Kosher rules: Food laws in Islam and Judaism regarding cleanliness and purity.