Sweet and Savory Survival

What took us from foraging to fine dining?

Like any other living thing, humans need food to survive. However, as we have evolved so has our way of dining. I'm sure cavemen and women certainly weren't concerned about the flavor profiles of their daily harvest they were thankful for the catch. But somewhere along the way we moved past just the catch and began cultivating spices and herbs, smoking and curing meats, and learning new ways to prepare our dishes. We evolved as did our culinary desires. The world around us began changing, advancing, and once again pushing us in a new tasty direction, and we were exposed to eating more than just home-cooking!

The trade routes moved goods of all kinds, the most influential to all chefs alike being spices. The first spice mankind added to its repertoire was mustard seed, used to add something more than survival to the meal by hunters and gatherers. Both people and spices moved across the map and into early kitchens worldwide beginning in Asia and the Middle East. Through travel and trade spices spread like wildfire and got further integrated into culinary preparation and tradition. Our talented chefs of the past used those spices to coax us into the dining room in the 12th century Song Dynasty in China.

At that time China was bustling with people, trade, and developing industries that we still see in our modern-day society, businesses, service jobs, hotels, and brothels. With this influx of the population moving around and traveling outside the home, the food industry had a need to fulfill! And so they did. The Chinese began opening dim sum restaurants, noodle houses, and the earliest fine dining restaurants in these busy downtown districts in Northern China for southern travelers and vice versa for chefs in Southern China. In the 15th century, the Japanese were introduced to the kaiseki dining tradition, a multicourse dining experience created by chef Sen no Rikyu. They used their food and ingredients to tell the story of whatever season they were in. The dinners were grand and full of multiple courses, flavors, and sensory experiences.

Similarly to the Chinese and Japanese, the French began creating communal dining experiences as well called table d’hôte, a fixed-price meal eaten at a communal table. They didn't have a set menu so early diners didn't have much choice or say in the meal but the idea of gathering and dining out is something they continued to choose! Their early cuisine at these restaurants was at the chef's mercy, whatever came out of the kitchen, they ate. But what is it about sharing a meal in the company of the others that keeps us dining together?

Dining out amongst strangers and invited company alike has become a leisurely pastime. Restaurants entertain all of our senses, from the decor to the smells coming from the meal your table neighbor got, and the light tunes of music settled behind the chatter of other patrons. We don't eat at these restaurants simply because we're hungry, we're coming for a full sensory experience or escape.

This week our historical dining explorations took me to France and Northern China! La Bouche Cafe, located in Hoboken, NJ, is a cute, quaint, and cozy French restaurant that reminds me of a loving grandmother's little cottage dining room. The menu isn't too large but definitely has a range of delicious options that give a little spin on traditional French cuisine. I wanted to pick my meal based on how I thought they would've been eating at that time and my tastebuds landed me on a smoked Salmon platter with warm toast, some cold fresh crème fraîche, red onions, cucumber, and avocado slices because who doesn't love a good avocado? Everything was so fresh and flavorful! The crème fraîche and smoked salmon were the stars of the show, both were bursting with natural flavor and freshness. The warm home-baked bread was the perfect contrast to all the cool ingredients on the platter and complimented the creamy avocado perfectly. My cucumbers got a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar with a few cracks of black pepper and salt just for some extra oomph. The pickled red onion perfectly cut through those creamy and smokey flavors and added the crunch and bite the platter needed. My table neighbors got the croissant french toast which did not last long on his plate, a very promising sign, and a huge chicken cordon bleu burger dripping with flavor.

After our lunch in France, I took my culinary travels to Northern China. Taste of North China located in downtown Jersey City is a great spot for tasty traditional Northern Chinese cuisine. The space is large and decorated with traditional Chinese art and pottery, great for eating alone or with a large group! The food is prepared to order so its prime freshness and deliciousness are guaranteed. They have a very expansive menu filled with traditional noodle soups, wok-style dishes, Szechuan, and fried rice variations, there's something for everyone. I began with the crab meat and pork soup dumplings which were perfect for the chilly fall day. They give vinegar and chili oil along with the meal for you to use as you please and they were a great compliment to the hot soupy dumplings, adding a little heat and some depth of flavor. For my main course, I got the beef noodle soup with peppers, it was packed with tender juicy beef strips and fresh noodles in a hot soul-warming broth. Of course, I added some chili oil because I live a spicy life however, it was still very flavorful without that addition.

These meals truly warmed my spirit from the inside out and gave me a clear glimpse into the eating style of the distant past that we still hold here with us in the present. I must say the best part about stepping back in time through food is being able to appreciate where we started, look at how we have evolved but somehow still stay connected to tradition. Both of these restaurants are a great start to begin experiencing what the first diners were eating like and a great reminder of how we are still like those early diners traveling around our communities and the world just looking for a good meal and a good time!