Animalcrackersinmysoup Monkeysandrabbitslooptheloop GoshohgeebutIhavefun Swallowinganimalsonebyone IneverybowlofsoupIsee LionsandTigerswatchingme Imake'emjumprightthroughahoop Thoseanimalcrackersinmysoup FromtheweebittychildrenwhosangalongwithShirleyTempleabout animalcrackersinCurlyTopin1935totheinfamousSeinfeldtelevisionshowof 1995featuringthechefwhowasstingywithhisbrothandharshinhis punishmentstoquestioners,wejustcantseemtogetenoughofahot,aromatic potofsoup!Andthatisthewayithasbeenformanythousandsofyears.Since theconquestoffire,souphasbeensimmeringforeverycultureonevery continent.

Itmakessensethatsoupmakingwouldgainquickapprovalfromour ancestors.Boilingpermitsthefulleruseoftoughanimalparts,evenbones,and extractswhatevernutritionalvalueislatentintheseotherwiseunusedparts. Mostplants,too,areasafebetforthesouppotevenifinedibleornastytasting intheirfreshpluckedstate.Yourcuriositymayaskwhetherthetastysoup liquidwasactuallyahappybyproductoftheboilingdownprocessorwasthe intendedresultofaprotorecipe. Earlycooksquicklyunderstoodthatslowboilingnotonlychangesthe textureofindividualingredients,itallowscombinedingredientstoblend togetherfornewtastes,openinggreaterfoodoptions.Eventhehardestgrains softenunderheat,soakupliquids,thickenthesoups,andmakethemfilling. Soupkeepsfoodfresh,too.Soupisthelastcallforvegetablesthat threatentoslippasttheirprime,andgivesfastfadingfoodsfreshlife.Wearethe beneficiaries. Waybackinancientdaysandrightuptothehereandnow,soupisideal whenharvestsbringtoomuchofagoodthing.InRomania,potatosoup becameastaplewhileinJapan,amisosoupmadefromfishbrothandfermented soywasadoptedasastandardmenuitem.Variedharvestsanddegreesof

abundancearoundtheglobecalledforculturalspinsonsoup.Theworld respondedwithchowdersfromNewEngland,bouillabaissefromthe Mediterranean,borschtfromRussia,leekandpotatosoupfromScotland,cod soupfromEcuador,lentilsoupfromtheMiddleEast,andcoldyogurtand cucumbersoupfromBulgaria.Andletusnotforgetthehumbleclamandoyster, andthesurfeitoftomatoesandzucchinis,whichchallengetheNewEngland kitcheneveryyear. SinceearlyAmericanhistorysouphasbeenavitalculinarycomponentfor boththeupperandlowerranksoftheemergingdemocracy.Mentionsofbroth, consomm,andpotageappearinwrittenledgersnewspapersandtravel accountsaswellascookerymanuscriptswellbeforethefirstAmerican cookbookin1742.GermanlanguagecookbooksbroughttoAmericahadlong publishedrecipesbasedonmutton,calfshead,rice,apples,andhuckleberries. Soupfastbecameasymbolofcommunityasthefirstcourseofahumbletwo coursemealandcontinuestobefirstonaformalmenuofmanycourses. Fancysoups,ofcourse,enteredthepicture.Fleeingfromthetormentsof theFrenchRevolutioninthelate1700swerenoblemenandtheirfamiliesand aides,chefsamongthem.Someoftheserefugeessecuredprestigeculinary positionsinprivatehomesofthewealthyclassesinEnglandandothercountries, whileotherexpatriatesopenedrestaurantsinthecities.JeanBaptisteGilbert PayplatdisJulienlandedinBostonandopenedapubliceatinghousecalled JuliensRestorator.Heachievedfame,andwasnicknamedThePrinceof Soups.HiscrowningcreationmaybeJulienSoup,acompositionofvegetables cutintolongnarrowstripsthatis,julienned. Overtime,cookbookwritersfelthappilyobligedtodedicatewhole chapterstosouppreparationandsoupfamedrestaurants,buoyedbythe popularityofsoupsliketurtleandoyster,andmenusthatembracedavarietyof dailychoices.MaryRandolph'sVirginiaHousewife(Washington,1824)featured16 souprecipes,includingconcoctionsforasparagus,beef,gravy,veal,oyster,and barley.Thereweretwoforpeas,andmoreforhareorrabbit,fowl,catfish,onion, turtle,andfinally,oneformockturtlesoupusingcalfshead.Herdirectionsfor makingturtlesoupcombinedturtleflesh,beef,bacon,onions,sweetherbs, pepper,andsalt. ThefollowingrecipeforsoupstockappearedinGodey'sLady'sBookand

Magazine,February1861: MakingSoupStock ThebasisofallwellmadesoupsiscomposedofwhatEnglishcookscallstockorbroth madefromallsortsofmeat,bones,andtheremainsofpoultryorgame;allofwhichmay beputtogetherandsteweddowninthestockpot,thecontentsofwhicharebytheFrench termedConsomm. Thenaddatablespoonfulandahalfofcurrypowder,andmixitupwell.Nowcutupthe beefintopiecesaboutaninchsquare;pourinfromaquartertoathirdofapintofmilk, andletitsimmerforthirtyminutes;thentakeitoffandplaceitinadishwithalittle lemonjuice. Whilecooking,stiritconstantlytopreventburning.Sendittothetablewitha wallofmashedpotatoesorricearoundit. Bytheendofthenineteenthcenturytherewasnodisputingthecorevalueof soupintheAmericandiet.Byaswiftadditionofhomebasedingredients,the dishcouldbemadeappropriateforanyandalldinersbetheyprisoners, soldiers,aristocrats,orpennilessdrifters. AndletusnotforgettherelentlessdriveofAmericaninnovation:From humblebeginningsin1860,whatwastobecometheCampbellSoupCompany wasspurredonmightilybytheinventionofcondensedcannedsoupin1899,and byinventivemarketingplansthatviewedcondensedsoupsasingredientsin other,morecomplexdishes.TodayCampbellisthelargestsoupcompanyinthe world,andrepresents69percentoftheU.S.cannedsoupmarket. Andthereisampleroomremaininginthepotforpersonalinnovation, invention,discovery.Createasavoryrecipemysteryforyourfamilyandfriends, andjoinaproudtradition. Butwhenthatsmokingchowdercamein,themysterywasdelightfully explained.Oh,sweetfriends!hearkentome.Itwasmadeofsmalljuicyclams, scarcelybiggerthanhazelnuts,mixedwithpoundedshipbiscuit,andsalted porkcutupintolittleflakes;thewholeenrichedwithbutter,andplentifully

seasonedwithpepperandsalt.Ourappetitesbeingsharpenedbythefrosty voyage,andinparticular,Queequegseeinghisfavouritefishingfoodbeforehim, andthechowderbeingsurpassinglyexcellent,wedespatcheditwithgreat expedition...FishiestofallfishyplaceswastheTryPots,whichwelldeservedits name,forthepotstherewerealwaysboilingchowders.Chowderforbreakfast, andchowderfordinner,andchowderforsupper,tillyoubegantolookforfish bonescomingthroughyourclothes.Theareabeforethehousewaspavedwith clamshells. Melville,MobyDick