Tanja's Little Corner of The World
A Texas city girl in a small New England town …
Since I missed the Aurora Borealis on Friday and we had an overcast sky on Saturday, I tried to catch some polar lights last night. Unfortunately, the lights were not as strong as on Friday. The Aurora Borealis was probably not visible in Southern New England in the early morning. I captured a couple of nice shots of the Big Dipper, which is part of the constellation Ursa Major, and the Waxing Crescent Moon.
The origins of Tulip Day are largely unknown. However, the tulip flower itself has a rich and colorful history. It all began in Central Asia, where the tulip flower grew wild. However, it wasn’t intentionally cultivated until around 1000 A.D. in Turkey, where it was grown for medicinal purposes. It grew in popularity in the Ottoman Empire during the 16th century, such that it became a favorite of the Sultan, who demanded its cultivation for his enjoyment. In the 18th century, the ‘Tulip Era’ or the ‘Age of the Tulips’ began, with the flower’s fame rising to dizzying heights. It even became a crime punishable by exile to buy or sell tulips outside the empire’s capital.
The tulip made its debut in Europe when a biologist called Carolus Clusius began planting it in Holland, Netherlands, during the 16th century. The University of Leiden hired Clusius to perform research on medicinal plants. Clusius’ Turkish friend, who was the ambassador of Constantinople (Istanbul), sent tulips to him for the project. This was the genesis of the tulip bulb fields in the Netherlands, which are still in existence today.
In the 17th century, the tulip moved from being merely medicinal and became a garden flower for beautification, causing prices to soar. This eventually led to ‘Tulipomania’ or ‘Tulip Mania,’ a period when tulips became so sought-after that they became a currency of sorts. The love of tulips became so frenzied that people would exchange their property for a single tulip. The Dutch government even had to place restrictions on tulip trading. Eventually, the tulip market crashed in 1637, leaving those with heavy investments in the flower at the losing end. Today, tulips are still associated with the Netherlands, the world’s largest producer of tulip bulbs.
Resource: https://nationaltoday.com/tulip-day/
The origin of hummus is cloudy and hotly contested. Though we know it originated in the Middle East, many regions around the Eastern crescent of the Mediterranean claim to be the one true originator of the delectable spread. The first real mention of hummus in a cookbook was found in 13th century Cairo, where it appears as merely a cold chickpea puree, and notably lacks lemon juice and garlic – including instead pickled lemons with oil, herbs, and spices. It still sounds pretty good to us.
Hummus remained a huge staple in the diet of many living in the Middle East, where chickpeas flourish. In fact, the word “hummus” is rooted in the Arabic word for “chickpea”! Though there is some debate over whether or not the Greeks also invented hummus, most believe it spread between Greek and Middle Eastern traders, along with popular delicacies like baklava and stuffed grape leaves. It’s known for this reason as one of the greatest crossover foods.
It’s also the national dish for many countries in the Middle East. It’s a cultural phenomenon as much as a culinary one, and nations stick up for their claim to hummus. For example, in 2008 Lebanon tried to sue Israel for “stealing” hummus! After that, the two strove to set the record for the largest plate of hummus. For all its long-lasting popularity in the Middle East and Southern Europe, it may surprise you to learn that the first British grocery store to stock hummus only did so in 1980. Unsurprisingly, however, it quickly became a great hit in the UK, largely for its health benefits.
Hummus definitely had a fashionably late arrival to the U.S. While 20 years ago, most Americans probably couldn’t even pronounce the name of the dish, and annual sales barely topped $5 million, today it is found in most grocery stores and considered a staple in many American households. While in the Middle East, hummus is increasingly considered a somewhat routine and middle-class meal, Americans are falling for the brownish spread – hard.
Resource: https://nationaltoday.com/international-hummus-day/
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Tanja's Little Corner of The World 