What Invention Led To The Increased Popularity of Mousse?

National Mousse Day is celebrated on November 30 every year, and we can’t wait to whip up some lovey-dovey sweetness for our near and dear ones. If you’re fond of decadent desserts, you should definitely get the most out of this food holiday.

• 1615 – The words mousse and chocolate are derived from the French language, so it isn’t difficult to believe France is where to begin looking for the beginnings of this versatile creation. While we have no exact point in time when this might have been, we do know chocolate was introduced to the French around the year 1615, and they fell in love.
• 1750 – Mousses, including those chocolate-flavored, originated in the 1700s, with the first known recipe for chocolate mousse documented by Menon, a French writer, in 1750, in his book La science du maître d’hôtel confiseur (loosely translated as ‘The science of a master confectioner’).
• 1885 – The invention of electric mixers led to the widespread popularity of mousse — it is assumed that the first mixer with an electric motor was invented by Rufus Eastman in 1885.
• 1887 – An advertisement in The Brooklyn Daily Eagle in 1887 included classes on how to make chocolate mousse offered by Miss Parloa. She also advised how to make potato soup, larded grouse, potato timbale and corn muffins.
• 1892 – The first written record of chocolate mousse in the United States comes from a Food Exposition held at Madison Square Garden in New York City in 1892.
• 1897 – The recipe first started appearing in a “Housekeepers Column” in the 1897 edition of the Boston Globe. The recipe actually produced a dish with far more in common with chocolate pudding, instead of the more familiar foamy treat of this day.
• 19th Century – The first sweet mousses make their entry into America, and they are fruit mousses topped with whipped cream.
• 1900s – In the early 1900s, the famous French artist Toulouse Lautrec had the brilliant idea of mixing in chocolate into the graceful and airy invention.
• 1930s – Chocolate mousse came into the public eye in the U.S. in the 1930s, about the time chocolate pudding mixes were introduced.
• 1977 – New York chef Michel Fitoussi created a white chocolate mousse, which for a period of time was very popular, but dark chocolate remains the classic choice.
• 2013 – The world’s largest chocolate mousse weighed 225.34 kg (496.8 lb) and was prepared by the Aventura Mall in Aventura, Florida on 6 October 2013.
• In French, the word Mousse means ‘foam’, or “froth’ and this is an apt description of this dessert, being light and frothy, or creamy and thick,
• At first, this delicacy was known under the name of ‘mayonnaise de chocolat.’
• Savory mousses are frequently prepared from poultry, foie gras, fish, or shellfish, to be eaten as a first course or light entree. They may be stabilized by the addition of gelatin. Chocolate and mocha mousses are sometimes made with a custard base. For a fruit mousse, pureed fruit or juice replaces the milk in the custard.
• Are mousse and pudding the same?  No, but they are similar. A mousse is the frothier relative of the pudding. The consistency can range from light and fluffy to thick and creamy.
• Sweetened mousse is served as a dessert, or used as an airy cake filling. It is sometimes stabilized with gelatin.
• Savory mousses can be made from meat, fish, shellfish, foie gras, cheese, or vegetables. Hot mousses often get their light texture from the addition of beaten egg whites.
• Vegan Mousse – In an era of leaning towards plant-based diets, vegan mousses have gained prominence. Ingredients like avocado, coconut cream, or aquafaba (chickpea water) replace traditional eggs and cream, making this decadent dessert accessible to vegans.
• How to Make the Best Classic Chocolate Mousse – Chocolate Mousse Recipe

Sources:

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