
National Homemade Soup Day is observed annually on February 4th.
Before the era of modern transportation, soup was a product of regionally available foods. For this reason, there are thousands of soup recipes available today.
- 6000 BC – The earliest archaeological evidence for the consumption of soup dates back to 6000 BC, and it was hippopotamus soup.
- 18th century – Soups were easily digested and were prescribed for invalids since ancient times. The modern restaurant industry is said to be based on soup. Restoratifs (whereon the word “restaurant” comes from) were the first items served in public restaurants in 18th century Paris. Broth [Pot-au-feu], bouillion, and consomme entered here. Classic French cuisine generated many of the soups we know today.
- 1772 – A cookbook is published in England, which contains a whole chapter on the topic of soups.
- 1794 – A French refugee in America opens one of the earliest dining establishments, The Restorator for which he is given the title ‘Prince of Soups.’
- 1800 – Portable soup is devised for the storage of soup liquid and meats.
- 1882 – Emma Pike Ewing writes a pamphlet on cooking based on soup preparation.
- 1897 – The Campbell Company was the first to invent condensed soup. They introduced it to the world in 1897.
- 1934 – It was first introduced as ‘noodle soup with chicken’ back in 1934 by the American company, Campbell’s.
- 1939 – Five years after Campbell’s released ‘noodle soup with chicken’ the host of a radio channel mispronounced it by mistake, saying, ‘chicken noodle soup.’
- 1960s – Andy Warhol(whose real name was Andrew Warhola) is famous for his Campbell‘s soup can art of the 1960s. Did you know his first works sold for around 100 dollars? Today they sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars.
- Chicken soup dates back 7,000 to 10,00 years ago.
- Many soups also have medicinal purposes. What was once considered a wives’ tale, chicken soup now has the backing of the scientific community to help relieve the symptoms of the common cold.
- The Middle English word soupen meant “to drink in sips”, which is how most soups were consumed. The words “soup,” “supper,” “sip,” and “sop” are derived from this term.
- We ‘eat’ and don’t drink soup. In most cultures, soup is had as a part of the meal. According to etiquette experts, since we consume soup with a spoon as opposed to sipping it from a bowl, we ‘eat’ it.
- The word ‘soup’ itself originated from the French word ‘soupe,’ which means broth. This French word, in turn, is derived from the Latin word ‘suppa,’ which means a piece of soaked bread.
- The most expensive bowl of soup goes for about $190
- Traditionally, soups are classified into two main groups: clear soups and thick soups. The established French classifications of clear soups are bouillon and consommé. Thick soups are classified depending upon the type of thickening agent used: purées are vegetable soups thickened with starch.
- Soup isn’t always served hot. In warmer climates like Spain, cold soup alternatives, like tomato-based gazpacho, are popular.
- Americans eat more than 10 billion bowls of soup each year.
- Women are twice as likely to order soup for lunch as men.
- When Andy Warhol was asked why he painted the iconic soup cans, he said: “I used to have the same (Campbell’s soup) lunch every day for 20 years.”
- A survey shows that soup is something everyone can agree on. In fact, a nearly unanimous 95% of people say they love or like soup.
- When taking a closer look at self-proclaimed soup lovers, Millennials (64%) were the clear winners, outpacing Gen-Xers (62%) and Baby Boomers (51%).
- Regionally, more respondents said they loved soup in the West (62%) and Northeast (60%) than in the East or South (58% each).
- When asked if they would pair soup with wine, more than one-quarter of respondents (27%) said “yes,” with chardonnay (45%) being the most popular wine pairing, followed by rosé (26%) and pinot noir (25%).
- When it comes to sipping soup, clothing is optional for some people. Per the survey, 28% of people admit they’ve eaten soup shirt-less and 20% have eaten soup sans pants. Meanwhile, one-in-10 have eaten soup without any clothes on!
Interestingly, twice as many men (15%) than women (7%) have eaten soup
this way. - What is better than soup and a sandwich? Respondents revealed their top five sandwich pairings with soup were (in order): the tried-and-true grilled cheese (63%), turkey (11%), roast beef (9%), ham (8%) and tuna fish (4%).
- The survey uncovered some unique affinities and hobbies among soup fans. Most respondents (60%) expressed their love of both soup and dogs, while 46% of respondents said the same of soup and cats.
- In medieval France, chefs were judged on their soup-making skills. If they couldn’t create a flavorful broth with scraps, they were dismissed as frauds. Even today, some chefs say soup reveals true culinary skill.
- Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein while eating broth infused with laudanum, a form of opium. The comforting soup is believed to have calmed her nerves while drafting her gothic masterpiece.
Sources:
Disclaimer
The information contained in South Florida Reporter is for general information purposes only.
The South Florida Reporter assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions in the contents of the Service.
In no event shall the South Florida Reporter be liable for any special, direct, indirect, consequential, or incidental damages or any damages whatsoever, whether in an action of contract, negligence or other tort, arising out of or in connection with the use of the Service or the contents of the Service. The Company reserves the right to make additions, deletions, or modifications to the contents of the Service at any time without prior notice.
The Company does not warrant that the Service is free of viruses or other harmful components