National Seafood Bisque Day is observed annually on October 19. Seafood lovers celebrate by enjoying a bowl of tasty soup made from the catch of the day!
- Seafood bisque is a smooth, creamy, and highly-seasoned soup of French origin. Based on a strained broth of crustaceans,
- The name “Bisque” is derived from Biscay, as in the Bay of Biscay.
- The crustaceans are bis cuites, meaning “twice cooked”. First sauteed lightly in their shells, then simmered in wine or cognac and aromatic herbs before being strained, followed by the addition of cream.
- Bisque is a method of extracting every bit of flavor from imperfect crustaceans not good enough to send to market. In an authentic bisque, the shells are ground to a fine paste and added to thicken the soup.
- Although a bisque and a chowder are both cream-based soups and most often feature seafood, it is their consistency that defines them and makes them quite different from each other.
- Bisque is also sometimes used to refer to cream-based soups that do not contain seafood, in which the sometimes pre-cooked ingredients are pureed or processed in a food processor or a food mill.
- Crabmeat is one of the healthiest seafoods for human consumption. It is rich in Omega 3 fatty acids, is relatively low in mercury content, and is a great source for Vitamin A and C, as well as several B vitamins.
- Bisque is known to be a portion of very delicious yet simple food.
- People who are wine addicts or wine lovers should try Gewurztraminer with Bisque as it adds a new flavor to the dish.
- Apart from Shellfish Bisque, there are also Crab Bisque, Lobster Bisque, Shrimp Bisque, and much more. The recipes of all are quite similar, but their taste may vary.
- The first use of the word “bisque” is traceable to the 17th century.
- 1840s Lobster Fisheries are Established in the U.S.. Commercial fisheries for lobster are established in Maine.
- 1965 An International Fishery Committee is Founded. The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Committee on Fisheries (COFI) is formed.
- In 2007, Researchers discover a bowl of shellfish in South Africa, dating back 165,000 years.
Sources:
