FEBRUARY 2 - Today in Food History
- Brew Hog Day
- Groundhog Day
- National Heavenly Hash Day
- California Kiwifruit Day
1659 Jan van Riebeeck, the first governor of the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa, planted a vineyard in 1655. On February 2, 1659 he made the first wine from grapes grown at the Cape.
1754 Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Perigord was born. Known simply as Talleyrand, French statesman, diplomat and grand gourmet, called the 'first fork of France.' He served at the top levels of French governments for almost 50 years. During this time his chefs included Bouchee, Careme, and Avice. Many culinary preparations have been created or named for him.
1795 The French government offers a prize of 12,000 francs for a method of preserving food for transport to the French army. It was eventually won by Nicholas Appert who invented a successful method to can food.
1820 Jean Etienne Bore, died. Inventor of the sugar granulating process (1794 or 1795), founder of the sugar industry in Louisiana.
1826 Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin died. A French lawyer and politician, author of ‘La Physiologie du gout’ (The Physiology of Taste) (1825). He was probably the greatest food critic that ever lived.
1852 The first public lavatory opened in London.
1869 The removable steel plow blade is invented by James Oliver.
1880 The first successful shipment of frozen mutton made it to London from Australia, aboard the SS Strathleven.
1887 The first Groundhog day is observed in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.
1892 William Painter received a patent for the crown-cork bottle cap with a cork seal. It was used up until the 1970s, when the cork liner was replaced with a plastic liner.
1897 Alfred L. Cralle of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, patented an ice cream scooper. His basic design is still used today.
1913 Carl Gustaf Patrik de Laval died. A Swedish scientist and inventor. Among his inventions was the centrifugal cream separator and a vacuum milking machine.
1996 Ray McIntire died. A chemical engineer who worked for Dow Chemical Company, he invented Styrofoam.
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