8 Items Tagged

Status Food

The chocolate kitchen.

East Molesey, England

Chocolate Kitchen at Hampton Court Palace

In 2013, historians discovered a hidden room devoted to the art of making royals' hot chocolate.

This image comes from a Jell-O advertisement that reads, "Isn't it evident from the butler's face that he is proud of the dish?"

Before Jell-O, Colorful Gelatin Desserts Were Haute Cuisine

Celebrity chefs served molded jelly dishes to monarchs and royalty.

Mark Hay April 22, 2019

Peasant food in action in Annibale Carracci’s <em>The Beaneater</em>, c. 1585.

How 'Ennobling' Helped Italian Aristocrats Solve the Problem of Garlic

The ingredient would have otherwise been too cheap to grace noble tables.

Ryleigh Nucilli April 27, 2018

Castoreum

Early 20th-century chefs used beaver musk to give sweets a vanilla-raspberry flavor.

A Hangtown Fry is the true breakfast of champions.

Hangtown Fry

This bacon-and-oyster omelet was a status symbol during the California Gold Rush.

A boat-shaped salt cellar, replete with sea monsters and dolphins, forged roughly between 1575 and 1600.

Salt Cellars

These embellished containers didn’t just sit pretty on the table; they determined social standing.

Ul boov's layers symbolize age and status.

Ul Boov

Mongolia's "shoe sole cake" has the ritual significance of a Christmas tree or family shrine.

A celery vase circa 1840, currently housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Celery Vase

Remembering a time when designated celery vases were prized centerpieces.