Turn-of-the-century taste
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Renowned French gourmet Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarinonce once said: "The discovery of a new dish confers more happiness on humanity than the discovery of a new star."
In 1893 the Chicago Columbian Exposition commemorated the 400th anniversary of Columbus's journey to the American continent with a number of new and innovative dishes and treats. They are described below.
Caramel-coated popcorn:
Confectioner Frederick William Rueckheim introduced this sugary treat to the world at the Chicago World's Fair, where it became an instant hit. The snack, composed of a simple mix of caramel-coated popcorn and peanuts, was named by Rueckheim's brother Louis, who exclaimed upon eating it, "That's cracker jack!" In 1908, the popular song Take Me Out To the Ballgame popularized the snack even more, featuring the lyric: "Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack." Today, the snack can be found at grocery stores and cinemas throughout the United States.
Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer
The Pabst Brewing Company's prize beer won awards at both the 1876 and 1878 World's Fairs. Near the end of 1880, the company began to use higher quality bottles to store the beer as a way of preventing it from becoming stale. They tied blue silk ribbons around the necks of the bottles; although technically known as "Best Select," the beer acquired the nickname "Blue Ribbon." The company started using this new nickname in 1895. Pabst Blue Ribbon (or "PBR," as it is commonly called) is now sold in stores all over the world, including China.
Oatmeal
During the 1890s, John Kellogg, a sanitarium supervisor, started developing a new kind of cereal with the help of his brother William. One day, they flattened some cereal with a roller, turning the pieces of food into small flakes. They roasted the flakes and, after eating it, realized that they had discovered a delicious new cereal. The brothers offered their "oatmeal" free of charge to visitors at the World's Fair, where it proved to be quite popular. Oatmeal is now a staple breakfast food for many families.
Wrigley Chewing Gum
In the spring of 1891, William Wrigley Jr. journeyed from Philadelphia to Chicago to find his fortune. He started by selling "Wrigley" soap and soap powder. However, he soon found that the chewing gum that he gave to his customers as a complimentary gift was becoming more popular than his other products. His Wrigley Chewing Gum was a smash hit at the 1893 World's Fair, as chewing gum was just starting to take off in popularity. Wrigley's company is now the largest producer of chewing gum in the world.
Other food and beverages that left their mark at previous Expos:
Maotai
Distilled in Guizhou in southwest China, this spirit was exhibited at the 1915 San Francisco Expo and won a gold prize. It enjoys the same prestige as Scotch whisky and French cognac brandy.
Hot dogs
Hot dogs first appeared at the St. Louis World Fair. These prototype hot dogs were simple sausages wrapped in bread. Statistics show that Americans consume billions of hot dogs annually.
Ice cream cone
This ice cream was sold at the St. Louis Expo in 1904. The sweet, cold ice cream and then, crispy cone make an interesting contrast that made the snack especially popular at the Expo.
Bordeaux wine
This wine was first introduced at the 1855 Paris Exposition. By grade ranking, French wine is known to be some of the best wine in the world.
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