In today’s As We Eat episode, Leigh and Kim explore how the realms of food and military intersect, both in times of war and in times of peace. From ration cards on the homefront to ceremonial cauldrons wielded by the Janissary Corps in the Ottoman Empire, the power of food affects how we grow, prepare, eat, and organize our military.
The Influences of Conflict on Food and Vice Versa
A “Kitchen Table” discussion held by members of the Oxford Food Symposium inspired our discussion today on how food influences military operations (and vice versa!) with a hard look at food rationing on the home-front in World War II and the story of an elite army corps that fashioned its ranks, uniform, and even their regimental symbol upon the kitchen.
Leigh takes us through some of her own family history as she examines the ration card that her mother’s family used in World War II, and together Leigh and Kim talk about family cooking traditions, such as the ever-present “grease jar” that persisted in our home long past those days of conflict.
Kim shares the history of the Janissary Corps - infamous army of the 14th - 18th Century Ottoman Empire whose identity is fashioned after the hierarchy of the kitchen, from uniforms to ranks to ceremonial rations from the Sultan’s kitchen. This example is offered in contrast to Chef August Escoffier’s 19th Century “Brigade de Cuisine” hierarchy developed from Escoffier’s own experience as Chef de Cuisine of the Rhine Army still commonly deployed in haute cuisine kitchens.
Episode Transcript
🎧 Click here for the full, interactive transcript of this episode 🎧
Sources We Found Helpful for this Episode
Being an Ottoman Janissary Meant War, Mutiny, and Baklava - Gastro Obscura
Did You Know: Food History - Cooking and Soldiering in the Ottoman Empire
Kitchen Organization, Ceremonial and Celebratory Meals in the Ottoman Empire
Books We Think You’ll Enjoy Reading
Taste of War by Lizzie Collingham
Finding Betty Crocker, The Secret Life of America's First Lady of Food by Susan Marks
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Join us in two weeks as we explore our newest national holiday, Juneteenth and the impact of African American culture on American cuisine.
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