Let Them Eat Buns

A sweet brioche bun is more than just a pastry and a ruddy crust. In 18th-century France, this mouthwatering dessert became one of the symbols of the confrontation between the monarchy and the people. Queen Marie-Antoinette, being a big fan of noisy balls, pompous treats, and daily festivities, was not very fond of common people. At the same time, the ideas of the Enlightenment were becoming louder and louder in the cities. In time, Marie Antoinette “settled down” and began to devote more time to her family, but bad publicity is not easily forgotten.
The famous phrase “Let them eat buns” (Qu’ils mangent de la brioche) became the epitome of everything people disliked about the queen. Legend has it that Marie Antoinette said these words in response to complaints that the commoners lacked bread. Sourdough brioche buns, the name of which appears in the original quote, are made with butter and eggs, products that were a rarity for commoners. Although it is now widely believed that Marie Antoinette probably did not say these words, it was for her arrogance and disregard for people’s problems that the queen was condemned by the Convention (the highest legislative and executive body of the First French Republic during the Great French Revolution).
A Sweet Dowry 

The Spaniards were the first Europeans to discover the taste of chocolate – they brought the recipe from South America in the 16th century, though the Aztecs, from whom the conquistadors borrowed the method of making cocoa beans, made it without sugar. The Spaniards decided to make the dish sweet, after which the whole nobility of the country became fans of the new dessert. However, the Spaniards were in no hurry to share the exclusive recipe with other states. For more than 100 years, they were the only Europeans who drank hot chocolate: its recipe was considered the property of the country and was kept in the strictest confidence.
Decades… Read more

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The history of the cookie

 
Scientists think that the first cookie appeared about 10,000 years ago, around the same time the first bread was baked. Of all the variety of confectionery, it is the oldest. It is known that one of the ancient cookbooks calls a cookie a small piece of dough that was kneaded for another pastry. These scones served as an indicator of how hot the oven was in the place where they were placed for inspection.
The first cookie – as we are used to seeing it – appeared in the 8th century BC. It was made in Iran and was unsweetened because they didn’t yet know sugar. Maybe that’s why this product was not popular, but with the advent of sugar, the situation has changed. The cookies got a second life, and people loved them. Iranian craftsmen were famous for their skill in baking sugar cookies using wheat, rice, corn, and other kinds of flour.
The popularity of cookies began to gain momentum during the Muslim invasion of Spain. The war served to trade in the Crusades. Over time, the East and West established trade, taking over Northern Europe as well. People liked the cookies very much, and soon they were carried by many merchant ships – they were very easy to transport and also provided a lot of profit.
Today we enjoy eating modern cookies with tea, coffee, and cocoa. Confectioners offer us cookies with different fillings, shapes, and colors, glazed and unglazed. Recipes are constantly being modernized, and new ones are appearing.
About the origin of the word “cookie”

Cookies got their name from the Dutch language – “koekie” in translation means “pie” or “small.” Also, some nations have their own words for naming this confectionery. So, the English and Australians eat biscuits, the Spaniards eat galettes, in Italy, the cookies are called by… Read more

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