The Spice Nobody Wanted

One of the questions we seek to answer on our channel is that of the plight of poor folks in American history. What did they eat? How did they dress? Did they have enjoyment in life? They didn’t have the best cuts of meat or the most sought after ingredients. What they did have was plenty of flavor! Spice is the king of the poor man’s kitchen.

Instagram ➧ townsends_official

0:00 - 3:49 Spices for the Poor
3:49 - 5:56 Cookbook & Historical Context
5:56 - 9:36 Making Lamb Stew
9:36 - 10:24 Tasting

[rustyholt]

garlic and onion go in the pot before i know what im making

[jacobtedder]

He who controls the spice controls Arraki….I mean the kitchen

[yeasstt]

My ancestors were farmers in poland. They passed down recipes which are still in my family, most of which use a lot of herbs and alliums for flavoring. Lots of stews too, and fried dishes.

[TheObsesedAnimeFreaks]

Oh... That's why vampires are allergic to garlic... They are wealthy and garlic is beneath them.

[jamesaddison]

In England, things like watercress, horseradish and mustard could all he produced domestically and would add a bit of 'heat' to dishes.

[davea]

It's crazy from a 21st century perspective that wild salmon was considered poor man's food centuries ago in England.

[liger]

Boiled egg yolk is frequently overlooked as a thickener (because bleached flour is much cheaper nowadays), but it can do a lot of heavy lifting. And that's not even mentioning the nice flavor it can add to a savory sauce!

[ericstevendennis]

The fact that the ceramic pots were short-lived makes me feel a lot better about the ones I have ruined over the years.

[stigmarestroom]

This kind of stew with pepper, garlic and boiled eggs (or just the yolks) is called in Spain "pepitoria" and sometimes include grounded almonds.

And by the way, ceramic pots last for many many years. I have a couple of them older than 50 years and still us them to make "cocido madrileño" or "olla podrida" in the fireplace.

[TheBLGL]

02:59 So that scene in “It’s a Wonderful Life!” where Potter calls the Italian immigrants who George Bailey helped finance loans for “garlic eaters!” wasn’t just Capra trying to avoid more offensive slurs like dago, guido, wop, etc. He might have also been trying to show Potter’s disdain for the poor AND immigrants

[johnpenwell]

Juan was really ahead of the times, peppering his recipes with stories before SEO and cooking blogs trying to get you to scroll through and endless barrage of ads was even a thing.

[jonathanquiles]

It's amazing how language changes over the years, decades, and centuries. I am of Puerto Rican descent and olla (for us) is a generic term for any old pot. It is so interesting to learn that it was specifically that ceramic pot. Mr. Townsend I thank you for your dedication to your craft, you are as cool as a polar bear's toe nails!

[samheasmanwhite]

Love bay leaves, everyone should grow a bay tree! A hardy bush that will grow basically anywhere! I planted one on my kerbside in case people nearby want some.
And I'd never thought of smooshing eggs to richen up a soup, gotta try that.

[ELENTE_]

Love how the production takes care of using natural light source mostly for the shots.. so the video look keep the age look and feel

[robzinawarriorprincess]

Call me a peasant, but life without garlic is no fun. Thanks, Townsends, for sprinkling nutmeg dust on our lives! ❤

[odintheprole]

This channel is like watching bob ross but for history and food. I love it so much and you guys do such a good job with the shots you get.

[dr.froghopper]

I live in New Mexico. The food here is heavily influenced by both Spanish and Mexican cooking and farming styles. We love these “poor man’s foods.” Simplicity and variety go a long long way!

[Choppytehbear]

I'll take Garlic over nutmeg any day.

[boatrocker]

I'm fascinated by these recipes from monasteries - thank you for sharing this!

[brokenbravo]

I just made the creamiest garlic soup topped with croutons and the dried mushrooms that were leftover from the mushroom ketchup video. Rich or poor this meal was a thing that legends are made