Alright, let’s talk about mac and cheese. That ultimate comfort food, the cheesy hug in a bowl. You probably think it’s some all-American invention, right? Something born from a 1950s diner or a student’s late-night kitchen experiment. Well, buckle up, because the truth is way more interesting. Turns out, this dish has been kicking around longer than you’d imagine.
We’re talking way back, like medieval times. Yep, cookbooks from the 1300s, such as the ‘Liber de Coquina’, which is like the OG recipe book, include a version called ‘de lasanis’, essentially a layered pasta and cheese dish (Faccioli, Emilio (2001). Liber de Coquina. Edizioni Giuseppe Maffioli). Imagine knights and royalty tucking into something not too different from what we eat today – maybe without the bright orange processed cheese, though. Let’s be honest, I’m more into the medieval version anyway.
Fast forward a few centuries and the recipe, or variations of it, continue to pop up. The French certainly put their stamp on it, with recipes appearing in the 1700s using a cheese sauce known as Mornay, that is more elaborate. So, it’s already travelled quite a bit, and we are getting closer to what we recognise today.
Now, how did this European dish get across the pond and become a staple? Well, good old Thomas Jefferson, a man with many interests, was a fan. He actually brought back a pasta machine from Europe in the 1790s and served macaroni pie at a White House dinner, it is cited he served this at a state dinner in 1802 (Stamper, Sarah (2009) The story of the macaroni ). This really kicked off its popularity in America. It seems, even back then, culinary trends had influencers – in this case, a former president.
Of course, the mac and cheese we know today, with its bright yellow hue and that particular brand of cheesy goodness, is a more modern creation. But it’s good to know that when we’re indulging in that bowl, we’re participating in a long culinary tradition. So the next time you dig into your mac and cheese, remember you’re basically channeling your inner medieval royal or, at least, a very hungry Thomas Jefferson. I find that idea, kind of comforting, you know?
