As one of the near million or more who opened a can of beans today I began to cogitate on the worth of this fine food, a food that was is so important to our health that during the war it was declared an 'essential foodstuff.' It has been essential in my house for many years.
Somehow beans grown in South America made it to Europe during the 1500's, possibly by being swiped from Spanish and French ships by English pirates, and bean stew became popular world wide, the world being Europe and the Americas and the rest did not matter much. Haricot, also known as 'Navy' beans for some reason are covered in tomato sauce and make a complete dinner for many in the UK. This tells us much about them!
Heinz, who sell the most, and probably many 'own brand' types also, claim that around 50,000 tonnes of beans arrive annually for their Wigan factory from the Americas, a fact which might change come Brexit! Their sauce is based on a US model which originally contained pieces of pork (pork & beans still on sale somewhere) first produced in the UK by Heinz in 1928. The beans had first been sold as an expensive foreign import in 1901 by Fortnum & Mason at 9d a tin. Considering some earned around £1 a week then (with 240d to a £) you see how pricey it was. Today Heinz and other charge considerably more but wise folks like me buy own brand beans, considerably cheaper and if you don't like the sauce ad a bit of imitation Lee & Perrin's sauce to spice it up a bit. Even the English queen likes the beans and has given Heinz a Royal Warrant, she always has some on order, probably for Philip.
Pie and beans, meaning a Scotch mutton pie, was a staple of my diet in Edinburgh, in this wilderness these pies are unobtainable and the English mince pie is frankly disgusting! Therefore my diet suffers. Being cheap and flexible they cover a lot of mistakes leaving me feeling fed even though no restaurant would remain open if they offered what I ate. I however suppose it is possible to live on a diet of beans? If this is cheap I may give it a try.
Someone indicated a book might be missing from my collection. This usually means they have nicked it so I had a quick check and all the appropriate books are in their rightful place. It may be someone did not look close enough....
Someone was watching me with the tins of beans muttering "I'm game for dinner" and when I looked he had hopped it. I wonder if he had obtained the wrong idea? He ought to know we don't eat birds like him these days...usually...
5 comments:
For mutton pies, hie yourself down to Pezenas in the Languedoc....they are supposed to have got the recipe from Lord Clive when he hired a chateau there in the eighteenth century...
Probably a bit warmer there, too.
I will try making them again, but can't seem to get the pastry right.
As to baked beans, when young and doing up houses after work, Leo lived on baked beans and toast, bought by the case load to save wasting time on going shopping. He reckons that the recipe has changedand that they are now too sweetso that's another little cooking job which came my way...
Sometimes the own brand beans are lower in sugar and salt. Interesting comment from "the fly" brought back a few memories about Pezenas as I cycled through there about 20 years ago, but didn't stop off for a pie.
Fly, Languedoc? Does it have a Tesco...? My beans always get a dose of imitation Lea & Perrins whatever the make.
Dave, Indeed own brand often have less ingredients, usually the bad ones.
Some brilliant books there, Mr H - clearly, you're a man of real taste...
Mike, Some great authors I note.
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