For most Americans, meatballs are something to be put in spaghetti. In Britain though, this is quite unheard of. Though no one is sure how this tradition came, we can be sure it wasn't from Italy.
The humble origins of the meatball are in fact derived from sheer stinginess - peasants would mix meat with fruit, grains and nuts in order to make it last longer and go further. In fact, one of the first meats used to make meatballs was peacock, way back in ancient Rome. Nowadays, the meat might be mixed with breadcrumbs, onion, spices, and even eggs.
Arab
So meatballs come from Rome then? Possibly, but we do know that they persist across multiple cultures the world over today. Did you know?
In Afghanistan, they are used a traditional dish with soups and lately on top of pizza too. In Albania, their meatball include feta cheese Chinese meatballs contain mostly pork, and the largest ones can range in size from 5cm - 10cm, which is simply huge! In Finnish food, using Reindeer meat is not unheard of. In Germany, one variety of meatballs is made with anchovies or herring. Eugh! In Scotland, "faggots" is the name given to a type of spicy meatball made from pig heart, liver, and belly fat. The worlds largest meatball is currently 101kg set in an Italian eatery in New Hampshire in October 2009 The worlds most expensive meatball would have to be made from Japanese Kobe beef, which is per pound. In 2005, someone managed to down 10.1 lbs of meatballs in 12 minutes.
The truth is that we can't really be sure of the exact of meatballs, since it most likely originally a "left overs" dish, made from cooked meat that would have been shredded by hand, pounded or minced by some primitive method. Hardly something worth writing a whole recipe about.
Meat in general however was rare and preserved for the rich only. As a precious resource, we can assume that no part of the meat was ever wasted, and the meatball was simply a way to use the remaining meat for another days nutrition.
Languages around the world do provide some hints as to the origin of the meatball. The word KOFTA, of which variations are used through the Middle East, India and Central Asia, probably comes from the Persian word KOOFTEH - meaning pounded meat. From Persia, KOOFTEH spread throughout the Middle East and into Mogul India.
In the 2nd to 9th centuries, Arabs dominated much of the globe as Islam spread through the Middle East their foods were brought along too.
History also tells us that in the Golden Age of Spain when Andalusia was an Arab domain, the Arabs brought fine food to the Spanish tables. Among the dishes described we find recipes for meatballs and triangular pieces of dough fried in coriander oil. The Spanish word for meatballs is ALBONDIGAS, similar to the Arab word AL-BUNDUQ meaning hazelnut - so maybe they were quite small meatballs indeed.
The earliest writer of Ancient Rome, Apicius - mentions rounded meat patties. The best, he inferred, were made of Peacock, but failing that he enjoyed, in order of perference - Pheasant, Rabbit, then Chicken, and lastly Pork. Curious, since Pork is the most prevalent today. As conquerors and adventurers, it may have been that the Romans learnt of the meatballs during their clashes with the Arabs on the isle of Sicily.
Ultimately though, it seems that meatballs in other areas of the world may have developed independently, like in China, where the large variety of meatball is said to resemble the mains of a lion - or Sweden, where the meatballs are much smaller and generally presented as a luxury item served in cream and lignon berry preserves.
The History Of The Humble Meatball
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