tale of the Perfume

Perfume has an ancient history. It is though that primitive perfumery begun with the burning of gums and resins for incense in religious ceremonies. The word "perfume" is from the Latin per fumum, meaning 'through smoke." An early record of perfume comes from Egypt. When Pharaoh Tutankhamen's tomb opened, over 3,000 jars of perfume was found that still preserved some of their fragrance after more than 30 centuries.

Perfumed ointments were used by the Hebrews for cosmetics and medicinal purposes, as well as for preparing the dead for burial-no doubt as disinfectants and deodorants. In the Israelite home, greasing the feet of a guest with perfumed oil was considered an act of hospitality.

In the first century, Rome reportedly used about 2,800 tons of frankincense and 550 tons of myrrh a year. In 54 C.E, it is said, Roman Emperor Nero spent the equivalent of $100,000 in order to scent a party. Pipes concelead in his dining room sprayed the guest with mists of perfumed water. From the 7th century onwards, the Chinese made use of fragrances, including perfumed sachet. During the Middle Ages, perfumes were used in the Islamic culture, especially rose scent.

The perfume industry became so well establish in France during the 18th century that the court of Louis XV was called the perfumed court. Scents were applied not only to the skin but also to clothing, gloves, fans, and furniture. Cologne invented in the 18th century, was used in bath water, was mixed with wine, was eaten on a sugar lump as a mouthwash, and was used medicinally as well. In the 19th century, synthetic fragrances were developed. Thus, the first perfumes not suitable for medicinal use began to be marketed. Today, perfumery is indeed a successful industry worldwide.

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the Pizza!

King Ferdinand I (1751-1825) is said to have disguised himself as a commoner and, in clandestine fashion, visited a poor neighborhood in Naples. Why the secrecy? One story has it that he wanted to sink his teeth into a food that the queen had been banned from the royal court-PIZZA.
If Ferdinand were alive today, he would have no trouble indulging his appetite. Currently, there are some 30,000 pizzerias in Italy, and each year they produce enough pizzas to serve 45 to each inhabitant!

Pizza may have originated in Naples about 1720. Back then, pizza was primarily for the poor, a "fast food" that was sold and consumed outdoors. Vendors would traverse the streets loudly calling out to advertise their tasty delicacies. The pizzas were kept warm in a scudo, a copper receptacle that was carried on the vendor's head.
King Ferdinand I eventually made his penchant for pizza known to the royal court. Before long, this street delicacy won such favor that even members of the wealthy elite and the royal class begun flocking to pizzerias. Ferdinand's grandson, King Ferdinand II, went so far as to have a wood-burning oven built in the gardens of Capodimonte Palace in 1832. Thus, he was able to keep his aristocratic guest happy.

The next time you indulge your penchant for pizza, recall its humble origins. And be glad that King Ferdinand I did not keep his love for pizza a secret.

Full article in Awake! magazine