The food landscape is always changing, but some recipes don’t need to. Some things were perfected a long time ago, and when it comes to the classics, they’re great exactly as they are. Why update them?
Looking to whip something up the way your ancestors did? Here are 12 famous recipes that have been made the same way for a very long time.
Senate Bean Soup
Think you like bean soup? Well, you don’t like it as much as everybody at The Capitol Building, considering it has been on the menu since 1903. The recipe is simple: navy beans and ham. That must be quite a soup.
Recipe: Architect of the Capitol
Beef Bourguignon
Here’s a saying that I just made up, but is probably also a real saying: “If Julia Child cooked something this way, you should probably cook it that way too.” Beef Bourguignon, the classic, French, wine-soaked beef stew, is one thing you’ll want to do like Julia.
By some accounts, some form of beef bourguignon can be traced back to the Middle Ages as a way for peasants to make tough cuts of meat more palatable. But the more modern version, using fresh cuts of meat, began to appear in the early 20th century, notably with the first appearance in a cookbook by famed chef Auguste Escoffier.
Recipe: Julia Child
Caesar Salad
In the 20s, Italian immigrant Caesar Cardini had a restaurant in Tijuana. You may have heard the story: When he was short on ingredients during a busy Independence Day weekend, he threw together a “Caesar” salad and the rest, as they say, is history.
Recipe: allrecipes
Soufflé
As one of the most notoriously difficult things to master, a proper French soufflé doesn’t leave a lot of room for riffing. The earliest known mentions of soufflé can be traced back to the master French cook Vincent de la Chappelle in 1742. Here’s how the legendary Jacques Pépin does it.
Recipe: Jacques Pépin
Paella Valenciana
A popular dish for farmers in Valencia, some early recipes of paella can be traced back to the mid-19th century, but some form of the dish likely traces back centuries before that. You’ll need some legit equipment for this, namely an enormous paella pan and an outdoor space to cook it in. Don’t try paella in your apartment unless you want to make great friends with the smoke detector.
Recipe: allrecipes
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Pesto
A “real” Italian would tell you there is absolutely no room for improv when it comes to a classic pesto. You get parmesan, garlic, basil, and pine nuts. And that’s it. You’ll want a mortal and pestle for this one.
Recipe: allrecipes
Hot and Sour Soup
Is there anything more satisfying on a rainy day? I doubt it. If you’ve got an Asian grocery store nearby, hit them up for some of these specialty ingredients.
Recipe: Red House Spice
Galbi
If you’ve ever licked that tasty, gochujang-rich sauce off your fingers at a Korean barbecue restaurant after polishing off some short ribs, you know exactly why this recipe hasn’t changed much throughout time: It’s already perfect.
Recipe: Korean Bapsang
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Baklava
Baklava’s been around since the Ottoman Empire, making the Turkish dessert one of the world’s oldest. Phyllo dough isn’t usually too difficult to find, making this a bit of a breeze.
Recipe: The Mediterranean Dish
Jerk Chicken
The Caribbean classic is built on a rub that’s been around since at least the 17th century, and isn’t going anywhere soon. You’ll need dark brown sugar, garlic powder, ground ginger, onion powder, dried thyme, allspice, cayenne, cinnamon, white pepper, nutmeg, paprika, and cloves, and though that’s a long list, all of these things are easy to find.
Recipe: The Kitchn
Injera
Ethiopia’s delicious, signature spongy bread hasn’t changed much in the last thousand years, and you can make your own as long as you can get your hands on some African teff flour. Appetizer platters at your house are about to get an upgrade when this recipe is in your arsenal.
Recipe: Maskal Teff
Mole Poblano
Mole, the rich, soulful sauce that defines a huge area of Mexican cooking, is not something you play around with. Classic mole takes a long time to develop flavor, so follow the instructions and do it right. Or you could go to this restaurant and taste the mole, which has not stopped cooking for almost 4,000 days.
Recipe: Dora’s Table
