Тысячи лет назад в Древней Греции, афинский мясники продал паштетов на рынке, наряду с другими предметами мяса (Боде 55). Вероятно, это был способ заработать больше денег за счет использования и продажи каждой части животных, которых они зарезанных для жизни. Какой бы ни была причина для создания этого пирога мяса, это был любимый мясная закуска до сих пор. Колбасные изделия поставляется в значительной степени от Средневековья как способ сохранения мяса и рыбы, чтобы продлиться в течение всего года (Bode 82). Эти элементы, как правило, колбасные изделия копченые, рассоле или вылечены (Wiley 619). Примерно в пятнадцатом веке, паштеты были популярным выбором больше для их удобства, чем их приготовления, так как они могут быть легко запеченные в больших количествах с использованием коммунальных печей (Oliver 93). В нарядах эпохи Возрождения, паштеты, с другой холодной мясной закуски, были поданы в жаркие летние месяцы (Боде 89). Когда люди начали смотреть на еду в пути, который был больше, чем просто методам выживания, образ паштет начала смещаться соответствующим образом, даже при сохранении его домашний призыв ко всем классам. Это особенно верно в отношении французского паштета.

The Pate: A Brief History

Updated on October 14, 2011
By nature, it is more challenging to make cold foods delectable compared to hot meals. To do so with success tests just how dexterous a chef can be, whether he or she is just cooking a home dinner, or running a five star restaurant. One significant achievement of cold food production is the pate. The classical French pate has a rich history, and while it may seem foreign to many, the pate and its variations are actually a very familiar and integral dish to many countries.

Thousands of years ago in ancient Greece, Athenian butchers sold pates at the market, along with other meat items (Bode 55). It was probably a way to make more money by utilizing and selling every part of the animals they slaughtered for a living. Whatever the reason for the creation of this meat pie, it has been a charcuterie favorite ever since. Charcuterie comes in a large part from the Middle Ages as a way of preserving meat and fish to last throughout the year (Bode 82). These charcuterie items are typically smoked, brined, or cured (Wiley 619). Around the fifteenth century, pates were a popular choice more for their convenience than their preparation, as they could easily be baked in large numbers using communal ovens (Oliver 93). During the finery of the Renaissance, pates, with other cold charcuterie, were served in the hot summer months (Bode 89). As people began to look at food in a way that was more than just survival techniques, the image of the pate started to shift accordingly, even while retaining its homey appeal to all classes. This is especially true of the French pate.

Marie Antoine Careme, born in 1784, was one of the first and most famous professional chefs in France. He was known for his creative and sometimes extravagant preparations of food, including the pate (Hyman 320-21). Thus the pate was elevated to the fine dining scene from its infancy. The world-renowned chef, August Escoffier, brought the pate to haute cuisine. To celebrate Armistice Day, signifying the end of the “Great War” on November 11th, 1918, Escoffier had the daunting task of serving a meal to fit the occasion at the Carlton Restaurant. The war had left him with few supplies, so he decided to combine his remaining meat with pate de foi gras, truffles, and moist breadcrumbs to be able to serve more of the gleeful masses who descended upon the Carlton that day (James 252).