The places on your plate

Foods named after places around the world

We often say the names of our favorite foods without giving them a second thought. But many of those names are little pieces of geography: they point to a city, a region, or even a country thousands of miles away. From a hamburger named for Hamburg to a cheese associated with the Dutch city of Gouda, these foods have traveled far beyond the places that inspired their names. And some of their stories are surprisingly different from what you might expect.

Long before Americans started ordering burgers at diners and drive-ins, Hamburg, Germany, was known for Hamburg steak. German immigrants brought this dish of seasoned ground beef to the United States during the 19th century, where it became popular in restaurants and among street vendors.

As the beef patty began to be served between bread, hamburger became the name for the sandwich. Over time, Americans shortened it to "burger," a word that eventually became so common that it could stand on its own. By the late 1800s, hamburger was already appearing in American menus and newspapers.

The city of Gouda didn't necessarily invent Gouda cheese, but it helped give it its name. During the Middle Ages, farmers from the surrounding Dutch countryside would bring their cheeses to Gouda to sell at the city's famous market.

In 1395, Gouda received the right to hold a cheese market, helping turn the city into an important center of the trade. Buyers came to associate the cheese with the place where they purchased it, and eventually the city's name became the name of the cheese itself.

In 1964, an inexpensive cut of chicken helped create one of America's most recognizable bar foods. At the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York, co-owner Teressa Bellissimo deep-fried chicken wings and coated them in a spicy sauce.

The wings had traditionally been used for stock or discarded rather than treated as the star of a dish. Bellissimo's preparation changed that, and the new snack quickly caught on. As it spread across the country, its Buffalo roots stayed right there in the name.

The story of cheddar begins in the English countryside around Cheddar, Somerset, where cheesemakers developed a firm, flavorful cheese that could be aged. The area's caves also offered naturally cool conditions that were useful for storing cheese.

By the 19th century, Joseph Harding, a Somerset dairy farmer, had helped improve and standardize the cheesemaking process. His methods contributed to cheddar's spread beyond the region. Today, the word describes a style of cheese produced all over the world and not just in the village that gave it its name.

Few foods or drinks are as closely tied to a particular place as Champagne. The name belongs to the Champagne region of northeastern France, where the famous sparkling wine has been produced and refined over centuries.

Its creation wasn't the work of one inventor. Winemakers gradually learned how to control the second fermentation that produces the wine's bubbles, particularly during the 17th century. Today, only sparkling wine made in the Champagne region according to its strict rules can officially carry the name.

The sharp yellow condiment on a sandwich has a distinctly French backstory. Dijon, the capital of Burgundy, had been associated with mustard-making for centuries before the version now known around the world was developed.

The key change came in 1856, when Dijon mustard maker Jean Naigeon substituted verjuice, the acidic juice of unripe grapes, for vinegar. The result was a smoother, sharper mustard that helped establish Dijon as a name synonymous with high-quality mustard.

A trip to Frankfurt could once mean a taste of one of Germany's best-known sausages. Frankfurter Würstchen, a slender smoked pork sausage, has been associated with the city since at least the 16th century.

Its name eventually traveled with German immigrants and became familiar in America. The word frankfurter came to be used for the sausage itself, and eventually became closely associated with the hot dog.

Their name offers a pretty good clue to their history. Brussels sprouts became associated with Brussels, Belgium, where growers cultivated the small cabbage-like vegetable. Their exact beginnings are uncertain, but they were being grown in the region by the 18th century.

From Belgium, the vegetable spread throughout Europe and eventually crossed the Atlantic. The name remained unchanged, giving American diners a direct geographic clue every time they see "Brussels" on a menu.

Those distinctive holes point back to Switzerland, particularly the Emmental region, where cheeses with this characteristic appearance have been made for centuries. Emmental, the best-known example, has documented roots going back to the 16th century.

In America, though, "Swiss cheese" doesn't necessarily mean cheese imported from Switzerland. American cheesemakers began producing their own versions of Swiss-style cheese, and the name became a general term for the familiar mild cheese with holes.

Think of Parma, Italy, and cheese is likely to come to mind. The region has been producing the hard, granular cheese known as Parmigiano Reggiano for centuries, with written evidence of similar cheese dating back to the Middle Ages.

There wasn't a single person who invented Parmesan. Instead, cheesemakers in the area gradually developed the product over generations. As it became popular outside Italy, Parmesan became the familiar English name, linking the cheese to its Italian home.

The lunch meat Americans call bologna has a much more elegant Italian relative: mortadella Bologna. This large, finely ground pork sausage has been a specialty of Bologna, Italy, for centuries.

When the Italian sausage tradition reached the United States, the complicated name was simplified to bologna. American producers developed their own version, but the connection to Bologna remained in the name as a reminder of the Italian food that inspired it.

Deathbed statements

Beyond the grave: Take a look at the last words of 12 famous people

Image: Daderot, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Throughout history, hundreds of historical figures have left their mark on the world through their marvelous achievements. When their lives came to an end, their last words were often a reflection of their lives and ideals. From George Washington and Mark Twain to Frank Sinatra and Leonardo Da Vinci, in this article, we will reveal 12 final words of memorable personalities.

Image: The New York Public Library

After serving two terms as the United State's first president, George Washington retired to his Virginia plantation. In mid-December 1799, he developed a cold and a severe sore throat. Despite doctors' efforts to cure him, the end was imminent.

His long-time secretary, Tobias Lear, was at his side during his last days and documented all the events that transpired, including the former president's last words. According to his account, shortly before he took his last breath George Washington said "Tis well" —an old-fashioned way of saying "everything is okay."

Image: Signal Corps Archive from United States, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Noir icon of perpetual elegance and rebellious charisma, Humphrey Bogart is an undisputed legend in cinema history. A Hollywood Golden Age star, Bogart is still remembered today for his scar on his upper lip, his everlasting cigarette, and his perfect portrayal of gangsters and detectives.

At the age of 57 Bogart was diagnosed with esophageal cancer, for which he was hospitalized for several months. According to lore, the legendary star's last words were "I should never have switched from scotch to martinis." However, his wife Lauren Bacall confirmed that the last thing he actually said was "Goodbye Kid. Hurry back," before she left his bedside to get their children.

Image: Miscellaneous Items in High Demand, PPOC, Library of Congress, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

As one of the greatest American writers of all time, Mark Twain is usually credited with all sorts of great quotes that he often didn't say. For that reason, there are different versions of what his last words were before he died in 1910 at the age of 74.

The most plausible theory can be found in an article published one day after his death. According to this chronicle, Samuel Langhorne Clemens' last words were not spoken aloud but written. The famous humorist and essayist reportedly wrote to his daughter Clara, who accompanied him on his bedside, "Give me my glasses."

Image: MGM, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Joan Crawford, the Oscar winner for Mildred Pierce and one of the greatest stars of Hollywood's golden age, died in 1977 of a heart attack.

The actress, who had a complicated personality, was true to her nature until her last breath. She was so ill that her doctor felt it wasn’t worth taking her to the hospital. One of her nurses began to pray aloud in desperation. Losing her patience, Crawford snapped for the last time and said, "Damn it... Don't you dare ask God to help me."

Image: Municipal Library of Trento, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

The year 2024 marked the 700th anniversary of the death of the man who better described remote lands. Marco Polo was a merchant who spent more than 20 years of his life traveling through the Orient and wrote about his adventures in a book that became a bestseller when the printing press wasn’t even invented.

Marco Polo was, and still is, a legend. When, on his deathbed, his wife and friends begged the brave explorer to confess if what he had told in the book was true, he barely whispered: "I have not told the half of what I saw and did."

Image: MGM, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Julius Henry Marx, better known as Groucho Marx, is considered one of the most influential comedians of all time. The man with the bushy black mustache was one of the Marx Brothers. Together they made 13 films, including the classic Duck Soup. After a long and prominent career, Groucho passed away in Los Angeles in 1977 at the age of 86.

His brilliant one-liners are still remembered and replayed to this day, so it is not surprising that not one but several final words are attributed to him. A few close friends have suggested that his last line was "This is no way to live!", while most suggest that his last words were in fact dedicated to his wife: "Die, my dear? Why, that's the last thing I'll do!"

Image: Nicolas de Largillière, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Voltaire, the French writer, philosopher, historian, and lawyer, one of the major figures of the Enlightenment, died in 1778 at the age of 83. Different accounts of his deathbed make it impossible to determine exactly what his last days were like.

One of these stories, however, is consistent with his ideas about God and his well-known criticism of the Church. According to this version, when the priest asked him if he wanted to renounce Satan before he died, Voltaire replied, "This is no time to make new enemies."

Image: William Wallace Denslow, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

L. Frank Baum was a prolific American author. He wrote 55 novels, 82 short stories, and more than 200 poems. However, his most memorable work is his series of children's fantasy books The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

On May 5, 1919, Baum suffered a heart attack. He died the next day, shortly before his 63rd birthday. Disturbed by the imminence of death, he whispered to his wife: "Now we can cross the Shifting Sands," a clear reference to the Land of Oz.

Image: National Archaeological Museum of Athens, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Augustus, the first Roman emperor, is often attributed with the phrase: "Behold, I found Rome of clay, and leave her to you of marble," alluding to the great infrastructural works carried out during his prosperous 40 years of rule.

However, according to other historical accounts, his last words were addressed to the friends who stayed with him on his deathbed: "Have I played the part well? Then applaud, as I exit."

Image: English: Distributed by NBC. Photographer unknown., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

"Darling, you've gone through worse and you can beat this too. You have to fight," implored Barbara Marx, Frank Sinatra's fourth wife, to her beloved on his deathbed. "I'm losing," The Voice whispered through teary eyes.

Barbara recounted the last hours of the singer of such hits as My Way and New York, New York in her memoir Lady Blue Eyes: My Life With Frank. Frank Sinatra, one of the most popular entertainers of the mid-20th century, pronounced his last words in 1998 at the age of 82.

Image: Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Despite being one of the most famous artists of the Renaissance, Leonardo da Vinci was very hard on himself. All his life he challenged his own limits, evident in his paintings and sculptures as well as in his inventions, some of which were truly revolutionary.

Even after a lifetime of success, he wasn’t quite satisfied. When he suffered a stroke at the age of 67, he sent for a priest to receive the Holy Sacrament and, according to historians, his greatest regret was that he hadn’t achieved excellence with his work. In that sense, it is said that his last words were: "I have offended God and mankind because my work did not reach the quality it should have."

Image: National Museum of Health and Medicine, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The Yankee Clipper was one of the greatest baseball players of all time but he is also known for having been married to the iconic American actress Marilyn Monroe. Joe and Marilyn were together for less than three years. In 1955 the actress left him for American playwright Arthur Miller.

DiMaggio was devastated. He never married again, and never got over his one true love. His last words before he died in 1999 at the age of 84 were: "I'll finally get to see Marilyn."