The fruits of serendipity surround us, be it stationary like super glue and post its or antibiotics like penicillin. Most of us however tend to disregard the role that serendipity has played in the food that we eat.
Can you imagine a world without chocolate chip cookies? In 1930, housewife Ruth Graves Wakefield, having run out of regular baker’s chocolate proceeded to bake cookies with bits of semi-sweet Nestle chocolate, believing that they would melt into the mixture. The chocolate chip cookie was thus born. She sold the recipe to Nestle for a lifetime supply of chocolate chips and after subsequent marketing the cookie earned the reputation it has today.
Potato chips too were an accidental discovery brought about by a disgruntled restaurant chef who was getting repeated complaints that his potato dishes were too thick and soggy. The same can be said of the artificial sweetener. It was discovered, of all places, in an anti-fever lab, by chemist James M. Schlatter, who unknowingly licked his finger after it was contaminated with the specimen under study.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteShurjo, your blog post presents a good point about serendipity's role in the history of food. This made me see serendipity from a new, original perspective. The incorporation of food appeals especially to my senses. Your examples of different foods are descriptive and well supported. I think your post would be better if you provided a definition of serendipity since serendipity has been defined in many ways. Having a working definition, your post is very persuasive about our need for serendipity in food and in life.
ReplyDeleteShurjo:
ReplyDeleteI didn't know that so many types of food were discovered by serendipity. I have heard before the story of the sandwiches, but never the others. I think that you explain in a simple way and with concrete examples the relationship of serendipity and discoveries. Great blog post!
att: Maria Silva Willson (A4)
This is a great blog post! I had no idea that chocolate chip cookies, potato chips, and artificial sweetners were discovered through serendipity. You really showed how serendipity applies to everday life, and I enjoyed your approach!
ReplyDeleteRaven Jackson A4
Your blog post really helps show how many examples of serendipity in our everyday life, and for that, it's a pretty great post in general. However, I do have one small criticism.
ReplyDeleteIt might have been best to include a definition of serendipity somewhere in your original post. Now, all of us know the general definition considering we had to write our own blog post on the word, but people who are unfamiliar with it might be a tad confused.
That said, you have made a nice compilation of serendipity in action!
-Blake "Roarke" Tholen (Written Group)
It was good that you chose some topics that few people think of when it comes to serendipity. The only issue I could possibly have with the post is that the change in format was sort of distracting, but I have a feeling that was the computer's doing and not yours. I usually don't think of food when I think of serendipity, but I will now!
ReplyDelete