What Makes A Noodle A Noodle?
It’s National Noodle Day and we’ve set out to answer one very complicated question, what makes a noodle a noodle? The answer is more complicated than you may expect. However, the story of how a simple noodle grew into such great variety, becoming the base of an endless amount of our favorite dishes today is extraordinary.
It’s highly debated whether noodles were first invented in China or Italy. Many scientists and food historians say both, and due to lack of evidence, it’s pointless to argue otherwise. In 2005, Chinese scientists discovered a 4000-year-old bowl of pasta at an archaeological site in Lajia, China. Noodle enthusiasts everywhere were jumping for joy, as it seemed to be the earliest example of a noodle in history. Scientists believe that the noodles were made of two kinds of millet, which are similar to the wheat grains that Chinese noodles and European pasta are made from today. However, scientists said it was not enough to confidently credit China with inventing the noodle.
On a quest for some answers, American food writer Jen Lin-Liu set out on a six-month trip in 2010-2011, researching noodles from Beijing to Rome, traveling along the Silk Road. She determined that noodles were documented in China earlier than anywhere in the western world. In China the earliest documentation appeared around 300-200 BC, while in the west early documentation came around 500-600 AD. Len-Liu says because of this the Chinese probably were the first to eat noodles, but that doesn’t mean they “invented” the noodle, or the pasta we enjoy today.
Barbara Santich, a professor at the University of Adelaide backs Lin-Liu, claiming there is a lack of historical evidence as to who can officially claim the noodle. She also says that Chinese noodles were made with soft wheat back then, so there is no way they could have begun making the dried pasta we enjoy today. Therefore, she adds, “Chinese noodles did not develop into what is now known as Mediterranean pasta, and pasta did not make its way from China to Italy.”
According to Santich, European pasta dates back to Greek literature, from the word “itri” or “itria” meaning a flour and water dough that’s rolled into thin sheets and cut into strips. Noting that Syria was at one time a Greek colony, these mentions transferred to Arabic. Also, the Arabs conquered Sicily and southern Italy, so it’s possible the Arabs brought pasta to Italy, exported it around Europe, and that exportation led to the various styles we have today, such as macaroni, tortellini, and ravioli.
This all becomes fuzzy because of the vagueness of the word “noodle.” A “noodle” is defined as a long, stringy substance, but the word was evolved by the western world, making it seem synonymous, or closely related to the word “pasta.” So, long story short, Asians have been eating noodles, that probably first came from China, for many, many years, while Europeans enjoy pasta that was developed in the western world many, many years ago.
At Price Chopper & Market 32, we’re big fans of noodles and pasta, including our NEW Market 32 premium fresh pastas. We offer four great varieties including Four Cheese Tortelloni, featured in this delicious recipe for Sheet-Pan Butternut Squash, Bacon, & Brussels Sprouts Tortelloni. Pick up a package at your local store!
Source: https://www.sbs.com.au/food/article/2016/07/29/who-invented-noodle-italy-or-china
Our October home.grown. Brewer of the Month: Artisanal Brew Works!
We love all things local, and one of our favorite sectors of local food is local beer. There are so many different brews, flavors, and styles, and so many stories to tell! That’s why we’re embarking on a new home.grown. adventure: to bring you fresh craft beer stories each month from our Northeast region; the best region in the United States if you ask us!
Up next: Artisanal Brew Works!
Owned by two high school teachers, Artisanal Brew Works is a microbrewery located in Saratoga Springs, NY. Kurt Borchardt and Colin Quinn spend their days educating both the youth in the classroom, and craft beer fans in the brewery. Artisanal Brew Works products are a lesson in variety. They make it their mission to appeal to a plethora of tastes with their expansive list of local, handcrafted beers.
One of the favorites of these handcrafted beers is a hazy, New-England style IPA known as Daily Double. Beginning with a citrusy and fruity aroma, and finishing with hop bitterness, Daily Double is a flavorful experience you’ll have to try for yourself. Luckily, it’s one of the brews currently on tap.
Another staple beverage from Artisanal Brew Works is White in the Glasses. Cloudy due to the high amount of wheat used, White in the Glasses is a tasty Belgian Wit. Spiced with a touch coriander and orange peel, it’s a prime example of a light, yet perfectly flavored craft brew.
Interested in trying some Artisanal brews?
Check out our in-store tasting schedule below to sample Artisanal Brew Works craft beef, take home some brewery swag and more.
Saturday 10/5, 11am – 2pm at our Wilton Market 32
Saturday 10/12, 11am – 2pm at our Clifton Park Plaza Market 32
Saturday 10/19, 11am – 2pm at our Malta Price Chopper
Saturday 10/26, 11am – 2pm at our Amsterdam Market 32
Interested in visiting the brewery?
Make the most of everything Artisanal Brew Works has to offer! Visit artisanalbrewworks.com/ for taproom hours and menu, get info on brewery tours and more.
Brewery House Address: 41 Geyser Rd, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
Hot sauce junkies, heat connoisseurs and spiciness fanatics: We’re comin’ in hot with our next monthly feature!
Each month we’re bringing you fresh stories on a different sauce brand, sharing some flavor insights, stories behind the brands and more. Travel with us on an adventure consisting of varying degrees of heat each month!
October’s Feature: Culinary Tours Peri Peri Hot Sauce!
Peri Peri, or “pepper pepper” in Swahili, is a fiery kick of African-style heat. This blazing blend of red and Peri Peri peppers with spices and garlic delivers an intense flavor inferno, perfect for chicken, shrimp, or stir-fry. Peri Peri is a traditional African sauce, made from African Bird’s Eye Chili Peppers, which pack a punch of spice similar to that of a Habanero.
In short, our mission with Culinary Tours is to bring you the flavors of the world, without the costs and time commitment of world travel. Each Culinary Tours product is made to feel like an adventure to a different part of the world, all from the comfort of your own home. This is especially true in our salsas and spicy sauces, like Peri Peri Hot Sauce.
Turn up the heat with Culinary Tours this month, and tune in next month for our November Hot Sauce of the Month!
National Coffee Day
September 29th is National Coffee Day and we’re celebrating! Coffee has a surprisingly long history, and in honor of the holiday we’re looking to uncover all of the mysteries surrounding this beloved bean. We did some research and discovered some interesting information that you may not have known before.
It is said that coffee was first discovered by a goat herder named Kaldi. Kaldi noticed that his goats would become energetic and not sleep at night after they ate the berries from a certain tree. He was curious, and he brought his realization to the abbot of the local monastery. The abbot made himself a drink with these berries and found that it was helpful in keeping him alert during evening prayer. The abbot shared his discovery amongst the other monks, and word of these berries moved east to the Arabian Peninsula.
Coffee cultivation and trade began on the Arabian Peninsula, where coffee was regularly enjoyed in homes, and the first coffee houses were created. These early coffee houses became important places to catch up on conversation and current music and news. They began to appear all over cities in the Near East where they were called “qahveh khaneh.” They became an essential spot for the spread of information, and because of this they were known as “Schools of the Wise.”
Europeans who would travel to the Near East would return home with stories of this magical drink, and eventually coffee made its way to Europe. At first, coffee was met with backlash in these European countries being called the “bitter invention of Satan,” and becoming condemned by the local clergy. However, Pope Clement VIII intervened, tasting the drink himself and finding it so satisfying he lifted the ban. Eventually, these same coffee houses became a common theme throughout countries like England, Austria, France, Germany, and Holland. Coffee replaced the popular breakfast drinks at the time, beer and wine, and became a new European morning staple.
But how did coffee make its way to the Americas? Great question! In 1714, the Mayor of Amsterdam presented a coffee plant as a gift to King Louis XIV of France. The King had the young plant grown in the Royal Botanical Gardens in Paris. In 1723, a young naval officer, Gabriel de Clieu obtained a seedling from the plant. On a traitorous journey home, he faced horrendous weather, a saboteur who attempted to destroy the seedling, and even a pirate attack. Yet, he managed to plant the seed in Martinique. This seed began an explosion of coffee trees in the Americas, and it led to the abundance of coffee we have today.
Big coffee drinker? Us too. We’re celebrating with one of our favorite local coffee brands from here in the Northeast: Death Wish Coffee!
Sample Death Wish Coffee’s famous brews from 11am-4pm on Sunday 9/29 at any of these stores:
Brunswick Market 32
Hamilton Square Market 32
Glenville Market 32
Wilton Market 32
Glen St Price Chopper
Mechanicville Price Chopper
East Greenbush Price Chopper
Clifton Shopper’s World Market 32
Market Bistro
Amsterdam Price Chopper
Route 50 Price Chopper
Bethlehem Price Chopper
Plattsburgh Market 32
Altamont Ave Price Chopper
Hudson Valley Plaza Market 32
Johnstown Rd. Price Chopper
Malta Price Chopper
Shaker Road Price Chopper
Niskayuna Price Chopper
Glenmont Price Chopper
Newburgh Price Chopper
Hopkinton Price Chopper
Clifton Park Plaza Market 32
Well that was fast – in the blink of an eye summer vacation has come and gone. School, work, sports, clubs, and all types of extracurricular activities have resumed and things are already hectic. In the midst of all this, finding time to do your grocery shopping can be challenging. We understand your struggle, and at Price Chopper/Market 32 we are continuously working to provide ways to a more convenient, less time consuming shopping experience.
Our curbside grocery pickup service is a prime example. Available on any device, you can submit an online or mobile order, and complete your whole grocery list with the click of a few buttons. Simply login to your online account, or quickly create a new account, and use your AdvantEdge card for points on every purchase. Select your favorite items and a convenient pickup time for your schedule and just like that your shopping is finished.
Worried about receiving the correct items? Don’t be. Our shoppers are trained to pick out the same quality items that you would choose yourself. In the meantime, you can leave specific instructions for your shopper or contact them throughout the shopping process to clear up any questions or concerns.
Once the order is complete and ready for pickup, park in one of our designated curbside pickup spaces and call the store to let them know you’ve arrived. We will bring your order directly to your car, so there’s no need to leave your vehicle. For more information on curbside pickup visit our website, https://www.pricechopper.com/services/pick-up/.
Try our pickup service today and enjoy your time better spent!
Written by Rainy McEwan, Jr. Business Analyst
It's officially here!
Summer is officially here! In the Northeast we know that means we finally get three lovely months of respite from the cold winter, so we have to make the most of it! Between beach trips, hiking, and days at the pool, there’s one thing they all have in common: they require energy! Instacart can save you time and energy by delivering your groceries straight to your door in as little as two hours! Now you can have a lovely picnic instead of spending that time at the store!
Sunrise hike.....
Time to pack up in preparation for a sunrise hike? You’ll want some protein on the way! Bring some granola bars or cheese and crackers to easily snack on and keep your energy up. Don’t forget plenty of water, too! Once you reach the summit, what better way to celebrate your accomplishment than a nice breakfast spread? Muffins, turnovers, or bagels, just don’t forget the coffee!
Something about the fireflies in the humid summer air feels romantic, doesn’t it? But why wait until the weekend to sweep your significant other off their feet? With Instacart, delivery is available in as little as two hours, so you can have everything right at your door soon after getting home from work! Start with a simple, light salad: greens and your favorite toppings, or save some time with a grab ‘n’ go salad! Then impress with your expertly prepared main course- some marinated chicken breasts, perhaps? Close out the meal with some fresh, ripe strawberries– light and refreshing, this aphrodisiac is everything to love about the season.
Cookout Classics
Classic cookouts require all the essentials: hot dogs, hamburgers, and snacky sides galore! You’ll need something for your guests to stack all your delicious treats on, just add some Simply Done designer tableware to your cart! But oh no, you realize you forgot potato salad and soda, and your guests are already arriving. Not a problem, Instacart here to save the day! Available at over 100 locations, just go to the website or app, add what you need to your cart and an Instacart shopper will pick up and deliver your items straight to your door! You can rest easy knowing that Instacart will be there for all your
mishaps, tight spots, and days where you really want to avoid leaving the A.C. this summer.
Acqua Panna® is a 100% still natural spring water from Tuscany. Crafted by nature, it flows through the beautiful sun-drenched hills of Tuscany. Each drop is naturally filtered and perfected by time on its 14 year journey to the spring, obtaining a special mineral balance for a smooth taste, like no other. This natural spring water is the result of an epic journey that started in 1564 when it was first bottled and continues strong to this day.
Acqua Panna is naturally alkaline from the source, with a pH of 8.0 or higher. The 1L (33.8 fl oz) plastic bottle has a new stylish and sophisticated design that is perfect to take with you on the go and is cup-holder friendly. Acqua Panna bottles are 100% recyclable and BPA free.
Acqua Panna is the perfect companion for every step of your journey. Discover more at http://www.acquapanna.com
Fourth of July
On July 4th, 1776, the colonies officially declared their independence from England. Thus beginning the long journey from the 13 colonies to the 50 states. Each year, Americans celebrate the Fourth of July to commemorate one of the biggest days in our country’s history.
A five-man team was appointed to present the colonies’ case for independence, including a few proud sons of our home.grown. states; John Adams of Massachusetts, Roger Sherman of Connecticut, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania, Robert R. Livingston of New York, and Thomas Jefferson of Virginia, who was tasked with drafting the Declaration of Independence. The Continental Congress convened on July 1, 1776, to discuss the matter, with revisions of Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration continuing until the afternoon of July 4th, 1776. Finally, the Declaration was officially adopted.
There are many ways to celebrate the Fourth, fireworks, barbeques, hanging out with friends and family, or even becoming a U.S. citizen! Each year, over 14,000 people are welcomed in by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The process entails a series of requirements, such as being a permanent resident or green cardholder, the ability to speak, read, and write English, being of good moral character, passing of a citizenship test, and more. Certainly a strenuous task, but once citizenship is earned these newcomers help strengthen our nation as another contributor to our democracy.
One of the staples of good Fourth of July fun is going to see the fireworks. We discovered some of the most impressive displays the country has to offer. The Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks in New York City is the largest show in the country. Using 3,000 effects in 25 action-packed minutes, the show is viewed by 3 million people annually. Other impressive displays include the DO A.C. Fourth of July Fireworks in Atlantic City, the Music City July 4th: Let Freedom Sing! show in Nashville, the National Mall Independence Day Celebration in Washington D.C., and the Addison Kaboom Town! show in Dallas. Looking for a blast of a show in our Northeast home? We recommend checking out the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular!
Anyway you choose to celebrate is your own freedom. Yet, no matter your plans we have everything you need to enjoy the day to the fullest. From PICS Ice Cream to barbeque sauce we are your one stop shop for all of the holiday essentials!
Happy Fourth!
Sources:
https://www.military.com/independence-day/history-of-independence-day.html
https://www.cntraveler.com/galleries/2014-07-03/the-10-biggest-fireworks-displays-in-the-us http://immigrationimpact.com/2018/07/03/citizens-naturalization-ceremonies-fourth-july/#.XRTejflKiUk
International Sushi Day
What did Sushi A say to Sushi B? Wasabi!
Today is International Sushi Day and we’re rolling with excitement! Although a far cry from the sushi we enjoy today, this combination of rice and fish has been evolving for a surprisingly long time. With the holiday in mind, we did some research on where this creative cuisine came from.
The origin of sushi is surrounded by fun stories and mysteries. One famous tale tells of a woman who hid her rice pots in osprey nests in fear of thieves stealing them. Eventually, she collected her pots and found that the rice had begun to ferment. She also found fish scraps from the osprey’s meals leftover in the rice. The mixture was delicious, and the woman discovered that the rice had actually worked as a method of preserving the fish.
Everyone loves the cute fables, but the actual history of sushi is more unclear. It was likely introduced in Japan in the 19th century, becoming popular alongside the spread of Buddhism. Part of practicing Buddhism means abstaining from meat, turning many to become big fans of fish. The Japanese themselves are credited with being the first to enjoy sushi as a complete meal, combining the fermented rice with the preserved fish. This combination is known as nare-zushi or “aged fish.”
Following its rise in popularity in Japan, sushi was introduced to America by way of Los Angeles. In 1966, Noritoshi Kanai and his business partner Harry Wolff, opened Kawafuku Restaurant in Little Tokyo. Kawafuku was the first to sell nigri sushi to American patrons. In 1970, Osho, the first sushi bar outside of Little Tokyo, opened in Hollywood and catered to celebrities. Soon after, sushi bars and restaurants popped up in Chicago and New York, allowing for a rise in popularity across the country.
You don’t have to go far to notice the impressive evolution of sushi over time. A dish that originated in Japan in now more prevalent than ever in the United States. With the endless variations of tastes and styles, there’s something for everyone. Fresh sushi is available in select stores: enjoy some today at your nearest Price Chopper or Market 32 with a fresh sushi counter!
Source: http://www.pbs.org/food/the-history-kitchen/history-of-sushi/
It’s Dairy Month and we’re putting some of our local dairy partners in the spotlight! Our region is home to some of the best milk in the world, and we’re proud to team up with a variety of local dairy farms here in the Northeast. When it’s made or grown here, we get it here!
Insight Dairy, Little Falls, NY
Thomas Dairy, Rutland, VT
Thomas Dairy has been a local partners of ours for over a decade. Placed perfectly in the hills of Rutland, VT the farm has been providing milk since 1921. Orin Thomas first purchased the farm in 1854, and his first purebred Holstein in 1901. When Thomas died in 1909, his son took over management of the farm, which had 40 Holsteins by then. By 1921, Thomas’ son was delivering milk to Rutland City, and Thomas Dairy was born!
HP Hood, Lynnfield, MA
Hood® has provided fresh, quality dairy products for 170 years. In 1846, the company was founded in Charlestown, Massachusetts and since then has expanded to become a national distributor of dairy products throughout the United States.
Hudson’s Dairy, Fulton, NY
We are a proud neighbor of Hudson’s Dairy, as they are located right around the corner from our Fulton store. Founded in 1931 by Daniel Hudson, Hudson’s was originally a 120-cow dairy in Granby. During the early 90’s, the dairy expanded and moved to its current address in Fulton. Today, the family’s third and fourth generations are in charge of the business.
There are lots of dairy farms in top-producing dairy states like California and Wisconsin, but we choose to source our PICS milk from our neighbors. It’s a part of our home.grown. philosophy that everything tastes better when it’s produced nearby. These farms are just a few of the many hardworking, dedicated neighbors that help us provide the highest quality, local products during Dairy Month and throughout the year!