Each dish has its own history, including its origins, how it has evolved over the years, the different geographical interpretations of a dish, and its commercial production. The history of soup is a long one, and the dish’s diversity around the globe means that many countries across the globe have had input in its development.
Soup is a dish that many cultures enjoy, and typical soups from each country vary according to the cuisine and ingredients available in that country. Commercial processes and the use of technology in the home to make soup are also factors that are an important part of the history of soup.
If the history of food interests you, then you will find the following information about the history of soup intriguing.
Table of Contents
The History of Soup Timeline
| Date | Event in the History of Soup |
| 20,000 BC | Earliest indications of soup-making in China |
| 10th-12th-century | Soup was eaten by the poor as a cheap and healthy meal |
| 17th-century | Bouillon cubes are an early example of dried soup |
| 17th-century | The word soup came into use |
| 1742 | First US cookbook containing soup recipes |
| 1772 | First cookbook with a chapter devoted to soup |
| 18th-century | Portable soup was invented |
| 19th-century | Commercial soups become available |
| 1897 | Campbell Soup Company sell the first condensed soup |
| 1910 | Heinz released their canned tomato soup |
| 1958 | Instant noodle soups are invented |
| 1990s | Ready-to-eat canned soups become popular |
The Origins of Soup
Although the exact origins of soup are unknown, the earliest evidence of people eating soup is as early as 20,000 BC in China. Boiling did not become a cooking method until the invention of watertight containers.
Early examples of such containers were watertight reed baskets and containers made from animal hides that they could fill with water. They then put the containers over hot rocks to boil the water within them. Boiling became a method for cooking various plants and acorns.
There is evidence of people around the world commonly eating soups from the 10th century onwards. By this time, people had metal and clay containers to use for cooking.
Often, the soup was eaten by the poor as they could combine scraps of ingredients in water to create something cheap and flavoursome. However, the soup was also eaten by the rich as a healthy meal.
Before it became soup, this dish was either potage or broth. According to the Food Timeline, the word soup was not commonly in use until the 17th century.
Originally, the term soup comes from the French word ‘soupe’, which means ‘a broth’. In turn, this word comes from the Vulgar Latin word ‘Suppa’, meaning ‘bread soaked in broth’, which comes from a Germanic word ‘sop’, which was the word for a bread that soaks up a thick stew or broth.
How the History of Soup is Linked to the Development of Restaurants
It may surprise you to learn that the word restaurant is linked to soup. The word restaurant is a French word that means ‘something restoring. The term was first used to refer to inexpensive and highly concentrated sold by street vendors during the 16th century.
In 1765, this soup was advertised as a way of treating physical exhaustion. A Parisian entrepreneur opened a shop specializing in these soups in 1765, and he called it a restaurant. Hence, this led to calling other eating establishments restaurants.
The Factors That Influenced Soup-Making in Different Cultures
How soup is created, and the ingredients included has varied throughout the history of soup. Although there are many changes, something that soups throughout the ages have all had in common is that they are a liquid created using various ingredients. Some of the factors that have influenced the history of soup-making throughout the ages in different cultures include:
- The availability of ingredients
- Cooking and cuisine traditions
- Socio-economic factors
- Beliefs regarding health and natural remedies
- Changes and improvements to cooking equipment
The History of Soup in Publishing
While soup is a typical dish in modern cookbooks with many devoting entire sections to soup making, the first time soups appeared in a US cookbook was in 1742. According to Wikipedia, William Parks from Williamsburg, Pittsburgh, published a colonial cookbook. It was based either on ‘Accomplished Gentlewoman’s Companion of Eliza Smith’s ‘The Compleat Housewife’. In his cookbook, Parks had included several soup recipes.
Soup continued to appear in publishing as it gained popularity. When ‘The Frugal Housewife’ was published in 1772, there was an entire section devoted to soups for the first time. The inspiration for many of the soups was English cooking. At this time, English cuisine dominated colonial cooking. However, the German immigrants living in Pennsylvania also began to input their soup-making traditions.
The History of Soup- Commercial Products
Dried soups were available as early as the 17th century. The earliest form of dried soup was the Bouillon cube, which was like a modern stock cube. It was added to water to create a flavoured liquid.
English writer Anne Blencowe wrote about using these cubes before her death in 1718. By 1735, they were available elsewhere. Several people tried to patent the bouillon cubes during the 19th century but were turned down due to lack of originality.
Another form of dried soup is flavoured instant noodles, as noodle soups are a popular Asian dish. Instant noodles were the invention of a Taiwanese-Japanese inventor, Momofuku Ando. These were first sold by his company Nisson in 1958 with the name Chikin Ramen.
Canning soups began later than using a dried product, but much earlier than the release of instant noodle soups. The process of canning food became popular during the 19th century. It was a way of preserving food to prevent food waste, and it also added ease and convenience to cooking.
One canned food was soup, and condensed soups were the first examples of this. A condensed soup allows more soup to fit into a smaller can. Once you open the can, you can add water or milk. The first condensed soup was invented in 1897 by a chemist called John T. Dorrance who worked for the Campbell Soup Company.
According to The Telegraph, Heinz produced its first canned soup in 1910. Their tomato soup was not only their first canned soup product, but it remains the most popular soup flavour produced by this brand. Later, they began to produce multiple other soup flavours.
Soup Today
Soup is now a meal that people cook in various forms in homes around the world in almost endless varieties. It is also something that is widely available in shops in forms including fresh, powdered, dried, canned, condensed, and even frozen soups. The popularity of this dish means that it features on most restaurant menus, and many offer a soup of the day.
In terms of cooking soup at home, people are becoming more experimental with the flavours of the soup. Some of their influences are different cultures, cookbooks, and the media. It is also common to use technology when creating soups as there are many kitchen gadgets available. Some examples of soup-making equipment include soup makers, food processors, hand blenders, and slow cookers.
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