imp erfect c u i s i n e
By Accademia Italiana della Cucina
All together now Food Delivery since 753 BC
S
ince the beginning of 2020, the global food industry
They were basically a street kitchen and for many, those who
changed as governments closed down restaurants and
couldn’t afford a kitchen of their own, the only opportunity to
bars to slow the spread of the virus. Across the world,
eat hot food. These kitchens have been found in the ruins of
restaurants’ daily traffic dropped precipitously compared to the
Pompeii and demonstrate the beginnings of the takeout concept.
same period in 2019. Halfway across the world, another ancient civilization, the In Hong Kong, according to the Census and Statistics
Aztecs, had gigantic open-air markets. Within these markets
Department, revenue for the restaurant sector fell to HK$21.7
were vendors who strictly sold “on the go” food, mostly tamales.
billion in the first three months of the year. The industry found itself in need of a quick reaction, offering more and more home deliveries service. According to Forbes, it’s estimated that the industry will have annual sales of $365 billion worldwide by 2030! But when and where this service become so popular? “Tutte le strade portano a Roma” (“All roads lead to Rome”) . . This is another Italian story. Historians trace meal delivery services back to . . . the ancient Rome! Ancient Romans loved the concept of convenient meals as much as we do in the modern era, and they often ordered their fast-food restaurants Thermopolium. They served meals at a counter out of large clay pots that stored and kept the food hot, similarly to how we serve fast food today. For ancient Romans, the Thermopolium was a chance for them to have a hot, prepared meal on the go.
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