The macaron began as almond cakes carried from Persia to Sicily and Spain long before Paris

historyWikipedia827 · Sicily

The macaron began as almond cakes carried from Persia to Sicily and Spain long before Paris

the gist

The macaron's ancestors are almond-based cakes that spread through the medieval Muslim world. Arab troops who occupied Sicily in 827 brought nut-based sweets such as fālūdhaj and lauzinaj, which had been made in Persia for the Zoroastrian New Year. In Sicily and Toledo these developed into almond-paste desserts. The sandwich-style macaron familiar today took shape in Paris in the early 20th century, and in the 1790s two Carmelite nuns in Nancy baked and sold plain almond macarons to support themselves during the French Revolution.

how it works

Almond meringue made from egg whites, sugar and ground almonds forms the base. Earlier almond cakes gave the idea of sweet almond filling, and the sandwich form came when bakers joined two discs with jam, buttercream or ganache, which turned a plain cookie into a layered dessert.

so what

The macaron shows how a dessert travels through trade and conquest, passing between cultures before it takes its modern form. Its history is also disputed, with origin claims ranging from an 8th-century monastery in the Loire Valley to a legend about Catherine de' Medici's chef, which records do not support.

fun fact

Two Carmelite nuns baking macarons to pay for their housing gave them the nickname the Macaron Sisters.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · text CC BY-SA 4.0

Image: Wikimedia Commons

source: Wikipedia ↗

historyWikipediaclassic1336–1565 · Karnataka, India

Hampi was once one of the world's largest cities, until its Vijayanagara capital was destroyed in 1565

the gist

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.

how it works

The city was built around a fortified core with temples, markets and water structures along the river, supplied by an extensive network of roads and waterworks. When the empire fell, the city was not rebuilt, so its stone monuments were left standing.

so what

Hampi shows how quickly a great city can vanish after a military defeat, and how a ruined capital can remain sacred. Its ruins give historians a view of medieval South Asia that few other sites can match.

fun fact

The name Hampi comes from Pampa, an old name for the Tungabhadra River.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · text CC BY-SA 4.0

Image: Wikimedia Commons

source: Wikipedia ↗

2 min

politicsshortCNA2:01

False allegations about Singapore’s hand in Indonesia’s markets and a made-up meeting

from CNA

CNA Verify has found close to 400 posts pushing falsehoods tying Singapore to Indonesia’s stock market rout and to a secret meeting that never took place. Together, they drew nearly 12 million views, and some were circulated by accounts that appeared to be working in concert, across multiple social media platforms.

Here’s how the disinformation campaign targeting Singapore was uncovered.

on YouTube: CNA ↗