Macaroni and cheese is one of the most popular foods in today’s world. While making this great dish is no more a secret, looking back at the “History Of Macaroni&Cheese – Comfort Food For All” still reveals some interesting facts.
Origin of the word:
The etymology of the word is debatable. Some believe that macaroni is originated from the Italian “maccheroni”, meaning “stained”. However, others believed that it stemmed from the Italian “ammaccare”, meaning “to crush”, thereby referring to the process of crushing wheat to make macaronis.

At the same time, some historians also believe that the word has stemmed from the Latin “macerare”, which refers to the process of softening a thing by soaking it in liquid. Others opine that the Old English word “macerate” (meaning “to torment or mortify”) is the root of today’s macaroni.

Origin of the food:
Macaroni and cheese being one of the staple Italian diets, many believe that the dish has traditionally originated in Italy. However, the origin of macaroni and cheese is debatable too. While many believe that – strangely - the Arabs have invented macaroni in the Middle Ages, academic reports consent that it were the Greeks who invented this. The reports suggest that the word evolves from the Greek root “makaria”, which in turn refers to a particular kind of barley broth, served to commemorate the dead.

Talking about the popularity of the dish, many credit Thomas Jefferson as the founding father of this dish. Story has it that Jefferson had served macaroni and cheese in the White House in 1802 and that was the first time the dish was introduced to the whole world. However, others opine that Jefferson did not invent the dish. It is true that from his trip to Paris, he returned with a macaroni mold, but that only credits him for popularizing or spreading the macaroni and cheese recipe.

Talking about the origin of macaroni and cheese, a vast sector of historians believes that this delicious plate of goodness originated in Italy. According to their findings, macaroni and cheese recipes exist in southern Italy from the late thirteenth century. This is seconded by the book “Libe de Coquina”, which has a recipe of de lasanis. However, the macaroni used in this recipe was more like lasagna sheets, which were believed to be made from fermented dough, cut into small squares.

Some authors, like John Mariani, opine that macaroni and cheese was first made in as late as the nineteenth century in America, while others believe that the Kraft Foods introduced this recipe sometime in the year 1937.

Thus, the history of macaroni and cheese has many interpretations. Though still debatable and historians could not yet come to a consensus on how or who originated this delicious creamy recipe of macaroni and cheese, there is a universal agreement on one point – no matter where or how this dish is being made, it always leaves you with a delectable taste that lingers long in your senses.

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