Philadelphia Pepper Pot
Encyclopedia
Pepper Pot is a thick stew
of beef tripe, vegetables, pepper and other seasonings. The origins of the stew are steeped in legend, with one story attributing the dish to Christopher Ludwick
, baker general of the Continental Army
during the American Revolutionary War
. According to this story, the winter of 1777–1778 in Valley Forge
was exceptionally harsh. Farmers in the area sold their food to the British for pounds rather than the weak continental currency offered by George Washington
's soldiers. The Continental Army was running low on food, and survived on a stew made of tripe, vegetables, and whatever else they could find to stay alive.
In the early 19th century, artist John Lewis Krimmel
depicted the pepper pot street vendor in Philadelphia with his painting, Pepper-Pot: A Scene in the Philadelphia Market. Krimmel's work was first exhibited in 1811 at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
. The painting shows a barefoot black woman serving soup from a pot to white customers.
The pepper pot is also the symbol of an award given by the Philadelphia chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). The Pepperpot Awards ceremony is held each year recognizing Philadelphia's top PR professionals. The region's equivalent of the national PRSA's Silver Anvil Award for excellence, The Pepperpot Awards were named in 1968 by Bill Parker, APR, then-chapter president and head of Campbell Soup communications. Parker suggested the name to conjure up excitement, liveliness, and good-humored intrigue, saying, "Like Philly's famous soup, we put everything we have into all of our public relations campaigns."
In Antigua, pepperpot is a dish made with salted meat, fresh spinach, squash, eggplant, okra, onions, basil, roast beef and garlic. The ingredients are mashed and cooked down to form a stew. A canned seafood Pepper Pot soup is available in some markets from Bookbinder Specialties, a gourmet soup manufacturer in the Philadelphia area.
Stew
A stew is a combination of solid food ingredients that have been cooked in liquid and served in the resultant gravy. Ingredients in a stew can include any combination of vegetables , meat, especially tougher meats suitable for slow-cooking, such as beef. Poultry, sausages, and seafood are also used...
of beef tripe, vegetables, pepper and other seasonings. The origins of the stew are steeped in legend, with one story attributing the dish to Christopher Ludwick
Christopher Ludwick
Christopher Ludwick [or Ludwig] was a German immigrant in Philadelphia who served as baker general for the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.-Makes his fortune:...
, baker general of the Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
during the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. According to this story, the winter of 1777–1778 in Valley Forge
Valley Forge
Valley Forge in Pennsylvania was the site of the military camp of the American Continental Army over the winter of 1777–1778 in the American Revolutionary War.-History:...
was exceptionally harsh. Farmers in the area sold their food to the British for pounds rather than the weak continental currency offered by George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
's soldiers. The Continental Army was running low on food, and survived on a stew made of tripe, vegetables, and whatever else they could find to stay alive.
In the early 19th century, artist John Lewis Krimmel
John Lewis Krimmel
John Lewis Krimmel , sometimes called "the American Hogarth" was America's first painter of genre scenes. Born in Germany, he emigrated to Philadelphia in 1809 and soon became a member of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts...
depicted the pepper pot street vendor in Philadelphia with his painting, Pepper-Pot: A Scene in the Philadelphia Market. Krimmel's work was first exhibited in 1811 at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts is a museum and art school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1805 and is the oldest art museum and school in the United States. The academy's museum is internationally known for its collections of 19th and 20th century American paintings,...
. The painting shows a barefoot black woman serving soup from a pot to white customers.
The pepper pot is also the symbol of an award given by the Philadelphia chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). The Pepperpot Awards ceremony is held each year recognizing Philadelphia's top PR professionals. The region's equivalent of the national PRSA's Silver Anvil Award for excellence, The Pepperpot Awards were named in 1968 by Bill Parker, APR, then-chapter president and head of Campbell Soup communications. Parker suggested the name to conjure up excitement, liveliness, and good-humored intrigue, saying, "Like Philly's famous soup, we put everything we have into all of our public relations campaigns."
In Antigua, pepperpot is a dish made with salted meat, fresh spinach, squash, eggplant, okra, onions, basil, roast beef and garlic. The ingredients are mashed and cooked down to form a stew. A canned seafood Pepper Pot soup is available in some markets from Bookbinder Specialties, a gourmet soup manufacturer in the Philadelphia area.
See also
- Cuisine of the Pennsylvania DutchCuisine of the Pennsylvania DutchPennsylvania Dutch cuisine is the typical and traditional fare of the Pennsylvania Dutch, and it has had a considerable influence on the areas in which they originally settled, Central and Southeastern Pennsylvania, as well as the neighboring areas that they have migrated to over time...
- Cuisine of PhiladelphiaCuisine of PhiladelphiaThe cuisine of Philadelphia was shaped largely by the city's mixture of ethnicities, available foodstuffs and history. Certain foods have become iconic to the city. Invented in Philadelphia in the 1930s, the cheesesteak is the most well known icon of the city, and soft pretzels have become a part...