The history of Neapolitan
① Napolitan is not a “Neapolitan dish”
First of all-
Neapolitan is a Western dish that originated in Japan.
There is no such dish as "Napolitan" in Naples, Italy.
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② The Yokohama Hotel New Grand was established shortly after the war.
Inventor
Hotel New Grand Yokohama
Head Chef Shigetada Irie
The origins of the project
After the war, Allied soldiers
He was eating military rations of spaghetti seasoned with ketchup.
・When Mr. Irie saw this,
"Let's make this into a proper dish for Japanese people."
I thought.
So that's what I created...
Using onions, peppers, ham, etc.
Canned tomatoes and fresh tomatoes can also be mixed with a sauce made by simmering them.
“It was "authentic Western-style spaghetti."
In other words, the early Neapolitan
I didn't use ketchup.
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3. It became popular in the 1950s: boosted by coffee shop culture
In the 1950s and 1960s, coffee shops began to increase throughout the country,
For a more convenient and rich flavor,
Napolitan pasta made with ketchup is now popular.
・Thick, chewy pre-boiled noodles
・Stir-fry on a hot plate to bring out the aroma
・Butter scent
・Plenty of powdered cheese
This "Showa era coffee shop style"
This is the prototype of today's popular Neapolitan.
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④ Why the name?
"Napolitan"
It is said that the name was chosen to evoke the image of a "Neapolitan scent, typical of the country of tomatoes."
It's different from real Neapolitan cuisine.
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⑤ In other words, Neapolitan is a symbol of Japan's postwar culture and coffee shop culture.
・Western food techniques
・Postwar American culture
・Ingenuity of Showa-era coffee shops
・Sweet and sour flavors that Japanese people like
This is a purely Japanese-style pasta made by mixing these ingredients.
In Monsieur's area of expertise,
"Food culture × Historical background × Popularization process"
It's a true symbol of Western food culture, packed with all the above.
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The true nature of Monsieur's "somehow familiar" feeling
Postwar US military influence
The origins of Hotel New Grand
It's not actually ketchup
Popularized in coffee shops
These "fragmented memories" are mixed together,
I think I still had a vague idea of the story of my birth in my head.
