French Onion Soup History

 French onion soup is a very popular dish in France. Even though it comes from simple beginnings, people often forget that. How did onion soup become so famous?

Onion soup has been around for a very long time. It may have existed since ancient Roman times. In the past, poor people liked onion soup because it can be made for many people with little money. In the old days, everyone had some onion plants in their garden. The Romans gave this soup the name "the soup of the poor".

In France, people started to make this soup in a new way around the 17th century. Some people argue about where the soup came from. One legend says that Louis XV made onion soup late at night after hunting. He used onions, butter, and champagne wine. The same story is said about the king who came before him, Louis XIV.

Nicolas Appert, who made the tin can, dedicated the onion soup to Stanislas Leszczynski, who used to be the King of Poland and the Duke of Lorraine. People say that Stanislas tried onion soup for the first time at an inn in Champagne, liked it a lot, and asked the cook to teach him how to make it. He made the soup famous at the Palace of Versailles.

In the 19th century at Les Hales in Paris, restaurateurs came up with the idea of adding grated cheese and placing bowls of soup under the grill. Thus prepared, the soup was much nourishing for the neighborhood's workers and night owls. The dish became known as "Gratinée des Halles" and was famous. Its success lasted until the middle of the 20th century and it continues to be popular but not as much as before. 

During the Restoration period, the "Diner de la soupe à l'oignon" society got together every three months they began their dinner with a bowl of onion soup. They maintained this ritual until each of them was elected to the Academie Francaise, which happened in 1845.

Interesting facts:

1. Also known as "soupe d'ivrognes" in France, this soup is generally eaten on New Year's Eve. It is said to have the ability to cover the undesirable effects of excessive alcohol; consumption.

2. It is also served on wedding nights. After the wedding, when the bride and groom go to their room, the witnesses often give them onion soup in a special bowl.

3. In 1861, Henri Mouquin introduced onion soup to the US through his restaurant in New York. It's typically served with croutons and Comté melted on top in a small dish after being placed under a special heater.