What we’ve learned is that if you can make the right decision in the supermarket aisle, it’s a heck of a lot easier to make a good decision when you reach in your cupboard when you’re craving a snack at eight o’clock at night. ~Tom Rath
Can’t argue that point. What I’m curious about is the word cupboard. I don’t recall ever using that word. Is it regional? What about sideboard and any number of other phrases* ending in board? Where did they come from? *There are over 100, acccording to Wordnik, but I’m staying close to the kitchen on this piece.
Cupboards first
Way back in the Middle Ages, people installed (stacked?) basic shelving to hold–wait for it–cups, or so Britannica tells us. Not a creative name, but more logical than much of what we see today. As ideas often evolve into something more complicated, the shelves became standalone objects. Then they sprouted doors.
My grandmother on my mother’s side had one she called a pie safe. That was another well-named piece. Back when houses were more likely to have open windows in the summer without screens, flies and other flying insects were problematic unless you wanted additives in your food. Putting pies (or whatever) into a cabinet with doors kept out not only winged creatures, but also rodents. If memory serves, Grandma’s had punched tin panels. This allowed air in, but nothing else. They were decorative, too, though I didn’t notice that at the time.
And Then Sideboards
Several sources indicate that sideboards evolved from common shelving in the dining area. Initially, shelves held plates intended for immediate use and perhaps prepared food. The only site I located that speculated on a timeframe for the shelving was Common Place, which referenced that shelving was a precursor to sideboards. They were used in Europe in the 16th century, but didn’t arrive in this country for another few hundred years. I don’t know this for a fact, but I’m guessing that those first log cabins didn’t have space for folderols.
In more affluent households, homeowners replaced the shelving with furniture that stored serving dishes and cutlery. As time and tastes moved on, the styles changed, and the sideboard became a significant dining room component–and always by the side of the dining table.
Charcuterie Board
This part was an eye-opener for me. I thought for sure charcuterie was a newfangled way to facilitate assuaging a crowd’s hunger before supper. Nope. The Rochambeau Boston site informed me that this has been a thing for hundreds of years. As you might guess by the name, the French started this trend. The word charcuterie, in its literal translation, means flesh cooked. Currently, it is generally envisioned as cured meat, a much more palatable phrase.
Either way, this edible display began as a way to avoid waste. When animals were slaughtered for food, not all the bits were suitable for frying or boiling, for example. Curing parts with salt and spices salvaged nutrients that would otherwise have been disposed of. That was a priority in the 15th century, when “waste not, want not” was more than a half-forgotten proverb. And, yes, they put the meat on a slab of wood. No one had Limoges porcelain until the 18th century, you see.
In any case, very early on, people sat down to eat at boards. Literally. Planks were laid across trestles and could therefore be disassembled when the space was needed for other activities. (Italy Web)
Shut the door!
Well, you can shut it if you have a sideboard or a modern cupboard. Speaking of the latter, some areas of the country use the word cupboard for closed shelving with doors in the kitchen. They’re cabinets to me. Whatever you call them, they do a great job of hiding disarray or mismatched crockery. The doors were a great addition, in my view.
As to the charcuterie board, they make a wonderful addition to any gathering, and the load they bear is most often tasty. Here’s the thing, though. That feast of salami and summer sausage and cheese and fruit? Almost everyone calls it charcuterie, but that isn’t strictly true. A charcuterie board highlights the meat and a cheeseboard has a high percentage of cheese. If you want to include cured meat, fruit, cheese, and sweets, a more accurate designation would be grazing board.
Now you know the difference. If you watch the video below, you may be tempted to silently correct the creator. I know I will be. Points lost for terminology, but many more gained for great ideas on spiffing up the presentation of your protein, dairy, fruit, and chocolate combo. Bon appétit!
From my three years in England, I can offer that the term “cupboard” was more widely used. I grew up on the term kitchen pantry. I think the kitchen pantry evolved into a small closet for canned food as the kitchens got larger.
It’s definitely a time and place term. I think of pantries as storage areas with a door that’s floor to ceiling.
I relate to cabinets. Doors do make a big difference -sight and safety. My early life had no refrigerator leftover food was put on a shelf and covered until the next meal. We have come a long way. Enjoyed the video
We have definitely come a long way. I remember Robbie covering the table/dishes with a cloth and eating from it again at the next meal. But nobody got sick that I know of.