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Famous American Foods{{/B}} What, besides children, connects mothers around the world and across the seas of time? It's chicken soup, one prominent American food expert says. From Russian villages to Africa and Asia, chicken soup has been the remedy for those weak in body and spirit. Mothers passed their knowledge on to ancient writers of Greece, China and Rome, and even 12th century philosopher and physician Moses Maimonides extolled (赞美)its virtues. Among the ancients, Aristotle thought poultry should stand in higher estimation than four-legged animals because the air is less dense than the earth. Chickens got another boost (吹捧)in the Book of Genesis, where it is written that birds and fish were created on the fifth day, a day before four-legged animals. But according to Mimi Sheraton, who has spent much of the past three years exploring the world of chicken soup, much of the reason for chicken's real or imagined curative (治愈的)powers comes from its color. Her new book, "The Whole World Loves Chicken Soup", looks at the beloved and mysterious brew, with dozens of recipes from around the world. Throughout the ages, she said, "There has been a lot of feeling that white-colored foods are easier to eat for the weak woman and the ill". In addition, "soups, or anything for that matter eaten with a spoon" are considered "comfort foods" Sheraton said. "I love soup and love making soup and as I was collecting recipes I began to see this as an international dish. It has a universal mystique as something curative, a strength builder," Sheraton said from her New York home. Her book treats the oldest remedy as if it was brand new. The National Broiler Council, the trade group representing the chicken industry, reported that 51 percent of the people it surveyed said they bought chicken because it was healthier, 50 percent said it was versatile, 41 percent said it was economical and 46 percent said it was low in fat. |