Oxtail soup is made from oxtail, a cheap cut of beef that requires slow, gentle, and long cooking to become tender. The name reflects a medieval English class distinction in which, after the Norman Conquest, the Anglo-Norman elite used beef for the prized cuts of meat while ox became the Saxon term for the less prized ones; the soup later became accepted into French cooking and today appears in cuisines worldwide.
Facts
Partially Attested
Origin Period, From (Year)Earliest known printed recipe; the dish may predate this published source Origin RegionEarliest documented recipes for this dish are English; the source does not establish this as the dish's ultimate origin beyond written record Origin Period, To (Year)Marks the second early printed recipe found by the source, used here to bracket the earliest documented period rather than a true closing date FAQs
When did oxtail soup first appear in English cookbooks?
Eliza Acton printed a recipe for it in 1845.
A recipe for oxtail soup was printed in English by Eliza Acton in 1845, who described it as an inexpensive and very nutritious soup.
Connections
Uses Ingredient
Source Oxtail soup, Wikipedia
In the Other Atlases
Originated In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject originated.
Source Oxtail soup, Wikipedia
Sources
1. Oxtail soup, Wikipedia
England section
In English usage the "ox" arises from the social divide that existed in England after the Norman Conquest: beef (boeuf) referred to the choice cuts reserved for the Anglo-Norman ruling class; the less esteemed parts of the animal, with which the conquered Anglo-Saxons had to be content, were referred to with the Saxon prefix "ox".
England section [origin-start-year]
In 1845 Eliza Acton printed a recipe, calling it "An inexpensive and very nutritious soup".
England section [origin-end-year]
Mrs Beeton (1861) offers a similar recipe, with the addition of a little port wine.
Introduction
Oxtail soup is made with oxtail, a cheap cut of beef.
Uses Ingredient: Beef, Lead section
made with oxtail, a cheap cut of beef
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