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Bananas Foster

2025-10-11T02:36:39Z

2601:188:CB82:D170:1C66:268C:4660:E985: /* History */Copyedit to condense.

{{Short description|Dessert}}
{{Infobox prepared food
| name = Bananas Foster
| image = Brennan's Bananas Foster - 2011.jpg
| image_size = 240px
| caption = Bananas Foster at Brennan's
| alternate_name =
| country = United States
| region = [[New Orleans]], [[Louisiana]]
| creator = Paul Blangé and Ella Brennan<ref name="Brennan's">{{cite web|url=http://www.brennansneworleans.com/about-bananas-foster.php|title=About Bananas Foster| website= brennansneworleans.com| publisher= Brennan's| place= New Orleans| access-date=8 July 2017}}</ref> <br> Vieux Carré Restaurant
| year = 1951
| course = [[Dessert]]
| served =
| main_ingredient = [[Banana]]s, [[vanilla]] [[ice cream]], [[butter]], [[brown sugar]], [[cinnamon]], [[rum|dark rum]], [[liqueur|banana liqueur]]
| variations =
| calories =
| other =
| no_recipes = true 
}}
'''Bananas Foster''' is an American [[dessert]] made from [[banana]]s, with a sauce made from [[butter]], [[brown sugar]], [[cinnamon]], dark [[rum]], and banana [[liqueur]].<ref name= NOOnline>{{cite web| url= http://www.neworleansonline.com/neworleans/cuisine/traditionalfoods/bananasfoster.html| title= New Orleans Food: Bananas Foster| website= NewOrleansOnline.com| publisher= New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation| access-date= November 6, 2017}}</ref> The butter, sugar and bananas are cooked, and then alcohol is added and [[flambé|ignited]]. The bananas and sauce are then often served over [[vanilla]] [[ice cream]]. Popular toppings also include whipped cream and different types of nuts (pecans, walnuts, etc.). The dish is often prepared [[Gueridon service|tableside]] as a [[flambé]].

==Preparation==
Bananas Foster is made with cooked [[banana]]s served in a butter, [[brown sugar]] and [[rum]] sauce. The caramelized liquor-based sauce is often prepared via [[flambé]]. It may be served with [[vanilla]] [[ice cream]] or used as a [[crêpe]] filling.<ref>{{Cite book| publisher = The Experiment| isbn = 978-1-61519-036-2| last1 = Bronski| first1 = Kelli| last2 = Bronski| first2 = Peter| title = Artisanal Gluten-Free Cupcakes: 50 From-Scratch Recipes to Delight Every Cupcake Devotee-Gluten-Free and Otherwise| date = 2011}}</ref> [[Cinnamon]] and [[nutmeg]] may be added as seasoning.<ref>{{Cite book| publisher = Ulysses Press| isbn = 978-1-56975-832-8| last = Manley| first = Stephanie| title = CopyKat.com's Dining Out at Home Cookbook: Recipes for the Most Delicious Dishes from America's Most Popular Restaurants| date = 2010-04-01}}</ref>

== History ==
The dish was created at the original location of [[Brennan's]]<ref name="NOOnline" /> in [[New Orleans]], [[Louisiana]], when the restaurant was still known as Owen Brennan's Vieux Carré.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Miss Ella of Commander's Palace : "I don't want a restaurant where a jazz band can't come marching through"|last=Brennan, Ella|others=Martin, Ti Adelaide|isbn=978-1-4236-4255-8|edition=First|location=Layton, Utah|oclc=939911126|year = 2016}}</ref> In 1951, [[Ella Brennan]] and the restaurant's chef Paul Blangé worked together to modify a dish made by Ella's mother in the Brennan family home. At this time, New Orleans was a major hub for the import of bananas from South America. It was named for Richard Foster, the chairman of the New Orleans Crime Commission and a friend of restaurant owner [[Owen Brennan (restaurateur)|Owen Brennan]].<ref name= NOOnline />

<gallery widths="220px" heights="160px">
File:Banana's Foster - Brennan's.jpg|A waiter prepares Bananas Foster at Brennan's
File:Banana flambé - by Jenene.jpg|Bananas Foster includes a [[flambé]].
File:Bananas Foster at Stanley's.jpg|Bananas Foster French toast at a New Orleans restaurant
</gallery>

==See also==
{{portal|Louisiana|Food}}
* [[Cherries jubilee]]
* [[Cuisine of New Orleans]]
* [[List of American desserts]]
* [[List of banana dishes]]
* [[Louisiana Creole cuisine]]

==References==
{{Commons category}}
{{cookbook|Chocolate Bananas Foster}}
{{Reflist}}

{{Banana}}
{{ice cream}}

[[Category:Rum desserts]]
[[Category:Food and drink introduced in 1951]]
[[Category:American desserts]]
[[Category:Banana desserts]]
[[Category:Cuisine of New Orleans]]
[[Category:Flambéed foods]]
[[Category:Ice cream]]
[[Category:Foods with alcoholic beverages]]

Martell (cognac)

2025-10-11T02:17:47Z

2601:188:CB82:D170:1C66:268C:4660:E985: /* History */Refine link.

{{short description|Brand of cognac}}
{{more footnotes|date=March 2015}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Martell
| logo = Martell (cognac) logo.svg
| owner = [[Pernod Ricard]]
| founder = [[Jean Martell]]
| foundation = {{start date and age|1715}}
| location_city = [[Cognac, France|Cognac]]
| location_country = France
| products = [[Cognac]]
| revenue = {{increase}} €873.9 million (2022)
| website = {{URL|martell.com}}
}}

'''Martell''' is a [[cognac]] house founded in 1715 by [[Jean Martell]]. It is the oldest of the "big four" cognac houses (the others are [[Hennessy]], [[Rémy Martin]] and [[Courvoisier]]), who together produce most of the world's cognac.<ref name=mb>{{Cite web |title=Martell: Busting cognac myths |url=https://www.theweek.co.uk/84137/martell-busting-cognac-myths |access-date=2022-03-24 |website=The Week UK |date=2 May 2017 |language=en}}</ref> Formerly owned by the [[Seagram]] spirits empire, it is now part of the Martell Mumm Perrier-Jouët (MMPJ) subsidiary of the French wines and spirits conglomerate [[Pernod Ricard]].<ref name=nf>{{Cite book |last=Faith |first=Nicholas |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PdUVAgAAQBAJ&dq=martell+cognac&pg=PA183 |title=Cognac: The story of the world's greatest brandy |date=2013-09-13 |publisher=Infinite Ideas |isbn=978-1-909652-46-0 |language=en}}</ref> Martell's flagship Cordon Bleu, introduced in 1912, was for many years the world's highest-selling premium cognac.<ref name=nf/>

By 2015 Martell was producing around 14 million bottles of its cognacs a year,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Casale |first=Rocky |date=2015-07-31 |title=What 300 Years of Cognac Looks Like |url=https://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/07/31/martell-cognac-house-tour/ |access-date=2022-03-24 |website=[[T (magazine)|T]] |language=en-US}}</ref> making it the world's second-largest cognac producer behind [[Hennessy]].

==History==
[[File:Martell cognac house.jpg|thumb|House and distillery of Martell]]
[[Jean Martell]], a young merchant, was born on the island of [[Jersey]] in 1694.<ref name=df>{{Cite web |title=Cognac Martell (Société Martell and Co SA) - Story |url=https://www.diffordsguide.com/en-au/producer/1131/cognac-martell/story |access-date=2022-03-24 |website=www.diffordsguide.com |language=en}}</ref> It was then a location known for [[smuggling]], which may have led to his involvement in the liquor trade.<ref name=df/> In 1715 he began his own trading business at Gatebourse in Cognac,<ref name="LI1">{{cite web |url=http://www.luxury-insider.com/features/2011/profile-the-house-of-martell |title=Profile: The House of Martell |publisher=Luxury Insider |date=16 November 2011 |access-date=3 January 2017 |archive-date=25 November 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111125235042/http://www.luxury-insider.com/features/2011/profile-the-house-of-martell |url-status=dead }}</ref> on the banks of the [[Charente (river)|Charente]], and thus founded one of the first cognac houses. Variations of the logo he chose, a [[Swift (bird)|swift]] in combination with the Martell family [[coat of arms]], have been in use ever since.<ref name=df/>

Martell used grapes from the vineyards in the [[Borderies|Borderie]] subregion for his [[Eau de vie|''eaux-de-vie'']], and [[Forest of Tronçais|Tronçais]] oak for its casks, a combination that resulted in an exceptionally smooth cognac.<ref name="LI1" /> After Martell's death in 1753, his widow and then his two sons and grandson continued this tradition. They also developed an export business, and by 1814 Martell was the most consumed brandy in England. In 1831, Martell created its first [[Brandy|V.S.O.P.]] cognac.<ref name=mb/> The use of English-language designations like "very superior old pale" and "extra old" reflected aged cognac's status as primarily an export product.<ref name=mb/>

In 1795 a marriage between the [[Hennessy]] and Martell families<ref name=lmc>{{Cite book |last=Cullen |first=L. M. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qIJ6Hay1WGAC&dq=martell+cognac&pg=PA179 |title=The Brandy Trade Under the Ancien Régime: Regional Specialisation in the Charente |date=2002-06-20 |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |isbn=978-0-521-89098-4 |language=en}}</ref> cemented a strategic alliance that created an effective duopoly in the cognac market. Another marriage followed in 1865.<ref name=lmc/> While still in competition, the two companies also made joint decisions, for example introducing the star grading system at the same time.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Rothbaum |first=Noah |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=holNEAAAQBAJ&q=martell&pg=PT1922 |title=The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails |date=2021-10-14 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-067040-5 |language=en}}</ref> This semi-formal relationship was dissolved in 1947 after the death of Maurice Firino-Martell.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Faith |first=Nicholas |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2Z0WB5dExx0C&dq=hennessy%20cocktails&pg=RA1-PA1963 |title=Cognac |date=2004-04-15 |publisher=Octopus |isbn=978-1-84533-614-1 |language=en}}</ref>

[[File:Martell Cognac Cordon Bleu.jpg|thumb|left|125px|Cordon Bleu]]

In 1912 the marque launched Martell Cordon Bleu at the [[Hôtel de Paris]], its first post-[[phylloxera]] cognac. While sold without designation (Martell XO is a distinct product), it is regarded as the oldest [[XO cognac|XO]] equivalent cognac still in production, and is widely credited as the first mass-market premium cognac.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Martell Cordon Bleu |url=https://www.diffordsguide.com/en-au/beer-wine-spirits/1424/martell-cordon-bleu |access-date=2022-03-24 |website=www.diffordsguide.com |language=en}}</ref> Martell Cordon Bleu was served at the [[coronation]] of [[George V]], on the maiden voyage of the {{RMS|Queen Mary}}, and on board the [[Concorde]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=History {{!}} Martell Cognac |url=https://www.martell.com/en-ww/la-maison/history/ |access-date=2022-03-24 |website=www.martell.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

In 1987, [[Seagram]] took control of Martell in a deal worth around $600 million, reportedly attracted by cognac's high [[profit margin]].<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Greenhouse |first1=Steven |date=1987-12-17 |title=Seagram Makes an Offer for Martell |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/12/17/business/seagram-makes-an-offer-for-martell.html |access-date=2022-03-24 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> According to the ''[[The Wall Street Journal|Wall Street Journal]]'', Seagram largely neglected the brand, and while other cognac producers experienced a boom in the 1990s, driven by increased consumption among [[African Americans]], Martell's sales declined.<ref name=am>{{Cite web |last=McMains |first=Andrew |date=October 25, 1999 |title=Seagram's Martell in Review |url=https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/seagrams-martell-review-41218/ |access-date=2022-03-24 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="WSJ">{{Cite news |last=Ball|first=Deborah|date=2002-11-11 |title=Seagram Acquisition Proves To Be a Good Mix for Pernod |language=en-US |work=Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB1036958238890201308 |access-date=2022-03-24 |issn=0099-9660}}</ref> By 1998 it was selling less cognac in the United States than all of the other big four producers.<ref name=am/>

Seagram was broken up in 2001, and Martell was acquired by Pernod Ricard.<ref name="WSJ"/> Pernod repositioned the brand, making efforts to attract new consumers with multiple new product lines: Martell XO (released 2005), Martell Création Grand Extra (released 2007, in a bottle designed by the artist and glass designer Serge Mansau), L'Or de Jean Martell (released 2009). In 2011 the marque Martell expanded into an "ultra-prestige" range with Martell Chanteloup Perspective, a tribute to the know-how of the cellar masters and to the Domaine de Chanteloup.

In 2006, Martell joined the [[Comité Colbert]], an association that promotes French luxury houses on an international scale.

In 2010, Martell renewed its sponsorship with the [[Palace of Versailles]], which began in 2007, by supporting the restoration of the Queen's antechamber.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chateau of Versailles, press release 2010 |url=https://www.chateauversailles.fr/resources/pdf/en/presse/cp_jja_en_2010.pdf}}</ref>

==Products==
[[File:Map of Cognac Regions3.svg|thumb|300px|right|Map of the Cognac region]]
Martell selects crus from the Cognac region: Les Borderies, Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne and Fins Bois.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-11-17 |title=Martell Chateau de Chanteloup Borderies Cognac |url=https://whiskyauctioneer.com/lot/309902/martell-chateau-de-chanteloup-borderies-cognac |access-date=2022-03-24 |website=whiskyauctioneer.com |language=en}}</ref>

* Martell VSOP Médaillon
* Martell Noblige Cognac
* Martell Cordon Bleu
* Martell XO
* Martell Chanteloup
* Martell Création
* Martell Cohiba
* Martell L’Or de Jean
* Martell Blue Swift

==Marketing==
Martell sponsored the [[Grand National]] horse race between 1992 and 2004.<ref name=sw>{{Cite web |date=2003-10-31 |title=Spirits & Wines: Martell takes a bold new direction |url=https://www.moodiedavittreport.com/spirits-wines-martell-takes-a-bold-new-direction/ |access-date=2022-03-24 |website=The Moodie Davitt Report |language=en-GB}}</ref>

Like its chief rival Hennessy, Martell has targeted [[African Americans|African American]] consumers in the United States.<ref name=sw/> In 2022, it teamed with [[Janelle Monáe]] in a campaign celebrating black [[mixologists]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Janelle Monáe And Martell Cognac Honor Black Mixologists In 'Soar Beyond The Expected' Campaign |url=https://www.essence.com/lifestyle/janelle-monae-martell/ |access-date=2022-03-24 |website=Essence |language=en-US}}</ref>

==In popular culture==
A bottle of Martell Cordon Bleu can be seen in the opening scene of ''[[Apocalypse Now]]'' (1979), on the bedside table of Captain Willard (played by [[Martin Sheen]]).<ref>{{Citation |title=Hotelroom Freakout Scene - Apocalypse Now | date=8 March 2019 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXL5_tc8UyY |language=en |access-date=2022-03-24}}</ref>

The "[[Poe Toaster]]" is the name given to a mysterious figure who, formerly, would visit the site of [[Edgar Allan Poe]]'s original grave in Baltimore on the anniversary of [[Death of Edgar Allan Poe|the writer's death]]. He would pour a glass of Martell and raise a toast. He then would arrange three red roses on the monument in a distinctive configuration and depart, leaving the unfinished bottle.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mysterynet.com/books/testimony/edgar-allan-poe-baltimore.shtml|title=Edgar Allan Poe in Baltimore – Museum and Story of the Toaster|publisher=MysteryNet.com|access-date=January 19, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090124010426/http://www.mysterynet.com/books/testimony/edgar-allan-poe-baltimore.shtml|archive-date=January 24, 2009}}</ref> Several of the Martell bottles are kept at the [[Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum]] in Baltimore.<ref>Meehan, S. (May 22, 2014). Edgar Allan Poe house to reopen Saturday under new nonprofit's oversight. [http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/news/2014/05/22/edgar-allan-poe-house-to-reopen-saturday-under-new.html Baltimore Business Journal], retrieved October 6, 2015.</ref>

==See also==
* [[Cognac]]
* [[Hennessy]]
* [[Pernod Ricard]]
* [[List of cocktails#Brandy|Cocktails made with cognac or brandy]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{official|http://martell.com}}

{{Portal bar|France|Liquor|Drink}}
{{Alcoholic drinks}}
{{Pernod Ricard}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1715 establishments in France]]
[[Category:Cognac brands]]
[[Category:Distilleries in France]]
[[Category:Pernod Ricard brands]]
[[Category:French companies established in 1715]]
[[Category:Food and drink companies established in 1715]]
[[Category:Spirit drinks manufacturers]]

Charente (river)

2025-10-11T01:59:21Z

2601:188:CB82:D170:1C66:268C:4660:E985: /* Navigation */Grammar.

{{Short description|River in southwestern France}}
{{Infobox river
| name = Charente
| native_name ={{native name|oc|Charanta}}
| image = Charente à Tonnay.jpg
| image_caption = The Charente in [[Tonnay-Charente]]
| map = La Charente et ses affluents principaux.png
| map_caption = The Charente and its main tributaries
| mapframe = yes
| mapframe-zoom = 7
| source1_location = [[Haute-Vienne]]
| mouth_location = [[Atlantic Ocean]]
| mouth_coordinates = {{coord|45|57|24|N|1|4|56|W|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type1 = Country
| subdivision_name1 = [[France]]
| length = {{convert|381|km|mi|abbr=on}}
| source1_elevation =
| discharge1_avg = {{convert|40|m3/s|cuft/s|abbr=on}}
| basin_size = {{convert|10000|km2|mi2|abbr=on}}
| extra =
}}

The '''Charente''' ({{IPA|fr|ʃaʁɑ̃t|lang|Fr-Paris--Charente.ogg}}; {{langx|oc|Charanta}} {{IPA|oc|tʃaˈɾantɔ|}}) is a {{convert|381|km|mi|adj=on}} long river in southwestern France.<ref name=sandre>{{sandre|id=R---0000|nom=La Charente}}</ref>
Its source is in the [[Haute-Vienne]] ''[[departments of France|département]]'' at [[Chéronnac]], a small village near [[Rochechouart]]. It flows through the departments of [[Haute-Vienne]], [[Charente]], [[Vienne (department)|Vienne]] and [[Charente-Maritime]]. The river flows into the [[Atlantic Ocean]] near [[Rochefort, Charente-Maritime|Rochefort]].

==Navigation==
The Charente was described by the French king [[Francis I of France|François I]] as 'the most beautiful river in the kingdom', and was navigable in its natural state until mills were erected at many locations in the 14th century.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Inland Waterways of France|last=Edwards-May|first=David|publisher=Imray Laurie Norie & Wilson Ltd|year=2010|isbn=978-1-846230-14-1|location=St Ives, Cambs., UK|pages=67}}</ref> Some locks were built but through navigation remained impossible for centuries. Improvements to the navigation were projected under Louis XVI in 1772, but work was interrupted by the Revolution. The project was revived under the Restoration and canalisation completed in 1835. The waterway was abandoned in 1957. The ''départements'' took over operation in 1963, and the waterway is now entirely recreational for the 164 km to the town of [[Angoulême]].

The historic towns of [[Cognac, France|Cognac]], [[Jarnac]], [[Saintes, Charente-Maritime|Saintes]] and [[Rochefort, Charente-Maritime|Rochefort]] make the river a popular destination for boaters, mainly in rental boats, with moorings provided at most towns and villages along the route. The [[Lock (water transport)|locks]] are {{convert|34.8|by|6.5|metres|ft}}.<ref name=fluvia>[http://www.fluviacarte.com/fr/voies-navigables/region-centre-ouest-3/voie-charente-45 Charente (amont et aval)], Fluviacarte</ref>

==Tributaries==
[[Tributaries]] include the rivers [[Antenne]], [[Boëme]], [[Né (river)|Né]], Coran, [[Seugne]], Bramerit, [[Boutonne]], Arnoult, Touvre and [[Bonnieure]].<ref name="sandre" />

The river Boutonne is navigable over a distance of 31 km to Saint-Jean-d'Angély, but a barrier at the confluence prevents access except under exceptional conditions.

==Towns==
Towns and villages include [[Vergeroux]], [[Soubise, Charente-Maritime|Soubise]], [[Rochefort, Charente-Maritime|Rochefort]] and [[Tonnay-Charente]] on the tidal river, and [[Saint-Savinien]], [[Taillebourg, Charente-Maritime|Taillebourg]], [[Saintes, Charente-Maritime|Saintes]], [[Cognac, France|Cognac]], [[Jarnac]], Saint-Simon and [[Angoulême]] on the navigable river, while [[Montignac-Charente]] and [[Civray, Vienne|Civray]] are on the river's upper course.

==See also==
* [[Kaolin deposits of the Charentes Basin]]
* [[History of Charente]]

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
*[http://www.french-waterways.com/waterways/west/charente-boutonne/ River Charente and River Boutonne], with maps and details for navigation, by the author of ''Inland Waterways of France'', referenced above
*[http://www.french-waterways.com/waterways/canals-rivers-france/ Navigation details for 80 French rivers and canals] (French waterways website section)

{{commons category|Charente River}}
{{Rivers of France}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Charente (River)}}
[[Category:Rivers of France]]
[[Category:Charente basin| ]]
[[Category:Rivers of Charente]]
[[Category:Rivers of Charente-Maritime]]
[[Category:Rivers of Haute-Vienne]]
[[Category:Rivers of Vienne (department)]]
[[Category:Rivers of Nouvelle-Aquitaine]]