Crisco
Crisco is a trademark in the United States , mainly with the since 1911 as vegetable frying and shortening sold shortening is associated with the same name. The brand originally belonged to Procter & Gamble , but has been part of The JM Smucker Company since it was sold in 2002 .
history
The Procter & Gamble company made candles and soaps at the beginning of the 20th century. With the invention and growing popularity of the light bulb, the company was threatened with a slump in sales of candles, so they looked for an alternative sales opportunity for the cottonseed oil used in production. In 1908 , the German chemist Edwin C. Kayser who worked for the company developed a process with which cottonseed oil can be partially hardened by hydrogenation . Additional hydrogen atoms are built into the fatty acid chains, with the result that the fat retains a firm consistency at normal storage temperatures and does not go rancid even if stored for a long time.
The use of these hydrogenated fats in soaps has not been found to be satisfactory. At the same time the candle market collapsed due to the increasing spread of electricity. Since the hardened cottonseed oil was reminiscent of lard in appearance and consistency , Procter & Gamble decided to sell it as food. The original name was supposed to be Krispo, but had to be changed due to trademark problems. Cryst's second suggestion failed because of its aural resemblance to Christ . The name Crisco is derived from " crys tallized c ottonseed o il". It was the first purely vegetable shortening on the market.
Procter & Gamble launched an advertising campaign targeting American housewives directly touting Crisco as a healthier alternative to lard and butter . Contributing to its success was that from 1912 free cookbooks entitled The Story of Crisco were distributed, in which every recipe required the use of Crisco.
Products
Crisco was originally made from 100% partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil . In 1960 a vegetable oil came on the market. The Puritan Oil, developed in 1976, was mixed with sunflower oil , it was supposed to represent a lower-cholesterol alternative. Puritan Oil has been made from 100% rapeseed oil since 1988 . The range also includes corn oil , olive oil , peanut oil and cooking sprays .
After the trans fatty acids , which are produced in the industrial production of partially hydrogenated fats, came under increasing criticism from nutritionists, the JM Smucker Company changed the recipe for Crisco in January 2007. Crisco is now made from a mixture of fully hydrogenated cottonseed oil and partially hydrogenated soy and cottonseed oil. This means that it contains less than 0.5 g of trans fatty acids per serving (12 g) and can therefore be described as trans fat-free in the USA according to the definition of the American Food and Drug Administration . According to the company, the cooking properties and taste should not have changed.
Other uses
Crisco as a home remedy
Crisco is also a widely used home remedy in the United States . It is used to avoid chafing the skin, for example diaper rash in babies. It is also used as a make-up base, lubricant, stain remover and for wood care.
Crisco as a lubricant
Crisco is a popular lubricant for anal intercourse and fisting , especially in the US gay scene . In the 1970s it became more widespread than petroleum jelly , benefiting from the fact that it is cheap, odorless and widely available. Large containers that can be immersed with the whole hand are also advantageous for fisting . Among other things, it gave its name to the gay Crisco Disco in New York . Its use has declined since the discovery of the HI virus because, like all greasy lubricants, it attacks latex and can tear latex- based condoms and gloves.
Trivia
In the comedy Big Mama's House , Crisco is used as an obstetrician in addition to the preparation of food (“The baby should be born like a baby”), which is supposed to be an allusion to the versatile uses of Crisco. However, Crisco is only mentioned in the English version. In the German dubbed version, clarified butter is used instead .
The many possible uses of Crisco are also emphasized in the film The Help .
In addition, the frying fat Crisco was also mentioned musically. In 1984 Frankie Goes to Hollywood released the song Crisco Kisses on their album Welcome to the Pleasuredome . This deals with the aforementioned function of Crisco as a lubricant. Crisco is also mentioned in the song Broken Hearts Are for Assholes by Frank Zappa .
In the series Scrubs, Season 5, Episode 14 (My Own Personal Hell), JD Keith rubs Crisco on his back instead of sunscreen.
literature
- Rh Value Publishing: Cooking With Crisco Oil . Spiral edition, Crescent books, Avenel (New Jersey / USA) 1985, ISBN 0-51749-040-4 . (English; cookbook)
- Davis Dyer, Rising Tide: Lessons from 165 Years of Brand Building at Procter & Gamble . 2nd ed., Harvard Business School Press, Boston (Massachusetts / USA) 2005, ISBN 1-59139-147-4 . (English; pp. 51–52, 64, 184: "Crisco"; excerpts are also available online as a PDF file )
Web links
- Official website (English)
- The Rise and Fall of Crisco , article by Linda Joyce Forristal