Yes. Iv'e also wondered who first approached our tasty friend, the lobster.
As far as gouache goes, I have been quite satisfied with Winsor & Newton for many years. Good thing, too, for theirs is about the only brand carried in US art stores. Shame that they discontinued their 10-step series of greys, though.
Of the handful of gouaches I've sampled by mail-order, I was favorably impressed by Holbein (the Japanese company, as you can tell by the name).
I also am one of the last beings on earth who still paints in casein. To my knowledge the one and only brand is Shiva. When they go out of business, I'm stuck.
