Articles
National Daiquiri Day
Today’s spotlight is on the Daiquiri. Love them or hate them, today is their day.
The daiquiri is a cocktail made with rum, lime juice, and sugar. It is believed to have originated in in 1898 in the town of Daiquiri on the southeastern tip of Cuba near Santiago. Thus, the name comes from the beach where the first Daiquiri was created.
National Caviar Day
Today’s foods spotlight is on Caviar.
Caviar is made from the unfertilized fish eggs, or roe, of the female sturgeon. Sturgeon is a prehistoric species native to rivers and lakes in eastern Europe and central Asia. Only female sturgeon are used for caviar production because only female sturgeon produce roe for human consumption.
Traditionally, the term caviar referred only to the roe from wild sturgeon caught in the Caspian and Black Seas. This was the most prized type of caviar. However, overfishing in the region in the 1980s and '90s has depleted wild sturgeon populations, so caviar is now produced around the world. Farm-produced caviar has become popular.
Other forms of fish eggs, such as salmon, trout, and flying fish, are "roe" and are a popular and affordable alternative to caviar.
National Peach Ice Cream Day
Today we celebrate Peach Ice Cream.
The history of peach ice cream can be traced back to the 18th century, when ice cream was a luxury food that was only enjoyed by the wealthy. In 1900 a chef created a new version of the dessert containing peaches with raspberry puree. This fusion of flavors and ingredients led to the creation of peach ice cream.
National Gummy Worm Day
Today is National Gummy Worm Day. Gummy worms slithered onto the scene on July 15, the date on which we now mark as Gummy Worm Day.
Gummy worms were invented in the early 1980s by the German confectionery manufacturer Haribo. Haribo was known for their "Goldbären" (Gold Bears) gummy candies and wanted to introduce a new variation of their popular product.
National French Fries Day
Today is National French Fries Day.
French fries were likely invented in Belgium in 1680. During a cold winter, the Meuse River froze over, and people couldn't catch the small fish they usually fried and ate. Instead, they cut potatoes into strips and fried them in oil. Their name from American soldiers stationed in Belgium during World War I. The soldiers believed they were in France because part of Belgium speaks French. They called the fried potatoes "French fries".
National Pecan Pie Day
Today we put the spotlight on pecan pie. But before we take that first bite a little bit of background:
The history of pecan pie can be traced back thousands of years to Native Americans who used the nut's meat as a filling for their medicine pouches and in recipes like wampum belts. The colonists began using pecans as a food source, though they didn't begin to bake with them until the mid-1800s.
Legend has it that the French people who settled in New Orleans made the first pecan pie after eating pecans given to them by Native American tribes. Some also claim that pecan pie originated in Alabama in the early 1800s, but there is no written documentation to substantiate it.
Make Up Your Own Sundae Day
Today is dedicated to making up your own Sundae Day. What a fun way to spend an afternoon, inventing and then taste testing your own Sundae. But first a little background:
The ice cream sundae was invented in 1893 by Chester Platt, the owner of Platt & Colt's drugstore. Platt prepared a dish of vanilla ice cream for the Reverend John Scott on a Sunday. He spiced up the ice cream with cherry syrup and a candied cherry. Reverend Scott named the dish after the day.
Pick Blueberries Day
Today is as good as any other in blueberry season to pick fresh blueberries. The difference is that this day was set aside for that very purpose.
Blueberries are native to eastern and north-central North America. The low-bush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium) grows wild in the northeastern part of North America.
Blueberries were called “star fruits” by North American indigenous peoples because of the five-pointed star shape that is formed at the blossom. Tribal elders recounted how the Great Spirit sent “star berries” to ease the children's hunger during a famine.
National Sugar Cookie Day
The earliest form of sugar cookies was called jumbles.
The history of sugar cookies dates to the 7th century in Persia. Cookies spread to Europe through the Muslim conquest of Spain. By the 14th century, they were common in all levels of society throughout Europe, from royal cuisine to street vendors.
The sugar cookie as we know it today was created in the 1700s by German Protestant settlers in the Nazareth colony of Pennsylvania. The cookies were baked in the shape of the state's symbol, a keystone. These round, crumbly, buttery cookies came to be known as the Nazareth Cookie