Welcome to our series sharing Food Holidays: July 28th, 2022. Today is National Milk Chocolate Day. I don’t know about you but Charlie and I love Milk Chocolate. Most of the time you will find some in our Ice Box just like in David’s dads. If you would like to join us for some Milk Chocolate we would love to have you.
Calling all chocolate lovers today is National Milk Chocolate Day which is celebrated annually on July 28th. When solid Chocolate is combined with either powdered, liquid or condensed Milk; it’s known as Milk Chocolate. Milk Chocolate is the most popular member of the Chocolate family because it’s creamy, smooth and mostly used in Candy Bars. It is believed that in the mid-1800s, Milk Chocolate was first created as a beverage in Germany. The first Milk Chocolate, in the form of a bar that we all recognize today, was created by Swiss chocolatier Daniel Peter while collaborating with Henri Nestlé, the founder of his Nestlé chocolate company. If you’re a true chocoholic, get ready to celebrate Milk Chocolate!
NATIONAL MILK CHOCOLATE DAY ACTIVITIES
- Today is National Milk Chocolate Day, today’s task is a delicious one. Grab your favorite Milk Chocolate Candy Bar. With choices including Caramel, or Cookie Nugget it’s your choice which Candy Bar to choose. Spend some time licking the melted Chocolate off your fingers.
- During the Victorian era, baking a Cake was expensive because sweet ingredients including Sugar, Chocolates and exotic Fruits, were considered luxuries. Only the nobility or the upper middle class could afford Cakes for birthdays, Weddings and Holidays. As prices dropped, every special occasion included a Cake, ideally made out of Milk Chocolate and containing multiple layers.
- Dessert Cocktails are perfect when you’re having a Chocolate craving. Dessert Cocktails are rich, creamy and made to satisfy that sweet tooth. Your favorite Alcoholic Beverage can be a perfect complement to Milk Chocolate.
WHY PEOPLE LOVE NATIONAL MILK CHOCOLATE DAY
- Nothing gets us more excited to bake than the idea of whipping up a Milky, Chocolaty dessert when there done. Whether the recipe uses Milk Chocolate Chips or a Milk Chocolate Candy Bar, a Chocolate craving provides the perfect excuse to create a totally self-indulgent treat. Chocolate Pudding, Chocolate Chip Cookies, or whatever dessert you choose, just as long as the main ingredient is Milk Chocolate.
- We all know you can eat the sweet treat but did you know there are other uses for Milk Chocolate? Milk Chocolate is sometimes used in products for hair or skin care because Milk Chocolate contains little-known ingredients that are beneficial to our skin. The level of antioxidant compounds in Cocoa is higher than that of green tea, black tea or red wine.
- The nutritional benefits of milk chocolate are not as extensive as those found in dark chocolate. But Milk Chocolate still has a lot going for it. For example, Milk Chocolate gives you stamina because Milk Chocolate stimulates your brain and emotions. Also, eaten in moderation, Milk Chocolate gives our bodies the fat we need in our daily diet.
Facts about Chocolate
- More than 50 percent of adults in the US prefer Chocolate to any other flavor.
- Americans eat 2.8 billion pounds of Candy annually. About half of that Candy is Chocolate.
- The word Chocolate comes from “Xocolatl,” the Aztec word that means “bitter Water.”
- Eating Chocolate can help prevent tooth decay and works as an anti-bacterial agent.
- The Ivory Coast produces more Cocoa than any Country in the world which makes for 37 percent of it.
Holiday Origins: National Milk Chocolate Day is an “unofficial” national holiday started by the National Confectioners Association in the 1970’s.
Every May 28, is National Hamburger Day which celebrates America’s most iconic food. Did you know Americans eat over 50 billion Hamburgers a year? It’s only fitting we set aside a whole day for Hamburgers. Originating in Hamburg, Germany, the Hamburger as we know it was developed in Seymour, Wisconsin, a town still famous for its Hamburger heroics.
HISTORY OF NATIONAL HAMBURGER DAY
The Hamburger is a baked Bun, Beef Patty, Mustard, Ketchup, Onion, Pickles, Cheese is your choice. Convenient, cheap, and delicious, the world-famous Hamburger has a storied and uncertain history. No one is quite sure about the origins of the Hamburger, other than that the Hamburger is eponymously named for the town of Hamburg in Germany.
People have been eating cooked Meat on Bread for Centuries, but the association with Hamburg seems to stem from a 1758 recipe for a dish called the “Hamburg Sausage.” Others think the name originates from a cruise company known as the Hamburg America Line, which served its passengers similar sandwiches in the Mid-1800s. To this day, there is little agreement over who actually created the iconic food.
Numerous deli and diner owners across the United States claim that their joint is responsible for inventing the Hamburger. However, there seems to be some consensus amongst historians that the food as we know it today truly gained popularity at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis, an event that also gave us the Ice-Cream Cone. However it happened, the Hamburger has grown to be one of the world’s most widely consumed food items, found on menus from Texas to Thailand. Hamburgers can be had for a dollar apiece or made from gourmet ingredients that cost hundreds. However you decide to chow down, this holiday is for you. Fire up the grill, gather your family, and cook up Hamburgers.
TRADITIONS OF THE DAY
The Hamburger a juicy Beef Patty cooked to perfection, topped with your favorite add-ons and condiments, and wedged in a lightly toasted Bun. Don’t forget the French Fries. Grills are fired up, and family can gather for a barbecue cookout. Hamburger lovers all pitch in their tried-and-tested methods for making the ‘best Hamburger’ and eat to their heart’s content.
Of course, the highlight of the day is the Hamburger, so pretty much every eatery participates in putting forward their best Hamburgers and offering specials today. Food marketing goes into overdrive as iconic Hamburger franchises offer special Hamburger editions for the holiday and bring back limited editions of great deals from the past. Many people get out of their comfort zone and try different hamburgers. There are so many types to choose from including Chicken Burgers, Buffalo Burgers, Veggie Burgers, and the latest in recent years, the ‘Impossible Burger’ with a Patty that isn’t made from Meat at all!
We don’t acknowledge this often, but some of our best memories have been shared over Hamburger meals. Including a first date, coupons and rewards at work by the boss, and discovering different Sauces and Spice blends for the perfect Hamburger.
BY THE NUMBERS
1921 – was the year when the oldest burger chain ‘White Castle’ was founded.
49 cents – was the price at which the McDonald’s Big Mac was introduced.
40 billion – is the estimated number of Hamburgers consumed by Americans in a year.
$15,000 – is the number of dollars offered by PETA once to the town of Hamburg, New York, to change their name to ‘Veggieburg.’
4 – is the average number of Hamburgers eaten by every American in a week.
1 nickel – was the price at which White Castle’s first Hamburger was sold.
60% – the percentage of all Sandwiches sold in the world that are Hamburgers.
2,014 pounds – the weight of the world’s biggest Hamburger, at Black Bear Resort Casino in Minnesota.
10 feet – is the diameter of the world’s biggest Hamburger.
75 – is the number of McDonald’s Big Macs sold every minute.
NATIONAL HAMBURGER DAY FAQS
- There are plenty of Veggie Burger or Garden Burger recipes. Check a cookbook or the internet and find your favorite recipe!
- Hamburgers don’t have to be the fatty, rich indulgences we know them as. Using thinner Patties, more Veggies, and grilling instead of frying your hamburgers helps keep things on the lighter side.
- Every year, major chains including White Castle and Dairy Queen, run special promotions for the holiday. Check around at your favorite restaurants to see if you can catch a deal!
NATIONAL HAMBURGER DAY ACTIVITIES
- Fire up the grill! Then set up the lawn chairs, Get the Ice Chest our and fill with Ice, then get to grilling. The best way to enjoy a homemade Hamburger is surrounded by family.
- Get fancy with Burgers today as many fine dining establishments serve high-end Hamburgers. Sample a Hamburger made with Wagyu Beef, or Truffles.
- The fast-food Hamburger is nearly synonymous with the food itself. Sometimes, you want a cheap and fast Hamburger. Pull around to your local fast-food joint and score some inexpensive eats.
5 MOUTH-WATERING HAMBURGER FACTS
- Over half of all Sandwiches sold worldwide are Hamburgers.
- The world’s most expensive hamburger retails for over $5,000.
- During the first World War, Hamburgers were called “Liberty Sandwiches”
- Did you know there is a Hamburger Hall of Fame? In the purported birthplace of the Sandwich, Seymour, Wisconsin.
- Americans eat, on average, 3 Hamburgers a week.
WHY PEOPLE LOVE NATIONAL HAMBURGER DAY
- Hamburgers are popular for a reason; they taste great. Today is a great excuse to munch on Hamburgers.
- Hamburgers are synonymous with Summertime cookouts and beach picnics. Pulling out the grill and offering to cook hamburgers is an excellent way to spend time with,family.
- The recipe for the Hamburger is so well established why not have some fun with the Hamburger today? Let today be your opportunity to come up with all kinds of crazy Hamburgers, and have fun cooking.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
