Food Holidays: April 18th, 2022

The Mommies Reviews

Good evening, I wanted to bring you our series sharing Food Holidays: April 18th, 2022. Would you take a look at the Holidays being celebrated today and let me know which Holiday you most want to celebrate? As for me I will not celebrate either Holiday.

Although, if you ask David which Holiday, he most wants to share he would say National Soft-Serve Ice Cream Day. While Charlie says he would rather celebrate National Hot & Spicy Day with his grandmother Sherry who loves all things Spicy just like her grandson.

National Soft-Serve Ice Cream Day

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5 amazing Ice Cream facts:

  1. Did you know average dairy Cow can produce enough Milk in her lifetime to make a little over 9,000 gallons of Ice Cream.
  2.  The first Ice Cream recipe was handwritten in the recipe book of Lady Anne Fanshawe in 1665.
  3. Chocolate Ice Cream was invented long before Vanilla. The first documented recipe for Chocolate Ice Cream appeared in the book The Modern Steward, published in Italy in 1692.
  4. In the U.S., all Ice Cream needs to have a minimum of 10% Milkfat if it is to be labeled “Ice Cream”. Including Custard based French Style Ice Creams.
  5.  The Häagen-Dazs brand was established by two Americans. Reuben and Rose Mattus. The name was made up to sound Danish and sophisticated. The Danish language does not actually use umlauts.

Besides being a great excuse to consume Soft-Serve Ice Cream like there’s no tomorrow. National Soft Ice Cream Day on August 19th reminds us of all our best memories involving the dessert. Including visiting the County Fair to the Amusement Park. Soft Serve Ice Cream seems to pop up only in the happiest of places. Soft Serve Ice Cream has a fascinating history as well! 

HISTORY OF NATIONAL SOFT ICE CREAM DAY

Though there’s evidence that the first real Ice Cream possibility originated as early as 200 B.C. There aren’t any notable stories from the time. Early tales of Ice Cream include Alexander the Great and Emperor Nero of Rome, both of whom enjoyed flavored Snow and Ice. After Marco Polo came back to Italy from the East with an Ice-Cream-like recipe, it took off in Europe. By the end of the 16th Century. ‘Cream Ice’ was featured on the table of Charles I and, in 1553, Catherine de’ Medici brought Ice Cream to France after marrying Henry II of France. 

America, which was later the birthplace of Soft-Serve Ice Cream, wasn’t introduced to the dessert until the 1740s. While it may have been at dinner tables earlier, Ice Cream first appeared in advertisements in the U.S. in 1777. George Washington’s estate at Mount Vernon featured two Ice Cream Pots, and he reportedly spent over $200 on Ice Cream over one Summer!

It wasn’t until the 1800s that Ice Cream became accessible for the general public. Thanks to newly constructed Ice Houses and Ice Cream manufacturing. By the middle of the Century, Ice Cream manufacture and sales of Ice Cream was a booming industry. Ice Cream became part of American Culture. Leading to the emergence of Soda Fountains and Sundaes. By World War II, Ice Cream was brought to troops to boost morale. Floating Ice Cream Parlors were built for Sailors in the Pacific.

Around the time of World War II, Soft Ice Cream was born. Though, there’s a battle over who started Soft Serve Ice Cream. Carvel claims that the father of their brand, Tom Carvel, accidentally created Soft Ice Cream when his Ice Cream truck caught a flat tire, and he was forced to quickly sell off his melting wares. Tom Carvel soon returned and set up a permanent shop selling his Softened Ice Cream. Dairy Queen also claims to have invented Soft-Serve Ice Cream in Illinois, when J.F. McCullough and his son perfected their formula. They held a massively successful all-you-can-eat trial at their friend’s store. There are also reports that Margaret Thatcher, former U.K. Prime Minister, helped develop American Soft-Serve recipes while working as a chemist at a food manufacturer!

We can’t know for sure how Soft-Serve Ice Cream came to be, or what involvement Margaret Thatcher had in it. Since those Scientists innovated upon the Centuries-old classic, Soft-Serve Ice Cream has been a staple at some of the most exciting venues. Including sporting events, amusement parks, and fairs! Today, most people can conjure up a memory of Soft Serve Ice Cream from childhood.

NATIONAL SOFT ICE CREAM DAY ACTIVITIES

  1. While Soft Serve Ice Cream isn’t simple to make at home, today is a great day to try your hand at making regular Ice Cream. All you need is Cream, Sugar, and Ice. There are many recipes online to test out today!
  2. Have an ice cream taste test. No two Soft Serve Ice Cream are equal. Round up friends and take a soft Ice Cream tour of the City. Taste test as much as your stomach lets you!
  3. That beautiful Soft-Serve Ice Cream swirl is basically art which deserves a spot on our Instagram feed or on Social Media today.

5 FUN FACTS ABOUT SOFT ICE CREAM

  1. Between the prepared liquid mix, precise machinery, and the art of dispensing, making Soft Serve Ice Cream proves more complicated than making hard Ice Cream!
  2. An average serving of Soft Serve Ice Cream contains 35% air. Keeping the Soft Serve Ice Cream fluffier than hard Ice Cream!
  3. According to one statistic, 70% of people will choose Soft-Serve over hard Ice Cream. Not me. How about you?
  4. Another reason to love Ice Cream’s younger sibling, Soft Serve Ice Cream has 3–6% Milkfat, while Ice Cream has 10–18% Milkfat.
  5. In parts of Europe, Soft Serve Ice Cream isn’t called ‘Soft-Serve,’ but rather ‘American Ice Cream. If you want a Soft Cone in Greece or Romania, you might order ‘Machine Ice Cream,’ while, in Ireland, you’d ask for ‘Soft Whip.’

WHY PEOPLE LOVE NATIONAL SOFT ICE CREAM DAY

  1. National Soft Serve Ice Cream Day is one of the most delicious Holidays of the year. One of the best desserts around. No low-fat or frozen Yogurt it’s Soft Ice Cream all the way!
  2. While Ice Cream has been around in some form for thousands of years, Soft Serve Ice Cream had its start in the 1940s! Soft Serve Ice Cream is a truly delicious innovation of a fantastic dessert.
  3. Over the years, Soft Serve Ice Cream has come to be associated with fairs, carnivals, and amusement parks. The first lick of a Soft Serve Ice Cream Cone brings back happy childhood memories for many of us.

*National Hot & Spicy Food Day

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Five facts about spicy foods:
  1. Did you know people who love Spicy food are called Pyro-gourmaniacs.
  2. Christopher Columbus discovered Chili Peppers when he first visited the Americas in 1493.
  3. Garlic, Chilies, Onions, Allspice, and Oregano have all been proven to kill bacteria making food safer to consume.
  4. The best way to ease the burn of flaming Hot Peppers is with cold Milk or Yogurt. 

January 16th is International Hot and Spicy Food Day. A Holiday where you get to celebrate some of the spiciest dishes in the world. Every Country on the globe has its cooking style and recipes. While some nations eat mild food, others enjoy hot food dishes that will make you gulp down a jug of Water. Yes, there are some super spicy dishes available. Guess what, people aren’t afraid to consume these dishes. Here’s a tip before you head out on a spice-eating spree, make sure your stomach can handle the Chili.

HISTORY OF INTERNATIONAL HOT AND SPICY FOOD DAY

Spices have been consumed for over 6,000 years to add flavor to a dish and for their many health benefits. For instance, spices can combat inflammation and have healing properties. It’s due to these reasons that spices grew popular in ancient times.

Ancient Greeks imported Eastern spices including Pepper, Cassia, Cinnamon, and Ginger to the Mediterranean since spices and herbs played a role in medical science. According to sources, around 460 to 377 B.C. Hippocrates wrote of herbs and spices that included Saffron, Cinnamon, Thyme, Coriander, Mint, and Marjoram. The “Father of Botany,” as Theophrastus was known, in his two books, wrote about 600 spices and herbs in the period between 372 B.C. and 287 B.C. Romans created another use for spices and often utilized them in spice-flavored Wines and Spice-scented Balms and Oils. Some spices also were used in poultices and healing plasters due to their healing properties. Curcumin too was used in Ayurvedic medicine to treat conditions including Arthritis, Autoimmune Disorders, Headaches, and Nausea.

That is not all. Capsaicin, an active component of Chili Peppers, is known to destroy Cancer cells. A 2015 U.S. and China study found that eating spicy food six or seven days a week lowered mortality rate by If you never liked spicy food, it is about time you change your diet. It’s a decision you will enjoy for the rest of your life.

HOW TO CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL HOT AND SPICY FOOD DAY

  1. To celebrate the Holiday experience different types of spicy food, or head out to a restaurant that serves Mexican or Indian food dishes.
  2. If you don’t want to eat something too Spicy cook a dish of your choice and adjust the spice level. Including Chilies stuffed with Chicken and Cheese?
  3. If you want to spice things up? Hold a Chili eating contest. Then you can see who eats most Chilies in 10 minutes.

5 FUN FACTS ABOUT SPICY FOOD

  1. Mexico has over 60 species of spices.
  2. If you are looking to lose weight eat hot and spicy food to reduce weight and boost metabolism.
  3. Carolina Reaper is the world’s hottest Chili states, the “Guinness World Records.”
  4. Japan’s Pepper is known as ‘Shishito.’
  5. A cup of Chili Peppers has about 107 mg of Vitamin C.

WHY INTERNATIONAL HOT AND SPICY FOOD DAY IS IMPORTANT

  1. This Holiday highlights spicy food and brings business to Mexican and Indian restaurants. Spicy Foods means more tips for the waiters too!
  2. Spicy food has some advantages for the immune system and digestive health and this holiday plays an essential role in highlighting them.
  3. On International Hot and Spicy Food Day, several interesting dishes one heard of comes to the forefront. It’s a cultural experience.

Thank you,

Glenda, Charlie and David Cates