I would like to welcome you to our series sharing Food Holidays: July 17th, 2022. Would you take a look at the holidays being celebrated today and let me know which holiday you most want to celebrate and why. Charlie and I can’t wait to celebrate National Ice Cream Day.
National Ice Cream Day
Thanks to President Reagan, we celebrate National Ice Cream Day every third Sunday in July, or in everyday terms July 17th of this year. Reagan wanted to commemorate a treat enjoyed by over 90 percent of the US population. In 1984, President Reagan decreed a day for Ice Cream, and Reagan’s proclamation actually glorified the dairy industry in America. In fact, Americans still lead the World when it comes to eating Ice Cream. 23 gallons a year to be precise. Reagan also proclaimed July as National Ice Cream month, describing Ice Cream as ‘‘a nutritious and wholesome food enjoyed by over ninety percent of the people in the United States.’’ Since then, the holiday has sparked worldwide cravings and is traditionally celebrated year after year. Standing in the frozen food aisle trying desperately to make a choice pick several flavors because you can never has to much Ice Cream.
WHEN IS NATIONAL ICE CREAM DAY 2022?
On July 18th.
HISTORY OF NATIONAL ICE CREAM DAY
There’s no known inventor that can be credited with creating Ice Cream, unfortunately but the history of Ice Cream is as rich as Gelato. It’s been said that Ice Cream-like food was first consumed in China sometime between 618-97 AD. The first dish was created from Flour, Buffalo Milk, and Camphor, an Organic compound commonly used in lotion. It’s also been noted that Alexander the Great adored Ice and Snow flavored with Nectar and Honey.
The Bible indicates that King Solomon enjoyed Iced Drinks during the harvest season. Speaking of homemade, during the Roman Empire, Caesar would send people to gather Snow from the Mountains, just to cover it in Fruit and Juices.
Close to a thousand years later in Italy, Marco Polo had returned from the Far East and brought back a recipe for what we now know as Sherbet. It is assumed that this recipe developed into what we now know as Ice Cream which was once called ‘‘Cream Ice.’ It was in 1660 that the general public was presented with Ice Cream. An Italian man named Francesco Procopio Dei Coltelli decided to perfect a machine made by his fisherman grandfather which produced top-quality Gelato in his Café. The recipe blended Milk, Butter, Eggs, and Cream and was sold in Paris.
The first mention of Ice Cream in the United States derives from a letter written in Maryland in 1744 by Governor William Bladen’s guest. Then, the New York Gazette on May 12th, 1777, printed the first advert for Ice Cream in the United States. Following the American Revolution, Ice Cream became super popular in the US.
Since then Ice Cream has exploded onto the desert scene with the creation of home machines, as well as the emergence of Ice Cream Vans, Ice Cream Floats, Sundaes, and well-known brands like ‘‘Ben and Jerry’s’’ or ‘‘Haagen-Dazs’’ that we still consume to this day. The effect of Ice Cream on Society is so great, that the brain of an Ice Cream lover has been likened to that of an addict. When the brain wants Ice Cream, it reacts like a passionate fanatic.
- Did you know one bushel of Corn weighs 56 pounds? Which is more than a large bag of dog food.
- Corn is America’s largest crop and accounts for more than 90 percent of the total value and production of feed grains.
- Family farmers grow 90 percent of America’s Corn.
- The United States produces 40 percent of the world’s Corn, more than any other Country.
- In the United States, 87 percent of all the Corn is grown utilizing only naturally occurring rainfall.
High Summer is peak season for Corn, what better day to celebrate National Corn Fritter Day than July 16th? People love eating Corn in Cornbread, Corn Salad, corn hash, Corn on the Cob but one of peoples very favorite was to eat Corn is Corn Fritters. A Fritter is a dish where some ingredient like Meat, Fruit, Vegetables, or you name it mixed with batter and fried. Corn Fritters originated as a dish in the South but now Corn Fritters can be found on menus throughout the Country. The traditional version includes a plain batter and Corn but you can find all sorts of variations. Just try Googling “Corn Fritter recipes” and you’ll get more than 800,000 results! Lots of people love Corn Fritters on their own as a snack pretty much any time of the day, or as a tasty side dish to round out any meal. Even breakfast. Pour yourself a glass of Iced Tea, let Summer wash over you as you take time to appreciate the fact that there’s an entire day dedicated to Corn Fritters.
NATIONAL CORN FRITTER DAY ACTIVITIES
- Corn Fritters are made out of ingredients most of us already have in our pantry: Flour, Baking Powder, Eggs, Milk, and Butter. All you need to do is mix the ingredients together, stir in Corn which can be fresh, canned, or frozen then fry the Corn Fritters up in hot Oil. Did you know you could even make a whole dinner party out of Corn Fritters and serve them alongside a bunch of Southern-inspired recipes.
- See if you can find a pick-your-own farm near you that grows Corn, and go pick Corn for your Corn Fritters. If you’re lucky they may have a Corn Maze you could walk through. If you can’t find a Farm, purchase fresh Corn on the Cob from your Supermarket and shuck the Corn yourself. Which is hard labor that will make the fresh Corn in your Corn Fritters taste better.
- Did you know Corn Fritters are also an incredibly popular dish in Indonesia? Over there they’re known as Perkedel Jagung. Their version is similar to our Corn Fritters, but with some key differences. They kick up the spice level by mixing Scallions, Shallots, and Garlic into the batter, then they deep fry the Fritters in Coconut Oil. Indian Pakoras are another form of Asian Fritter, which are delicious when made with Corn.
WHY PEOPLE LOVE NATIONAL CORN FRITTER DAY
- Corn is the number one crop grown in the United States, and we produce more Corn than any Country in the world. We grow so much Corn that there’s actually a region known as the Corn Belt. The majority of Corn goes into livestock feed or is turned into biofuel in the form of ethanol, but Corn is also a distinct ingredient in American cuisine. There’s a reason why no Fourth of July meal feels complete without some Corn dish.
- The traditional Corn Fritter recipe calls for savory ingredients, but many people choose to sweeten Corn Fritters up by dusting the Corn Fritters with Powdered Sugar or serving the Corn Fritters with a sweet topping like Honey, or Jam. The recipe is so simple, you can think of Corn Fritters as a blank canvas. Want to throw Onion in or chop up fresh Herbs like Parsley or Dill? Kick Corn Fritters up with Cayenne Powder?
- Let’s be honest: it’s hard to find a food that doesn’t taste better when fried which may not be the healthiest way to eat, but everything in moderation
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
