Good morning, how are you? I wanted to share our series featuring Food Holidays: May 18th, 2022 with you. It’s National Cheese Souffle Day and as much as I love Chesse and so do David and Charlie none of us have had a Cheese Souffle have you?
National Cheese Souffle Day
National Cheese Soufflé Day is celebrated on May 18th to honor this savory French recipe. On this day, people make and enjoy Cheese Soufflés, either alone or with friends and family. The word ‘Soufflé’ comes from the French word ‘souffler,’ which means ‘to puff up’ or ‘to blow up.’ Vincent La Chapelle mentioned the recipe for the first time in his book “Le Cuisinier Moderne” and the Cheese Souffle has become a popular dessert as well as a main course.
HISTORY OF NATIONAL CHEESE SOUFFLÉ DAY
A Soufflé is basically a White Sauce filled with Egg Yolk. Stiff Egg Whites are folded into the mixture. You can add whatever flavor you like at this point including Vegetables, Cheese, Chocolate, or Fruits.
The word ‘Soufflé’ comes from the French word ‘souffler,’ which means ‘to puff up.’ Marie-Antoine Carême perfected the recipe in the mid-1800s. While cooking for the rich folk of Paris, the updated ovens Marie-Antoine Carême used were all heated by air drafts instead of coal and this change was key in the rise of Soufflés.
The tricky thing about Soufflés is that, after a certain point, a Souffle will collapse due to the cool air outside the oven. Souffles need to be served and eaten as soon as they are taken out of the oven.
Soufflés gained popularity in fine dining from the early to mid-1900s. According to the New York Public Library menu archives, Soufflés made frequent appearances in menus for special dinners with guests of honor in popular places like the Waldorf Astoria, The Biltmore, and Hotel Astor. Washington D.C. was also a City that offered easy access to Soufflés.
Souffles are considered a luxury while at the same time being affordable. Soufflés are one of those delicacies that are hard to beat. Cheese Soufflé Day is not the only National Day dedicated to Soufflés. National Chocolate Soufflé Day is another one, which is celebrated on February 28th.
HOW TO CELEBRATE NATIONAL CHEESE SOUFFLÉ DAY
- If you own a shop or restaurant, host a free giveaway of cCheese Soufflés which is a great way to celebrate the dessert as well as increase your reach. Otherwise, just make your own Souffle and hand it out to strangers.
- Spread the word on Social Media and make the Holiday known, by sharing facts, about the Cheese Souffle and use the hashtag #NationalCheeseSouffleDay/
- Invite your friends over and have a fun time cooking Cheese Soufflés.
5 FACTS ABOUT SOUFFLÉS
- Souffle’ is a past participle of the French verb ‘souffler,’ meaning ‘to blow up’ or ‘puff up.’
- The popular 1954 movie “Sabrina” showed a master Chef criticizing Audrey Hepburn for her poor attempt at making Soufflés/ Do youi know what she did wrong? Sshe didn’t turn on the oven.
- The Guinness World Record for the largest Soufflé is for one made in the Palestinian town of Nablus that weighed 3,891 pounds and was 243 feet long.
- The secret to a savory Soufflé is to beat the Egg Whites until they form stiff white peaks and then carefully fold the Egg Whites into the sauce to keep as much air in the mixture as possible.
- In order to add different kinds of delicious sauces, bakers often puncture the top of Soufflés.
WHY PEOPLE LOVE NATIONAL CHEESE SOUFFLÉ DAY
- Cheese is one of the most popular things to eat on Earth and Cheese Soufflés are delicious.
- Cheese Soufflé is an easy-to-cook meal. All it takes is the right amount of whipping and folding of the Egg Whites.
- A holiday dedicated to Cheese Soufflé is, after all, a day dedicated to food. Who wouldn’t love a whole holiday dedicated to Cheese?
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
