Welcome to our series sharing Food Holidays: November 17th, 2022. Today is National Apple Cider Day which is David’s favorite beverage in the Winter. I need to go to the store this evening to get Hot Chocolate for Charlie and I. As well as Apple Cider for David. Should I purchase you something as well?
Apple Cider Day is celebrated on November 18th and this day celebrates the rich Fruity beverage that fills our hearts and bodies with warmth. You know they say an Apple a day keeps the doctor away. Then a glass of Apple Cider at the end of a long day can rejuvenate the soul.
Apple Cider is made from freshly harvested Apples that are mashed and made to resemble Applesauce. This is then pressed to extract fresh juice and fermented. After the fermentation process is done, we get the sweet spicy Apple Cider the seasonal Autumn beverage.
HISTORY OF APPLE CIDER DAY
The origin of Apple Cider dates back to 3,000 B.C. when the Celts in Britain made the drink using Crabapples. Unlike the Cider we know today, this beverage was bitter because it used the local Crabapples that grew in small Shrubs. The Roman invasion of England in 55 B.C. brought with it Apple cultivators and Orcharding techniques. The harvests from these Orchards were then used to make Cider.
The Norman invasion of England in 1066 introduced Acidic Cider Apples and advanced Apple-pressing technology to make the juice-extraction process easier. This made Cider a popular drink in England and around the world. Western Europe went through a climate shift between the 14th and 19th Centuries called The Little Ice Age, where the overall temperature dropped, causing Grape Vineyards to suffer as they needed a warmer climate. Since Apples could survive cooler temperatures, Cider became the predominant Alcoholic beverage over Wine.
Due to an increasing market and demand, small farmers started selling their Orchards to commercial Cider producers in the 19th Century. These producers then expanded their businesses and revamped old methods of cultivation to meet the growing demands. By the 1980s, the image of Apple Cider had become that of a cheap beverage which Country people drank. However, the Irish company Magners revived its status in the 21st Century through its sleek and professional advertising campaigns showing Cider as a drink of the modern era for a younger crowd who enjoyed Cider.
5 FACTS ABOUT APPLE CIDER
- Did you know Cider used to be advertised as a cure for Gout in the 19th Century?
- 36 Apple pieces equal one gallon of Apple Cider which is a lot of Apple pieces.
- Children used to be baptized in Cider in the 14th-Century because Cider was seen as cleaner than Water.
- Many Pilgrims who came to America used to drink Cider instead of Water because the Water was unsafe and had harmful bacteria.
- Cider’s popularity decreased in the early 1900s due to Beer being introduced to America by the Europeans.
WHY PEOPLE CELEBRATE APPLE CIDER DAY
- Apples are harvested during the Fall Season which is why Cider represents the coming of Autumn.
- We should celebrate delicious things, and Cider is loved by many because of the Fruity taste.
- Cider helps people bond over stories of their childhood and the past and Cider also keeps the cold away and makes the heart warm.
HOW TO CELEBRATE APPLE CIDER DAY
- Use this Apple Cider Day to support local cultivators. Ditch the ‘cool’ brands and purchase your Cider from a local farmer.
- It’s all about DIY these days and it’s very easy to make Cider at home. Find an online recipe and get going!
- If you’re not a big drinker, you can live vicariously through characters drinking Cider in various Christmas stories.
Five facts to know about Apple Cider:
Kids were baptized in Cider during the 14th Century because Cider was believed that Cider was more sanitary than Water
President John Adams drank Cider every morning because he believed it promoted good health. Adams lived to 90 years old.
Some Cider Apple names: “Hangdown,” “Kentish Fill-Basket,” “Glory of the West.”
Did you know it takes about 36 Apples to make one gallon of Apple Cider.
Caesar’s troops brought back Apple Cider after storming England in 55 BCE.
National Vichyssoise Day
National Vichyssoise Day is celebrated on November 18th each year in the U.S. It is the day we recognize and relish the hearty Soup made using pureed Leeks, Onions, Potatoes, Cream, and Chicken Stock. The Soup’s name might be hard to pronounce because it is French, but it is usually pronounced as ‘vish-i-swaz.’ Vichyssoise is loved by many because of its thick and creamy texture; it is very easy to prepare and makes for a filling meal. Although the Soup is traditionally eaten as a cold dish, you can vary the temperature according to your preference.
HISTORY OF NATIONAL VICHYSSOISE DAY
In 19th-Century France, Soup recipes made using pureed Leeks and Potatoes were common. French cookbooks from those times called these Soups ‘Potage Parmentier’ or ‘Potage à la Parmentier’ named after the French nutritionist and scholar Antoine-Augustin Parmentier, who helped pioneer the use of Potatoes in 18th Century France. These Soup recipes were similar to the Vichyssoise soup.
Culinary historians haven’t been able to pinpoint one clear origin of Vichyssoise. One narrative of Vichyssoise history dates back to King Louis XV of France who, in his fear of being poisoned, asked his servants to taste a Potato Leek Soup he had been served, and by the time he started eating it, it had gone cold.
Julia Child offered another narrative and called Vichyssoise “an American invention.” Her version claims that in 1917, a French Chef at the Ritz-Carlton in New York City called Louis Diat, who grew up in a small town called Vichy in France, adapted his mother and grandmother’s Potato and Leek Soup recipe, which led to the birth of Vichyssoise. Diat’s interview in 1950 in the “New Yorker” magazine confirmed this story.
The New Yorker article also mentioned that Vichyssoise derived its name from the town, Vichy, and was called ‘Crème Vichyssoise Glacée.’ A hot version of the same Soup prepared by the French Chef Jules Gouffé also existed in a cookbook in 1869.
HOW TO CELEBRATE NATIONAL VICHYSSOISE DAY
- Get in that DIY spirit this National Vichyssoise Day, locate the recipe in a cookbook or on the internet and make it for yourself and your loved ones.
- We should never lose an opportunity to show off our cooking skills to our followers. Prepare VICHYSSOISE and upload a picture of it on Instagram.
- Use NATIONAL VICHYSSOISE DAY to reconnect with your family and go out for dinner. Order the Vichyssoise at your local restaurant for a hearty wholesome dinner.
5 FACTS ABOUT VICHYSSOISE
- The famous chef, Anthony Bourdain, listed VICHYSSOISE as one of his favorite foods and included the recipe in his first cookbook, “Kitchen Confidential.”
- In Batman Returns, Bruce Wayne tries the Soup and exclaims, “It’s cold!” to Alfred, his butler, and Alfred confirms by saying that “It’s supposed to be cold.”
- If Potatoes and Leeks aren’t for you, why not try a different version like Cauliflower Vichyssoise, or Carrot-Ginger Vichyssoise.
- Louis Diat’s family had Vichyssoise to soothe the Summer heat by pouring in cold Milk to lower the Soup’s temperature.
- Vichyssoise is rich in fiber, Vitamin C, proteins, and Calcium.
WHY WE CELEBRATE NATIONAL VICHYSSOISE DAY
- Vichyssoise makes for a good meal since it is very filling and wholesome and it’s also a day to remind ourselve’s to eat well.
- Many people who don’t know about Vichyssoise will learn about it thanks to National Vichyssoise Day which allows us to be thankful for the delicious varieties that our cuisines have to offer.
- A happy tummy is a happy soul. Eating yummy dishes is good for our mental health and wellbeing.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
