Food Holidays: October 12th, 2022

Welcome to our series sharing Food Holidays: October 12th, 2022. Today is National Gumbo Day which Charlie and I will pass on. Although, Charlie could learn to cook Gumbo in his Homeschool Cooking Class for David who would enjoy a bowl or two. Would you like to join David for dinner this evening?

National Gumbo Day

National Gumbo Day is celebrated on October 12th and its a time to appreciate this heavily seasoned, savory State dish from Louisiana. Gumbo is a perfect bit of indulgence any day, anywhere! Gumbo typically consists of strongly-flavored stock with Meat or Shellfish, a thickener, and seasoned Vegetables. The seasoned Vegetables include Celery, Bell Peppers, and Onions. In the Cajun Cuisine, this trio is known as the “holy trinity.” Did you know most people serve Gumbo over Rice. Curl up on the couch and savor the flavors on National Gumbo Day, with family.

History of National Gumbo Day

As is quite common with the lesser-known holidays, even diligent research doesn’t reveal the first instance or true origins of National Gumbo Day. We do know that since 1989, the City of New Iberia, Louisiana has held a widely publicized yearly Championship Gumbo Cook Off every October, a festival that injects two million dollars annually into the local economy, though the yearly Championship Gumbo Cook Off was cancelled in 2020 due to Pandemic concerns.

Let’s start with the etymology of the word “Gumbo.” A certain amount of ambiguity survives to this day, since one of the main ingredients, Okra, is translated in the Niger-Congo languages spoken by Slaves of the time as “Quingombo,” while another main ingredient, Filé, in the tongues of the Native American Choctaw peoples of the region, is pronounced “Kombo.” Like the American Hamburger, no one can claim credit for Gumbo’s origin with absolute certainty.

What makes Gumbo such a big deal? Its historical significance to Louisiana goes back to the beginning of the 19th Century when English settlers arrived in the area and took note of the rich, hearty, Stew-like spicy! dish. Gumbo has never lost its momentum as a staple of Louisiana Cuisine. Gumbo is the “official food” of Louisiana. We would be hard-pressed to find a restaurant in the region that didn’t have Gumbo on the menu. 

Also, Gumbo is not just a dish for commoners. In 1972, to commemorate the passing of Louisiana Senator Allen Ellender, the Senate’s cafeteria added Creole Gumbo to its menu as a permanent fixture. At its essence, there are two versions of Gumbo, one originating with the Cajun people (from “Acadian,” a Canadian designation), and the other with the Creoles who had settled the region from France and Spain along with an enslaved African contingent. 

Gumbos from both camps usually start with a Roux. A French-style mixture of Flour and Fat and may contain the Vegetable Okra, Beef, Fowl or Sausage, the “holy trinity” of Vegetables, pungent spices like “Filé”, and whatever the Chef throws in to make the batch big enough for a crowd.

National Gumbo Day Activities

1. A good Gumbo recipe prepared with professionalism and love will outperform any written description. We challenge you to find that perfect bowl of Gumbo and as you lean back and digest this dish, make a note to repeat the celebration next October 12th.
2. Whether or not you’re unbeatable in the kitchen, National Gumbo Day is the perfect time to try your hand at the right combination of base, Spices, Veggies, and protein. If you’re in Louisiana, enter the contest!
3. Share what you’ve learned, what you’ve tasted, and what you want to know about Gumbo, using the hashtag #nationalgumboday.

5 Facts About Okra

1. Internationally, Okra is often referred to as “Ladies’ Fingers.”
2. The earliest written records reveal that Okra was first cultivated in Abyssinia (modern-day Ethiopia) in the 12th Century.
3. One reason that it’s so efficient to grow Okra in the Southern United States is that it’s a cousin of the Cotton Plant, both members of the Mallow (Malvaceae) family that respond well to the climate and other conditions.
4. “Okra seeds, which of course have been around as long as Okra itself, have commonly been ground up and used to brew a hot beverage like Coffee with no caffeine.
5. Okra’s earliest arrivals to the New World (New Orleans, Dutch Guinea, Brazil) were due to the transatlantic Slave trade, carried by ships with human cargo.

Why We Love National Gumbo Day

1. Gumbo is a dish with Spanish, French, African, Native American, German, and Caribbean influences, all coming together in one hearty meal.
2. Who would have thought that one single culinary dish could be connected to such a wealth of history, spanning Continents? Gumbo is, and so on National Gumbo Day, pick up a spoon and join in.
3. There’s even a tradition in New Orleans, the “courir de Mardi Gras,” where local men go door-to-door begging for Gumbo ingredients, and then cook the Gumbo in the square that night.

Five Food Facts about Gumbo:

1. Gumbo is the official Cuisine of the State of Louisiana.
2. There are several different varieties of Gumbo based on the type of thickener used to create the dish.
3. Creole Gumbo contains Shellfish and Tomatoes whereas Cajun Gumbo is generally spicier with Shellfish or Chicken.
4. Gumbo may have flavors rooted in Native American, African, Caribbean, Spanish, and French Cuisines.
5. No one is certain behind the dish’s origin; the oldest mention is by French explorer C.C. Robin on the Acadian coast in 1803.

Pumpkin Pie Day

The symbol of the Harvest Season in Fall and the dessert passed around most at the Christmas table gets its holiday on National Pumpkin Pie Day, December 25th. Featuring a Pie shell base filled with Pumpkin Custard, Pumpkin Pies are garnished and served with various spices like Cinnamon, Nutmeg, and Ginger. If you missed out on celebrating National Pumpkin Day around Halloween, now is the time to make up for it! 

History of National Pumpkin Pie Day

While it is uncertain how National Pumpkin Pie Day celebrations started, Pumpkin Pie itself has quite a rich history. The name originates from the Greek word ‘pepon’, meaning ‘large Melon’. This was adopted by the French as ‘pompon’ and was eventually changed into ‘pumpion’ by the English. 

The first Pilgrims who settled in the Plymouth Colony may have made a sort of Pumpkin Pie. With the Pumpkins brought to them by Native Americas. The first Settlers were able to make a Pumpkin Custard using Milk, Honey, and Spices. This is also what led to the serving of the Pumpkin Pie at the first Thanksgiving ever. 

In 1651, famous French Chef François Pierre de la Varenne published one of his most important French cookbooks, “Le Vrai Cuisinier François” (The True French Cook). This was translated into English in 1653 and featured a recipe for Pumpkin Pie under the name ‘Tourte of Pumpkin’.

Recipes for ‘pumpion pie’ made their way into English cookbooks by the 1670s. Experimental recipes lessened, and a more defined version started appearing, with the inclusion of Spices. Other optional ingredients included Raisins, Apples, and Currants. 

But in 1796 Pumpkin Pie really took shape when “American Cookery” was authored and published by American orphan Amelia Simmons. It was the first of its kind to contain recipes more suited to American tastes and had a recipe for Pumpkin Pudding, which is baked in a Crust. Which was similar to the Pumpkin Pie we eat today.

Nowadays, the recipe inspirations for Pumpkin Pie are endless, thanks to Pinterest. Pumpkin Pie is a staple dessert on Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Pumpkin Pie really is the perfect holiday treat. 

National Pumpkin Pie Day Activities

1. Cut yourself a slice of Pumpkin Pie and really take your time adding the perfect garnish and add-ons including Whipped Cream.
2. Pumpkin Pie filling is now used in other food items including Smoothies and Cookies. If a Pie is not your thing, try Pumpkin in a different form but with the same great taste!
3. If you’ve baked a Pumpkin Pie, discovered a new bakery that makes the best Pumpkin Pie, or tried a new recipe, share on Social Media using the hashtag #NationalPumpkinPieDay.

5 Facts About Pumpkins

1. The largest Pumpkin Pie in the world was 20 feet long and arrived at the New Bremen Pumpkinfest. This Pumpkin Pie consisted of 109 gallons of Milk, 1212 pounds of canned Pumpkin, 2796 Eggs, 15 pounds of Cinnamon, and 525 pounds of Sugar!
2. In the olden days, Pumpkins were mostly used as an ingredient for making Pie Crusts, rather than used as a Filling.
3. Pumpkins were once famous for curing snake bites and getting rid of freckles.
4. The traditional American Pumpkin is the Connecticut field variety.
5. Pumpkin wasn’t the original choice for carving. The first Jack-o’-Lanterns were made using Potatoes or Turnips! It wasn’t until much later when Pumpkins were considered a more suitable choice.

Why People Love National Pumpkin Pie Day

1. We have to admit, people have Pumpkin fever! They love the versatility in which Pumpkin is used in recipes, from sweet to spicy. There is a reason Americans go crazy for Pumpkin Spice Latte!
2. Which other Fruit is so iconic that it spans over three big holiday celebrations? Pumpkins are at the center of Thanksgiving, Halloween, and Christmas and deserve their own big day!
3. The dinner table is incomplete on Christmas without Pumpkin Pie which gets passed around a lot and is loved by almost everyone. It is a tradition to have Pumpkin Pie during the Holiday Season.

Thank you,

Glenda, Charlie and David Cates