Welcome to our series sharing Food Holidays: October 24th, 2021. Did you know today is National Bologna Day. Is this a Lunch Meat you eat as I grew up on Bologna. As a kid my parents would purchase a log of Bologna and we would cut a slice off for a snack. Have you ever done this?
National Bologna Day
This October 24, make sure to bring your Brown Bag Lunches to work because it’s National Bologna Day! Everyone’s favorite processed Luncheon Meat has its own Holiday. Bologna is named after the Italian City of the same name, but down there they call it Mortadella, which is a Sausage with bits of Lard and Peppercorns in it. American Bologna, as you may have noticed, is distinctly different, but no less loved the World over.
HISTORY OF NATIONAL BOLOGNA DAY
While the History of National Bologna Day may be short, the History of Bologna is long lasting. For example, in 1661, Mortadella (Bologna’s European cousin) was so protected, the papacy decided to create a clear definition to distinguish Bologna from other, lesser versions of finely Ground Pork with chunks of fat. Bologna, as known in America, is Mortadella without the fat chunks. This is sold at Baseball Stadiums, Lunch Counters, Delis, in Tin Cans, and in the glass cases of Butchers. Bologna can be Fried and thrown on Toasted Bread with Pickles, Onions, Tomatoes, and Lettuce. Bologna can be served cold with thick slices of cheddar and White Bread. It can be chopped up and mixed with crumbled, hard boiled Eggs, Mayo, and Veggies for a Bologna Salad. Regardless of how you enjoy it, Bologna came to America (most likely) with the large German immigration at the turn of the Twentieth Century, establishing it as a de facto cuisine in the areas they settled in – Midwest, Appalachia, Pennsylvania, and parts of the South. From there, it quickly took firm footing as one of the most popular American foods.
NATIONAL BOLOGNA DAY ACTIVITIES
- How else should you celebrate National Bologna Day than by enjoying a Sandwich the way it was meant to be savored- between two slices of Bread! But on this Holiday, why not try something new? Why not fry Bologna up. Then top the Bologna with an egg? Or how about you pull out that Panini Press you never use. Cook Bologna up topped with a slice of your favorite Cheese.
- Make your own Bologna, you don’t need a giant assembly line to make your own. In fact, Bologna doesn’t even require that many ingredients. All you need is Ground Beef, a Sugar-based curing mixture, Garlic and Onion Powder, and finally, Liquid Smoke for that distinct taste. Mix the ingredients all up, mold it, and throw the mixture in the oven. In an hour you’ll have your very own Bologna to celebrate with.
- You could make a Bologna Cake which is what it sounds like. You take slices of Bologna, layer them, and use Cream Cheese for Frosting. Spray Canned Cheese for decoration and serve with Crackers. It may seem crazy, but you’re sure to have the most impressive party platter. Unless someone brings a Hot Dog Sculpture.
Why People LOVE NATIONAL BOLOGNA DAY
- Kids love Bologna, Mustard, with White Bread, those three ingredients make for the cornerstone of a classic school-time lunch. There’s something about Bologna kids love. Pair Bologna with String Cheese and Fruit Snacks and you can guarantee your kids will have plenty of energy to get through the day.
- Bologna is more than just Oscar Meyer Bologna which actually comes in all kinds of styles and flavors. Including Mortadella, but there’s also German Bologna and Lebanon Bologna which are distinctly different. There’s even something called Polony, which is popular in South Africa.
- It’s important to eat healthily, but sometimes you just have to indulge in a guilty pleasure, and that’s where Bologna comes to the rescue. In a world where everything is either Cholesterol-free or Fat-free, Bologna isn’t afraid to be itself. That being said, Bologna is gluten-free. Which I never would have guessed. How about you?
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
