Good morning, welcome back to our series sharing Unique Food Holidays: July 16th, 2021. Take a look at the Holidays and let me know which one you most would like to celebrate and why.
Being National Ice Cream Day. If we weren’t going to see Space Jam this morning I would have take Charlie and David to Braum’s to get Ice Cream even though I’ve been wanting a Snow Cone. How about you Ice Cream or a Snow Cone and why?
National Ice Cream Day
Thanks to President Reagan, we celebrate National Ice Cream Day every third Sunday in July, meaning July 18th this year.
Reagan wanted to commemorate a treat enjoyed by over 90 percent of the US population. In 1984, he decreed a day for Ice Cream, and his 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, this holiday has sparked worldwide cravings and is traditionally celebrated year after year. If you and your family is standing in the frozen food aisle trying to make a choice? Or brainstorming how to celebrate this National Ice Cream day look no further. Inspiration has arrived.
When is National Ice Cream Day 2021?
I scream, you scream, we all scream for Ice Cream on National Ice Cream Day on July 16.
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 of Ice Cream was made 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.
We’ve also identified that 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 or juices.
Close to a thousand years later in Italy, Marco Polo had returned from the Far East and bought 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’.
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 12, 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 trucks, Ice Cream Floats, Sundaes, and well-known brands like ‘‘Ben and Jerry’s’’ and ‘‘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.
Recipe for Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 2 cups half-and-half cream
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Combine all ingredients, stirring to dissolve sugar completely. Fill cylinder of Ice Cream maker no more than two-thirds full; freeze according to manufacturer’s directions. (Refrigerate any remaining mixture until ready to freeze.) Serve immediately or store in covered containers in freezer.
I have a question for you have you had a Corn Fritter? Do you like Corn Fritters? Charlie and I don’t care for them and I am not sure about David. But my sister likes Corn Fritters but she can’t have Fried Foods or I would have made Corn Fritters for her this evening.
Where would we be without corn fritters? Corn Fritters is an unassuming dish in comfort food heaven. Add your favorite condiment to a Corn Fritter and that’s some good eating right there.
Some bright spark had the great idea to create a very special day of celebration for this humble food favorite, and very creatively called it Corn Fritters Day.
Who are we to argue with such a great idea? The more people that eat Corn Fritters and recognize Corn Fritters for the culinary treat they are, the better!
Corn Fritters Day is a celebration of comfort food and simple cooking. With Corn, Egg, Flour, Milk, and Melted Butter, anyone can throw together a batch of Corn Fritters.
With creativity, you can add your own favorite ingredients to spice Corn Fritters up or create your very own Fritter recipe. Now, get into the kitchen and start creating your masterpiece.
History of Corn Fritters Day
In order to understand the history of Corn Fritters Day, you need to understand the history of Corn Fritters. This snack is savory and sweet, and it has its origins in Native American Cuisine.
However, not only are Corn Fritters popular in the South of the United States, but they are also known in Indonesia as well, where they are referred to as bakwan jagung or perkedel jagung. The ingredients do differ, though.
Native Americans have been using Maize, which is ground Corn, as food for thousands of years – long before explorers from Europe came to the New world.
In Pre-Columbian Americas, Corn-based products were considered staple foods. This includes Cornbread, Arepa, and Corn flatbread. Deep drying techniques were not used by Native Americans at this time, though, as ample supplies of cooking Oil were needed, as well as equipment that was able to handle Oil being cooked at extremely high temperatures.
When European settlers came to America, they started to learn about different processes and recipes for Corn dishes. Then started to make their own variations of Cornmeal-based dishes, including European Breads.
The Corn Fritter was invented in the South of the United states. This is a cuisine that is known for having a lot of deep fried foods. Of course, the most famous being Southern Fried Chicken!
In South America, traditional Corn Fritters will use Melted Butter, Milk, Flour, Egg, and Corn Kernels. Corn Fritters can be baked, shallow fried, ordeep fried.
Corn Fritters can also be served with Cream, Honey, Fruit, or Jam. Some people also make Corn Fritters with Creamed Corn, after which they are baked and served with Maple Syrup.
What about the Asian version of this popular treat? On the other side of the world, it was in the late 16th century that Maize seeds made their way into Southeast Asia from America. This happened through Portuguese and Spanish traders.
In Indonesia, with the tropical climate, the plant thrived. Soon, it was a staple food for the Southeastern and Central parts of Indonesia, which did not get a lot of rain.
This is because wet Rice requires much more water than Corn did. Palm Oil and Coconut Oil have been essential elements of the Cuisine in Indonesia for centuries.
Therefore, Palm Oil was used to deep fry the Corn and other ingredients. This technique was taken from Portuguese colonists and this resulted in Indonesia creating their own version of the Corn Fritter, which is known as bakwan jagung ro perkedel jagung.
In Indonesia, Corn Fritters are not sweet instead, they’re savoury. Their texture is more granulated. This is because the Corn Kennels are not blended into the dough and they’re not finely ground either, which means their kernel shape is retained.
The Fritter is made from fresh Corn Kernels, which are combined with Salt and Pepper, as well as Garlic, Shallots, Eggs, Scallion, Celery, and rich Flour. Corn Fritters are then deep-fried using Coconut Oil. Corn Fritters are served as an appetizer, as well as regularly being enjoyed as a snack.
How to celebrate Corn Fritters Day
Of course, the best way to celebrate Corn Fritters Day is to enjoy this delicious treat. If you’ve never made Corn Fritters before, don’t worry. All you need to do is search online and you will see that there are many recipes to help you get started.
You will also find that people have made their own variation of the traditional Corn Fritter, so you can get experimental and try out different flavors and versions if you wish. The choice is yours!
As mentioned earlier, you will often find that Corn Fritters are served at Barbecues and Backyard Parties, so why not host your own? This is a perfect excuse for you to get all of your friends and loved-ones together and to have an occasion to remember.
You can ask your friends to bring a dish, or you can take care of all of the food. It is up to you. You could even host a party that is inspired by other Southern flavors? The options are endless. However, as long as you have good company and food, your bound to have a great time, right?
If you’ve never tried the Indonesian version of Corn Fritters before, why not give this recipe a try? Again, all you need to do is search online and you will see different variations of this recipe that are available, and you should have no trouble finding a recipe that appeals to you.
In order to make the traditional version, it always helps to use an Indonesian Cookbook or to use an Indonesian website so that you can be certain that the recipe is authentic.
Nevertheless, if the recipe includes the ingredients that we have mentioned above, you can assume that it most likely is authentic. So lets get busy and find the recipe we want to create.
There you have it: everything you need to know about the tasty and traditional Corn Fritter, and why this snack is worth a day all of its own. We hope that you enjoy making Corn Fritters and, most importantly, eating Corn Fritters!
Learn about Corn Fritters Day
Corn Fritters Day has been created to encourage you to fry a batch of Corn Fritters including tasty and crispy bites of batter and corn up this evening.
To really make the most of this date, we recommend using fresh Corn. Which does make a difference! These crispy morsels of foodness always make great additions to backyard gatherings and barbecues.
The main ingredients are Corn, as well as Butter, Milk, Egg, and Meal. While Corn Fritters have originated in the South, their popularity has certainly spread to many places across the United States and, , the rest of the world.
Did you know you can also give your Corn Fritters a bit of Seasonal and regional flair by changing the ingredients up with Herbs, Onions, or Peppers. The choice is yours!
Five Facts about Corn
- One bushel of Corn weighs 56 pounds – more than a large bag of dog food. Can you imagine that?
- 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.
Corn Fritters Recipes:
3 cups Oil for frying 1 cup sifted all-purpose Flour 1 teaspoon Baking Powder ½ teaspoon Salt ¼ teaspoon White Sugar 1 Egg, lightly beaten ½ cup Milk 1 tablespoon Shortening, melted 1 (12 ounce) can whole kernel Corn, drained or you can use Frozen Corn drained well or Fresh Corn which taste the best .
Step 1
Heat Oil in a heavy pot or Deep Fryer to 365 degrees F (185 degrees C).
Step 2
In a medium bowl, combine Flour, Baking Powder, Salt and Sugar. Beat together Egg, Milk, and melted Shortening; stir into Flour mixture. Mix in the Corn Kernels.
Step 3
Drop the Corn Fritter batter by spoonfuls into the hot Oil, and fry until golden. Drain on paper towels.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
