People around the country indulge every October 14th on National Dessert Day! Celebrated by way of the local bakery, grandma’s house or chocolate shop, desserts include candies, pies, ice cream, fruits, cookies, pastries, cobblers, and donuts, too.
- The origin of the word dessert comes from the French “desservir,” a word which here means “to clear the table.” This, of course, referenced the dish that came after the clearing of the main dishes served as part of the meal.
- The earliest references to the term dessert being used are in the 1600s and arrived at the same time as the concept of serving a meal in courses, letting each part of the meal be its own experience.
- Chocolate chips were invented after chocolate chip cookies.
- The “German” of German chocolate cake fame was actually a man named Samuel German, who was an employee of an American chocolate company.
- What we commonly call “Baked Alaska” was dubbed as such by the famous Delmonico’s Restaurant in New York City in 1876 to celebrate Alaska’s annexation.
- Girl Scout cookies were originally homemade.
- Boston cream pie is actually a cake.
- The word “dessert” is most commonly used for this course in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland while “pudding” is more commonly used in the United Kingdom.
- According to food historians, the precursors of modern cakes (round ones with icing) were first baked in Europe sometime in the mid-17th century. This is due to primarily to advances in technology (more reliable ovens, manufacture/availability of food molds) and ingredient availability (refined sugar).
- The cupcake evolved in the United States in the 19th century, and it was revolutionary because of the amount of time it saved in the kitchen.
- Cupcakes have become a pop culture trend today in the culinary world.
- According to Google, “cupcake recipes” are the fastest-growing recipe search.
- Jell-O’s inventor hit upon the first successful gelatin dessert recipe in the course of his side work as a manufacturer of patent medicines like cough syrups and laxatives (he was a carpenter by trade). In 1897, LeRoy, New York resident Pearle B. Wait and his wife, May, added strawberry, raspberry, orange, and lemon flavoring — probably because they were already on hand from Pearle’s medicinal concoctions — and the original four flavors were born.
- The chocolate chip cookie is the most popular kind of cookie in America. 7 billion chocolate chips are consumed annually in the United States. That equals over 19.2 million cookies a day.
- The origin of the doughnut is unknown, though different nationalities have had their own version of the treat throughout history. A type of doughnut is even mentioned in the Bible. Specifically, Chapter 7 and verse 12 of Leviticus says that a thanksgiving to God should be made of “cakes mingled with oil, of fine flour, fried.”
- There are over 10 billion doughnuts made in the United States each year.
- According to NASA, ice cream is among the top three items most missed by astronauts on space flights. The others are pizza and fizzy drinks.
- The verb ‘to pie’ which means ‘to throw a custard pie’ was first recorded in 1977.
- According to calacademy.org, an average Swiss person eats more than 24 pounds of chocolate per year.
- Early mince pies had actual meat in them. When sugar first came to England in the 12th century it was primarily as a spice and a medicine.
- Sugar was originally used for everything, from aiding digestion to preserving the body, as it was believed that, as sugar could preserve fruit, it could also protect humans.
- The first printed ice-cream recipe in Europe was part of a medical and cookery manuscript, dated 1651-78, by Lady Anne Fanshawe. Her recipe titled To make Icy Cream suggests the addition of ambergris (a substance produced in the digestive system of sperm whales) or orange flower water, both fashionable ingredients at the time.
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