The US Public Discovered Chocolate Mousse In The 1930’s

National Mousse Day is observed on November 30.

The word mousse in French means foam. A mousse is typically made with whipped egg whites or cream. Its consistency can vary from light and airy to thick and creamy. Whether sweet or savory, a mousse can compliment any meal. From a smokey salmon mousse as the first course to a tart lemon or creamy chocolate mousse for dessert, there is virtually no limit to the flavors we can incorporate into a mousse.

• The word mousse is French and translates as “froth” or “foam.”
• Cold dessert mousses are often poured into decorative glasses and garnished with fruit, sweet sauces, or whipped cream.
• There are three key constituents to a mousse: base, binder, and aerator.
• Mousses are almost always cold dishes, sweet mousses sometimes being served frozen. Savory mousses are frequently prepared from poultry, foie gras, fish, or shellfish, to be eaten as a first course or light entree. They may be stabilized by the addition of gelatin. Chocolate and mocha mousses are sometimes made with a custard base. For a fruit mousse, pureed fruit or juice replaces the milk in the custard.
• Mousse is pronounced “moose.” It is in no way associated with the animal.
• Savory mousse dishes were an 18th century French achievement. Dessert mousses (generally fruit mousses) began to appear much later, in the second half of the 19th century.
• The first written record of chocolate mousse in the United States comes from a Food Exposition held at Madison Square Garden in New York City in 1892.
• Chocolate mousse really came into the public eye in the U.S. in the 1930’s, about the time as chocolate pudding mixes were introduced.
• Whipped cream can be substituted for egg whites in a mousse recipe

Sources:

National Day Calendar

Foodimentary

Mobile-cuisine