Celebrating February 6 :

National Chopsticks Day

Daily Facts: 

A. In old Chinese chopsticks are called kuaizi roughly meaning “quick little bamboo fellows”

B. Over a quarter of the world’s population uses chopsticks as their primary utensil for eating.

C. The first chopsticks were probably used for cooking, stirring the fire, serving or grabbing bits of food, and not as eating utensils.

D. Chopsticks shapes and lengths very from region to region. Generally Chinese versions are tapered with blunt ends while Japanese are shorted and more pointed.

Chopsticks in music: Who HASN’T played chopsticks on the piano? It’s original name is” The Celebrated Chop Waltz.”  Composed by Arthor de Lulli(pseudonym of Euphemia Allen.) in 1877. In Russia it is known as the “Cuplet Polka”

Daily Quote: “You do not sew with a fork, and I see no reason why you should eat with knitting needles.” ~Miss Piggy

Today’s Food History

on this day in…

• 1617 RIP Prospero Alpini, An Italian physician and botanist; said to have introduced coffee and bananas to Europe.

• 1685 RIP Charles II, king of England,  Tea was introduced to England during his reign. On December 23, 1675, he issued a proclamation suppressing Coffee Houses.

• 1865 A horse meat banquet is held at the Grand Hotel in Paris. Horse meat was considered a common man’s food of the time.

• 1985 Perrier introduced Perrier with ‘a twist of lemon’ – its first new product in 125 years.

The ‘Kisses’ that changed the world

History of the Hershey’s Kiss:

• It is said that Wilbur & Sons Chocolate Co made the first wrapped chocolate ‘drops’, known as ‘Winbur Buds’ in 1894. Their shape & size likely served as inspiration for Hershey’s Kisses chocolates.

• Hershey’s Kisses were first manufactured in 1907. According to the Hershey’s Company, a favorite theory is that the name “Kiss” came from the sound of the chocolate being popped out of the machine

• Kisses were originally wrapped by hand. Automated wrapping began in 1921. The same automatic wrapping process allowed for the paper “plume”, that the company used to guarantee that consumers were getting the genuine Hershey product. Did you know close to 20% of kisses sold in the US before then were counterfeit?

• Kisses were not produced during World War II.  The years 1942 through 1949, because the silver foil wrapping was rationed.

• According to Hershey’s.com, it takes about 95 Hershey’s Kisses to equal a pound of chocolate.

More about Hershey’s

World Nutella Day

Nutella Facts:

A.  Nutella, a chocolate & hazelnut spread, outsells ALL brands of peanut butter worldwide

B.  Hazelnuts were originally used as an inexpensive filler. sales increased and soon became it’s trademark flavor.

C.  In the aftermath of World War 2 Italian stores offered a service called “smearing”, which allowed local children to bring in a slice of bread on which they could have some Nutella spread.

D. In Europe the Nutella jar is usually made of glass, whereas in North America it is made of plastic.

Today’s Food History

on this day in…

• 1872 Lafayette Benedict Mendel was born. An American biochemist who published various papers on nutrition. His work on vitamins and proteins helped establish modern concepts about nutrition.

• 1884 Willis Johnson of Cincinnati, Ohio, received a patent for an egg beater.

• 1914 William Burroughs, novelist, was born. He wrote ‘Naked Lunch.’

• 1967 Tom Smothers fell into a vat of chocolate today. (The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour premiered).

World Nutello Day

Nutello Facts:

A.  Nutella, a chocolate & hazelnut spread, outsells ALL brands of peanut butter worldwide

B.  Hazelnuts were originally used as an inexpensive filler. sales increased and soon became it’s trademark flavor.

C.  In the aftermath of World War 2 Italian stores offered a service called “smearing”, which allowed local children to bring in a slice of bread on which they could have some Nutella spread.

D. In Europe the Nutella jar is usually made of glass, whereas in North America it is made of plastic.

National Homemade Soup Day 

Soup Facts: 

1. Women are more than twice as likely to eat soup as men, 9.67% vs. 4.0%.

2. The Middle English word soupen meant “to drink in sips”, which is how most soups were consumed. The words ”soup,” “supper,” “sip,” and “sop” are derived from  this term.

3. Andy Warhol(who’s real name was Andrew Warhola) is famous for his Campbell ‘s soup can art of the 1960′s. Did you know his first works sold for around 100 dollars?  Today they sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Daily Quote: “Of soup and love, the first is the best.” ~ Spanish proverb

Today’s Food History

on this day in…

• 1906 Clyde W. Tombaugh was born. An American astronomer who discovered the planet Pluto in 1930. His first telescopes were  made from old farm equipment parts

• 1930 Candy maker Frank C. Mars of Minnesota introduced the Snickers bar in 1930. Did you know? Snickers was the name of his prized race horse.

• 1941 Roy J. Plunkett received a U.S. patent for Teflon. He accidentally discovered it in 1938.

• 1983 RIP Karen Carpenter from complications associated with anorexia nervosa.