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Five Food Finds about Daiquiris:

1. The Daiquiri cocktail, made of rum, lime juice and sugar, takes its name from the village and iron mines of Daiquiri near Santiago, Cuba, where the cocktail  originated around 1900.
2. It was named either by American engineers working there, or by the U.S. troops who arrived there in 1898.
3.  At least one source claims it did not appear until after World War I.
4. Thirsty partygoers and responsible parents lookin’ for a frosty, fruity thrill can find drive-thru strawberry daiquiri stands just about anywhere in New Orleans.
5. Drive-thrus now limit customers to only one straw per visit, and they can no longer pack adult-strength strawberry daiquiris with kids’ meals.

Today’s Food History

on this day in…

1104 Flitch Day. A married couple who can prove to a mock court with a jury of bachelors and maidens, that they have ‘not wished themselves unwed,’ are awarded a ‘flitch’ of bacon (half a pig). The origins of this custom are in Dunmow, Essex, England, details are not certain, but references to it go back to 1104. It has been a regular civic event in Dunmow since 1855. Now held every 4 years, and frequently televised.

1863 Curtis Fletcher Marbut was born. An American geologist and one of the founders of modern soil science. He was with the U.S. Bureau of Soils for 25 years.

1947 Bernie Leadon of the music group ‘Flying Burrito Brothers’ was born

1996 Mervyn Hugh Cowie R.I.P. Cowie was a British wildlife conservationist, founder and director of Kenya’s Royal National Parks.