National Buttercrunch Day on January 20th recognizes the flavorful toffee candy that comes in several varieties. Buttercrunch is a combination of toffee, covered with chocolate. It has a crunchy texture and a caramel flavor. Variations on the recipe include toasted almond sprinkles. Making buttercrunch calls for a good candy thermometer and some cooking experience. Creating
A favorite snacking and party nut is recognized each year on November 23rd during National Cashew Day. The cashew nut is a seed harvested from the cashew tree. The tree originated in Northeastern Brazil. However, it is now widely grown in tropical climates for its cashew apples and nuts. With leaves arranged spirally and a
The first Wednesday in October offers up the seasonal delight, National Pumpkin Seed Day! As the temperatures cool and the leaves turn, snack on these delicious tidbits. Many of us have fond memories of roasting these delicious nuggets after carving the Jack o’ lantern. However, we never realized just how good (and good for us)
On September 13th National Peanut Day pays homage to mighty and tasty peanut. Likely originating in South America around 3,500 years ago, this legume is not a nut. They grow underground, like potatoes. Since they are an edible seed that forms in a pod, they belong to the family Leguminosae with peas and beans. When it comes
National Macadamia Nut Day on September 4th recognizes a delicious nut found in many baked goods and desserts. Delectable macadamia nuts have a creamy, buttery taste. These nuts add a subtle richness to everything they grace. Also versatile, macadamia nuts originated in Australia. They were named for the physician and chemist, John Macadam, who discovered
There are many “nut” days throughout the year, but August 3rd embraces them all. It’s National Grab Some Nuts Day! Defining a nut is tricky. Though botanically an almond and cashew aren’t considered nuts, once they’re in the can, it’s hard to tell the difference. The same goes for walnuts and peanuts, even though they
June 1st is a day to spend some time in the kitchen baking up a delicious hazelnut cake as you take part in National Hazelnut Cake Day. We call hazelnuts by a variety of names, including filberts, Pontic, and cobnuts. In North America, they are native to the Midwest, North and South Eastern United States
May 17th recognizes a “nutty” holiday. Each year on this day, it is National Walnut Day. Rounded, single-seeded stone fruits of the walnut tree, walnuts are a high-density source of nutrients, particularly proteins and essential fatty acids. Like other tree nuts, walnuts must be processed and stored properly. Grown for their seeds, the Persian or
National Chocolate Covered Cashews Day is observed each year on April 21st. Not unlike other nuts, cashews and chocolate get along well together. Of course, chocolate lovers savor the combination of nutty crunch and creamy, rich chocolate. The cashew is a tree from the family Anacardiaceae. Its English name comes from Portuguese for the fruit of the
Each year, National Pecan Day on April 14th celebrates one nut native to the United States. It’s also a favorite snack and ingredient across the country. A member of the hickory family, the pecan is native to central and southern United States. “Pecan” is an Algonquian word, meaning a nut requiring a stone to crack.
