NATIONAL DARK CHOCOLATE DAY

January 31, 2026January 2, 2026Jensperspectiveblog 6 Comments

On February 1st, National Dark Chocolate Day reminds us to indulge a little. Many tout dark chocolate as the healthier chocolate. However, for some, it can be an acquired taste.

Also known as bittersweet chocolate, dark chocolate is different from milk chocolate. Candy makers add milk or butter to milk chocolate, giving it a creamier consistency. Dark chocolate includes no added milk or butter. Instead, the percentage of cocoa solids remaining in the chocolate determines how dark the chocolate is. The higher the ratio, the darker the chocolate. It may also have a slightly bitter taste.

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Chocolate comes from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree. We have been cultivating cacao for at least three millennia, and the plant grows in Mexico, Central America, and Northern South America. Our earliest known documentation of using cacao seeds dates to around 1100 BC.

Fermentation helps develop the flavor of the cacao seeds. Otherwise, the seeds are too bitter to eat. Once fermented, the beans are dried, cleaned, and roasted. After roasting, the shell is removed to produce cacao nibs. Processors then ground the cocoa nips into cocoa mass, pure chocolate in rough form. Next, they usually liquefy the cocoa mass and mold it with or without other ingredients. At this point in the process, it is called chocolate liquor. The chocolate liquor may then be processed into two components: cocoa solids and cocoa butter.

Besides being lower in calories and fat, dark chocolate has many other health benefits. It also serves as a decadent ingredient in many desserts and sauces.

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HOW TO OBSERVE NATIONAL DARK CHOCOLATE DAY

Eat some dark chocolate. Bake with dark chocolate. Add dark chocolate to a savory dish. Share dark chocolate recipes. Host a dark chocolate tasting. Learn about the health benefits of dark chocolate. Use #NationalDarkChocolateDay on social media.

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NATIONAL BAKED ALASKA DAY

January 31, 2026January 19, 2026Jensperspectiveblog 9 Comments

Ice cream and cake come together on February 1st in a celebration called National Baked Alaska Day.

An elaborate dessert that is also known as “Omelette Norvegienne,” Baked Alaska is made with hard ice cream on a base of sponge cake and covered in a shell of toasted meringue.

In the United States in 1867, an earnest debate erupted over the potential purchase of Alaska from Russia. Secretary of State William Seward agreed to a purchase price of $7 million, and Alaska became a United States territory in 1868. Those of the opinion that the purchase was a giant mistake referred to the purchase as “Seward’s Folly.”

Enter Charles Ranhofer, the chef at Delmonico’s Restaurant in New York City. He was notorious for naming new and renaming old dishes after famous people and events. Capitalizing on the heated controversy surrounding the purchase in the frozen north, Baked Alaska fit the bill. It was cold, nearly frozen, and quickly toasted in a hot oven before serving.

He served as the chef at Delmonico’s from 1862 to 1896. During his tenure, he also created Lobster Newburg, another famous dish honored with a national food holiday.

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HOW TO OBSERVE #NATIONALBAKEDALASKADAY

Cake and ice cream go so well together. What better way to enjoy it than with a topping of meringue? You can also take one of your favorite recipes and name it after an epic event in your life.

Use #NationalBakedAlaskaDay to post on social media.

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NATIONAL WHIPPED CREAM DAY

January 4, 2026January 2, 2026Jensperspectiveblog Leave a comment

On January 5, add a little extra something special to desserts to celebrate National Whipped Cream Day. Add whipped cream! Not only does it add creaminess and a bit of pizzaz, but it also makes the difference between the ho-hum or a celebration kind of beverage or dessert.

This holiday falls on the birthday of Reddi-Wip founder Aaron “Bunny” Lapin (January 5, 1914 – July 10, 1999). Lapin invented Reddi-Wip in 1948, and the holiday celebrates whipped cream’s contributions to the dessert world.

While most often sweetened and flavored with vanilla, whipped cream dresses up desserts with other flavors, too. With a hint of coffee or chocolate or the zing of orange or mint, whipped cream adds a delightfulness to pies, cakes, and beverages. We call it by other names, too, such as Chantilly cream or creme Chantilly, milk snow or snow cream.

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Recipes from the 16th century included whipped cream sweetened and aromatized. In these recipes, naturally separated cream is whipped, typically with willow or rush branches, then the resulting foam on the surface would from time to time be skimmed off and drained, which was a process taking an hour or more.

The English name whipped cream found its beginning in 1673. The name snow cream continued to be used throughout the 17th century.