NATIONAL CREME BRULEE DAY

National Crème Brûlée Day on July 27th presents an opportunity to enjoy a mouth-watering custard for dessert. Since there are several flavors, don’t miss out!

Crème brûlée is also known as burnt cream, crema Catalana, and Trinity crème. The dessert consists of a rich custard base. The custard is then topped with a contrasting layer of caramelized sugar. Chefs achieve this final layer by using a small propane torch. 

While vanilla is the most common custard base of crème brûlée, the dessert comes in a range of other flavors. Coffee, citrus, nut, chocolate, and other fruit flavors find their way on to menus frequently. However, other unique flavorings such as green tea, lavender, liqueurs, and even savory crème brûlée add an interesting finish to any meal. 

The earliest known reference of crème brûlée, as we know it today, appears in Francois Massialot’s 1691 cookbook.

More to Explore…

HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalCremeBruleeDay

If making a crème brûlée at home, follow the recipe precisely. Don’t make any substitutions. Here is a crème brûlée recipe for you to make and share. Or, invite a friend to join you at your favorite restaurant.  Post on social media using #NationalCremeBruleeDay.

Creme Brulee Making Set - 6 Porcelain Ramekins 6 oz, 304 Stainless Steel Lifting Rack, 9" X 13" Bottom Pan
Creme Brulee Making Set – 6 Porcelain Ramekins 6 oz, 304 Stainless Steel Lifting Rack, 9″ X 13″ Bottom Pan

NATIONAL TAPIOCA PUDDING DAY

National Tapioca Pudding Day on July 15th encourages us to dig into this pudding dish enjoyed around the world! 

Tapioca is a starch derived from the cassava root. While the root looks similar in shape and color to a sweet potato, in its natural form, cassava contains cyanide. However, grinding down the root produces a flour or powder used as a thickening agent. It may also be produced tapioca into pearls. Also known as manioc or yucca, growers cultivate cassava around the world. A part of the Euphorbiaceae (spurge) family, this woody shrub is native to South America but is also grown in Asia and Africa.

Once a staple in early American households, tapioca was dehydrated to survive long sea voyages without spoilage. In a dehydrated form, tapioca earns an extended shelf life. Cooks wanting to make homemade tapioca should plan ahead. Tapioca pearls must soak overnight before using them. 

For those sensitive to gluten, substitute tapioca in place of flour as a thickening agent in recipes. Try it in recipes for pancakes, cookies, and other baked goods. Tapioca also provides an excellent source of vitamin B, manganese, and iron. Turn to tapioca if you’re having trouble gaining weight or have a sensitive stomach. Tapioca is a gentle ingredient and helps to add healthy weight gradually.

For those who want to enjoy tapioca more quickly, minute and instant tapioca puddings make the process easier. Make a quick parfait with layers of fruit and whipped cream. It will definitely make a perfect celebration that way. However, we also enjoy tapioca in Boba tea, a Taiwanese tea-based drink. 

Explore More?

HOW TO OBSERVE #TapiocaPuddingDay

As you explore tapioca, don’t forget it’s not just a pudding. Try it in soup, beverages, and baked goods, too. No matter how you celebrate, be sure to try a variety of tapioca recipes. Share your favorite way to cook with this versatile ingredient. Share how you’re celebrating by posting on social media using #TapiocaPuddingDay.

NATIONAL BUBBLE TEA DAY

On April 30th what do bubbles and tea have in common? Together make a fantastic treat to celebrate on National Bubble Tea Day! The day invites you to get adventurous and experience a growing flavorful menu of choices.

In the 1980s, the Taiwanese developed a beverage combining the refreshing goodness of tea, the wholesome creaminess of milk, and the fun, delicious surprise of bubbles. The bubbles, also known as boba or pearls, are made from tapioca. Choose teas with or without milk, ice, sugar, and toppings. With such refreshing variety, you should celebrate often!

Whether you are 3 or 103, enjoy a tasty, extraordinary tea made with fresh ingredients for you to enjoy! The day also challenges everyone to try a new flavor or a first taste of bubble tea. 

Explore More?

HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalBubbleTeaDay

On National Bubble Tea Day, go classic or slush, milk tea, or punch. Also, if it’s your first, don’t let it be your last! Introduce a friend to bubble tea, too! No matter which flavor you enjoy the most, be sure to try one today. Share a selfie with your favorite combination by using #NationalBubbleTeaDay on social media.

NATIONAL NOUGAT DAY

National Nougat Day on March 26th celebrates a soft and chewy or sometimes hard and crunchy candy often found at the center of a candy bar. 

Made by whipping egg whites together and adding honey or sugar, roasted nuts, and sometimes candied fruit, some say nougat has been a sweet treat since ancient Rome. Enjoyed both as a candy all on its own or paired with chocolate or other flavorings.

Recipes range from the more traditional nougat made with almonds and honey to those with hints of citrus.In Italy, they call it torrone. In Spain, a nougat is called turrón. The United States has a version made with corn syrup called divinity.

Three basic kinds of nougats include:

1.     White nougat – made with beaten egg whites and honey.
2.     Brown nougat – made without egg whites and has a firmer, often crunchy texture.
3.     Viennese or German nougat – chocolate and nut praline

In the United States, modern candy bar makers use a different recipe than the traditional nougat. Today they make of a mixture of sucrose and corn syrup aerated with a whipping agent such as egg white or hydrolyzed soy protein or gelatin. It is the preferred and often used ingredient of large candy companies because it is inexpensive to make and used as a filler.

Varieties of nougat are found in:
3 Musketeers, Mars, Snickers, Milky Way, Zero, Salted Nut Rolls, Payday, Reese’s Fast Break, Baby Ruth, and others.

Explore More…

HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalNougatDay

This holiday offers an opportunity to become a nougat aficionado. Or perhaps try learning the nuances of nougat. No matter how you spend the day, be sure to get a sample or two. Whether it’s a big bite or small, enjoy some nougats. Be sure to share a piece, too! Use #NationalNougatDay to post on social media.

WORLD FLOUR DAY

On March 20th, World Flour Day recognizes the importance of flour in our daily diets and our health. In every part of the world, products made from flour provide daily sustenance for billions of people.

Flour is the main ingredient in delicious foods like pasta, cakes, pastries, bread, and biscuits. For thousands of years, humans have consumed grains ground into flour. Ancient humans gathered the oat kernels growing wild around them. Using a stone tool much like a pestle, they crushed the kernels into a coarse flour.

Today, we continue to enjoy many varieties of domesticated grains. In the Northern Hemisphere, many farms prepare to plant these grain crops around March 20th. The earth is warming and ready to grow. In the Southern Hemisphere, autumn has arrived. The grains have ripened, and harvest is beginning.

The day honors the farmers and millers, shippers and truckers, processors and bakers who bring the white gold to our tables. It’s a day for gratitude, and one of hope as the seeds are sown, and harvests are reaped.

WORLD FLOUR DAY HISTORY

The Flour World Museum founded World Flour Day on March 20th in 2019 to celebrate the global significance of flour in our daily lives.

About the Flour World Museum

The Flour World Museum in Wittenburg near Hamburg, Germany, has set itself the goal of creating a monument to flour in all its globe-spanning significance. After all, some 750 million tonnes of wheat flour are harvested each year and turned into a wide variety of foods.

Explore More…

HOW TO OBSERVE #WorldFlourDay

  • Invite a friend for a meal made with flour. A whole-grain sandwich or a sweet pastry sounds delicious.
  • Don an apron and bake up some cookies; deliver them to your favorite farmer or co-worker.
  • Try a new recipe while you’re at it.
  • Learn about varieties of flour and try baking with one you’ve never used.
  • Practice making a rue. One of the key ingredients is flour, and it makes some of the most amazing sauces and soups.
  • What’s your favorite flour product? Tell us using #WorldFlourDay and share on social media.