Day: June 10, 2024
National Herbs And Spices Day 2024
Though very little is known about how this holiday came into being, National Herbs and Spices Days has been officially observed from the year 2015 onwards. Not only are herbs and spices of utmost importance in the kitchen, but many of them have strong medicinal value, too, which is why such a day may have come into being. Before the words ‘national’ and ‘spices’ were added in 2015, the oldest reference to this holiday was ‘Herb Day’ in 1999.
One of the earliest fans of spices and herbs was Emperor Charlemagne (742–814 A.D.). He apparently felt so passionately about them that he put together a list of 74 different herbs and had them planted in his gardens. Don’t just take our word for it though, see what Emperor Charlemagne himself had to say: “Herbs are the friends of physicians and the praise of cooks.” By the Middle Ages, the use of herbs and spices in both cooking and medication became common. Books like “The Forme of Cury” (“The Method of Cooking”) began to emerge, which promoted the use of herbs extensively. Modern-day allopathy also has its roots in the mixing of various herbs and medicinal plants to cure common ailments.
If we even look at pop culture today, some of the most popular music groups’ names have been inspired by herbs and spices — The Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Spice Girls, to name a few. Whatever the origin, we’re glad these little guys get the recognition they so richly deserve, as we cannot imagine a life without herbs and spices.
Resource: https://nationaltoday.com/national-herbs-spices-day/
National Egg Roll Day 2024
Established in 2019, in honor of the founders of Van’s Kitchen, Van and Kim Nguyen, National Egg Roll Day is a relatively new food holiday. Van’s Kitchen began in Dallas, Texas, in 1986, with the Vietnamese-themed restaurant, representing the beginning of the family’s pursuit of the ‘American dream’. Like many other immigrant families, Van and Kim came from Vietnam with a passion for sharing their culture through food, especially their authentic egg rolls — consisting of shredded cabbage, minced meat (usually pork), bamboo shoots, onions, and a variety of other freshly ground spices all blended into one delectable filling. They strive to maintain the quality of their egg rolls by using only the freshest ingredients.
Although the origins of the dish are unknown, it may be traced back to Southern China’s Cantonese cuisine. However, many Asian countries also lay claim to having different variations of the humble egg roll. According to Andrew Coe, author of “Chop Suey: A Cultural History of Chinese Food in the United States,” the modern-day egg roll was most likely invented in New York in the 1930s. As compared to the ancient Southern Chinese traditional rolls, Americans have been consuming egg-roll-like food since the mid-1800s.
The distinctive American-style egg roll recipe was first published in 1938 by chef Henry Low, one of the two contending chefs who vie to take credit for popularizing the dish. Despite its short history, the typical egg roll we see today has stayed true to its crunchy, soft, savory origins, and just the thought of it has us drooling and reaching for the nearest takeout menu.
Dragon Boat Festival 2024
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History and lore offer several competing theories on the origins of the Dragon Boat Festival. The stories involve a mix of everything — dragons, loyalty, spirits, and of course, food. Out of all these legends, one remains the most popular and widely accepted as the true origin story — the story of Qu-Yuan.
The Dragon Boat Festival is over 2,000 years old. Many people believe the festival began during the period of the Warring States and, in particular, with Qu Yuan. Yuan was a decorated state official and patriotic poet. He was of noble birth and served in several high offices — most notably as the advisor of the Kingdom of Chu. Yuan made it his life mission to make the kingdom of Chu stronger. Yuan advised the Chu king to form alliances with the state of Qi — one of the seven warring kingdoms then. The goal was to defeat the state of Qin which was the most powerful among the seven states. Jealous officials in the court dismissed his advice, going as far as to accuse Qu Yuan of treason. Soon after, the king dismissed Yuan from his duties and sent him into exile.
During exile, Yuan wrote beautiful poems about his country — verses that sang praises of China and its beauty. But dark clouds loomed on the horizon for the kingdom when the Qin state conquered the Chu capital. A distraught Yuan committed suicide by drowning himself in the Miluo River. It was the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. The grieving people of Chu set out in their boats to search for his body but to no avail. They rowed their boats up and down the river, continually beating drums and hitting the water with paddles to scare evil spirits away. Legend has it that they threw rice balls into the river so the fish would have food and keep Yuan’s body intact. The story explains why the main elements of Dragon Boat festivities today are wooden boat races and eating sticky rice balls or zongzi.
Resource: https://nationaltoday.com/dragon-boat-festival/
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Hot Summer Days (2)
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Summer Fireworks 2010
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Tanja's Little Corner of The World 