February 20 is National Muffin Day
Posted on February 20, 2014
Originally today was celebrated as ‘National Margarita Day’ – worry not it’s now February 22
Interesting Food Facts about Muffins
- ‘Muffins’ in the Americas are referred to baked breads in small tins while “English” Muffins are oven-baked, then cooked in a griddle
- The word Muffin likely derives its name from the an Old German word Muffen, the plural of Muffe meaning a small cake,
- Muffins come in both savory varieties, such as corn or cheese muffins, or sweet varieties such as blueberry or banana
- American muffins are similar to a cupcake in size and cooking methods, the difference, cupcakes almost always are made with cake batter
- The blueberry muffin is the official state muffin of Minnesota.
- The corn muffin is the official state muffin of Massachusetts.
The term Muffin-top originated as Australian slang in mid-2003. Soon it became popular throughout the English speaking world.
The word roughly “describes the roll of excess flesh spilling out primarily in front but possibly all around ones waist”
The Oxford English Dictionary added the term to its revised online edition in March 2011.
Today’s Food History
1829 Yuengling Brewery in Pennsylvania opened. It is the oldest brewery still operating in the U.S.
1872 Cyrus W. Baldwin received a patent for an electric elevator. It was installed in the Stephens Hotel in New York City.
1872 Silas Noble and J.Cooley of Massachusetts were issued a patent on a toothpick manufacturing machine.
1872 Luther Childs Crowell of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, was granted a patent for a machine which made square bottom paper bags. It is the same basic design still used today.
1890 Hershel Geguzin was born in Lithuania, Known openly in America as a professional impostor and Hollywood restaurateur. He posed as Russian Prince Michael Alexandrovich Dmitri Oblensky Romanoff. Opening Romanoff’s restaurant in Beverly Hills in the 1930s, attracting Hollywood movie stars and millionaires
1985 Clarence Nash died. The original voice of Donald Duck.
2001 Foot-and-mouth disease ravages livestock in Britain in the worst epidemic since 1967. By March it has spread to mainland Europe. Millions of animals are destroyed.
2009 Hershey’s, the largest U.S. candy maker, closed its candy factory in Reading, Pennsylvania. The factory produced among others, the Zagnut, York Peppermint Pattie, and 5th Avenue candy bars. Production was moved to their new factory in Monterey, Mexico.