Food Raconteur

Did you know that every July 7th, we get together to celebrate National Macaroni Day? This day honors the superstar of the pasta world that can transform into almost anything your taste buds desire.

And here's a fun tidbit: the term "macaroni" actually describes the dough made from durum wheat, minus any eggs, not just those cute little elbow shapes we all adore. So, while all elbows are macaroni, not every macaroni has to be an elbow!

To celebrate this day let me tell you about the few interesting nuggets I picked up along the way about this delightful pasta!

Did you know that Thomas Jefferson was a huge fan of mac and cheese? Rumor has it he fell in love with it during his European adventures and even brought back a pasta machine and a recipe to the States. Talk about a souvenir!

AND the word "macaroni" travels way back to the Greek word "makaria," which was a barley broth served at funerals but In Victorian England, macaroni wasn't just a quick dinner fix; it was the star of the show at extravagant dinner parties.

Fast forward to the Great Depression, when boxed mac and cheese took the world by storm. Thanks to a creative salesman who bundled pasta with grated cheese, this affordable, shelf-stable meal became a household hit ( and is still very very relevant even today!)👏🏽

Oh! And last but not the least , did you know about the "Yankee Doodle" connection? Back in the 1760s, if you were called "macaroni" in Britain, it meant you were quite the fashionista with a flair for extreme and fancy European styles. Who knew pasta had such a fashionable past?😄

Make sure to share these fun tid-bits over a bowl of macaroni today!😄