Anyone who loves macaroni in all of its forms is going to be thrilled to observe National Macaroni Day on July 7th! This holiday celebrates the most popular incarnation of this pasta, macaroni-and-cheese but all of its forms, including Mac N Cheese, Chili Mac, Macaroni Salad and more. So, serve up this dish any way you want to serve it up and sit back and enjoy this tasty holiday.
The History Of Macaroni
It’s believed that the word macaroni goes back to the ancient Greeks—although the word wasn’t used to describe an elbow-shaped pasta. It was instead the name for pasta made out of barley flour and made into a soup-like dish. This word originated from Macaria—a goddess that was the daughter of Hades and whose name literally translates into “blessed.” By the way, Macaria was also the name of the daughter of Heracles, but these two mythological figures aren’t related. During the 14th century, an anonymous cook from Naples recorded a recipe for “De Lasanis” in the cookbook Liber de Coquina. This is a dish that features pasta cut into 5cm squares and then sprinkled with grated cheese. This is believed that this is the first time that cheese and pasta first appeared in print.
It wasn’t until 1861 that a recipe appeared in Mrs. Beeton’s Book of Household Management that was for a cheese macaroni. This recipe used pipe-shaped noodles, toasted breadcrumbs, and Cheshire cheese to make something that the book calls a favorite food of Italy. The real advancement in macaroni and cheese, however, would happen 76-years after Mrs. Beeton’s book when Kraft invented the boxed version of their now-famous mac and cheese. Since it was the height of the Great Depression, this product was widely sold and eventually became a food know around the world.
Observing National Macaroni Day
Observing this holiday is as easy as making up your favorite macaroni and cheese recipe. Consumers can literally find hundreds of different mac and cheese recipes online, so it’s just a matter of trying out the recipes that you think you’ll enjoy and then making them. While you’re serving up some of the best macaroni and cheese recipes out there, take a few moments and use the hashtag #NationalMacaroniDay on your social media accounts.
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