It may be the king of comfort foods, America’s dominating dish and a favorite of all ages across the country: mac and cheese. Golden and melty, baked and hearty, this staple or main dish can be served in so many ways, and on July 14, you’ll have the chance to try as many of them as you can on National Mac and Cheese Day, also known as National Mac and Cheese Day.
- 13th century – Macaroni and cheese is thought to have originated in Italy. There is a recipe in an Italian cookbook dating back to the late 13th century.
- 1420s – Medieval chefs were aware of the macaroni and cheese trend before it became a fad. In the 1420s, King Richard II’s master chefs compiled a manuscript called Forme of Cury (“Method of Cooking”). The text contained a recipe for a dish called “makerouns,” which is incredibly similar to the macaroni and cheese we know today. It may be the first recipe for this dish ever published.
- 1789 – U.S. President Thomas Jefferson was a big fan of macaroni and cheese. He imported Parmesan and macaroni for his estate in Virginia.
- 1824 – Thomas Jefferson brings back a pasta machine from Italy and his daughter, Mary Randolph, invents the Parmesan dish, which is later replaced by cheddar. A recipe appears in her cookbook, Virginia’s Housewife in 1824.
- 1903 – James L. Kraft made money selling cheese from a cart on the streets of Chicago. He was so successful that he was able to start a company called Kraft Foods.
- 1914 – A game-changing event occurred when Kraft began making its own cheese
- 1937 – Kraft Macaroni and Cheese hits stores in 1937. By 1937, over 8 million boxes had been sold.
- 1943 – During World War II, Kraft Foods again made the most of a difficult situation. Wartime rationing made staples like dairy and fresh meat hard to come by. As during the Great Depression, Americans turned to Kraft macaroni and cheese in droves: the company sold 50 million boxes in 1943 alone.
- 1993 – Macaroni and cheese is not only a delicious food, it is also an official crayon color. Crayola named one of its crayon colors “Macaroni and Cheese.”
- Macaroni and cheese is considered a national dish in Canada. In addition, a box of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese is the most purchased grocery item in the country.
- Kraft Macaroni and Cheese is considered the de facto unofficial food of Canada.
- The most popular way to eat macaroni and cheese in Canada is with ketchup.
- Kraft Macaroni & Cheese was created in response to the difficult times of the Great Depression. A salesman had an innovative idea. This idea was to sell both cheese and macaroni. So he began attaching packets of grated cheese to boxes of pasta. Partly thanks to the conditions of its release, this product became an absolute success.
- Kraft sells a million boxes of macaroni and cheese a day
- The record for eating an entire box of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese is one minute and 2.14 seconds.
- About 12% of macaroni and cheese meals are eaten at breakfast and another 12% are eaten BEFORE breakfast.
- Every three months, more than a third of the American population eats macaroni and cheese. In the same time frame, more than half of American children eat it.
- 53% of mac and cheese eating occasions are for Millennials, while only 19% are for Baby Boomers.
- The recommended wine to accompany macaroni and cheese is Burgundy.
- The most popular shape for macaroni and cheese other that elbow pasta is *drum roll please* SpongeBob.
- “Homemade Macaroni and Cheese” is the 11th most viewed recipe on Allrecipes.com.
- The English word for the venerable pasta we know as “macaroni” comes from the Italian “maccheroni” — but that’s not where the word comes from. The Italians borrowed the Greek word “makaria,” which means “barley food.”
- Most mac and cheese lovers in America live in Alabama, South Carolina, and Wisconsin.
- Kraft Macaroni and Cheese changes its name and introduces its iconic blue box… Kraft Cheese macaroni
- To get an idea of the popularity of this dish, a Google search for “macaroni and cheese recipes” returns more than 73 million results.
- Kraft, the undisputed king of mac and cheese worldwide, now offers 42 of its Macaroni & Cheese products. The Blue Box range includes 16 products, the traditional boil-in-water products. There are also 16 different types of microwave-safe cups and 10 Deluxe products.
Sources:
National Holidays Calendar
Made with taste
Crafty Moms Share
The tightwad
Pantry of the past
National Today
