Eat an Extra Dessert Day – September 4, 2024

History of Eat an Extra Dessert Day

We wish we knew who the creator of this delightfully sweet holiday was so we can thank them and give them a huge slice of cake. Unfortunately, the origins of this day are lost in time, but we can make up for it by enjoying the range of desserts on offer. For many, dessert is a much-anticipated highlight and a meal without some kind of mouthwatering finale seems incomplete. Some items are typical of the dessert menu. Cakes, pies, cookies, and ice cream are customarily served at the end of a meal, but if you plan on having sweet food any time of the day, then anything sweet will do.

The term dessert stems from the French word ‘desservir,’ meaning ‘to clear the table.’ After the main meal the table is cleared of used dishes and dessert is then served.

Sweet food items have been around forever and it is not clear which was the first dessert, but ice cream dates back to 3000 B.C. and is a possibility. The evolution of the dessert was propelled by the use of fruit and sugar. Sugar was used in India before 500 B.C., from where it made its way to China and Macedonia over the next 1,000 years. By the 12th century, the sugar trade expanded to Europe and dessert production rocketed after the Industrial Revolution when preservatives and the processing of food changed for the better.

Today, recipe development has reached new heights and there is a variety of interesting ingredients available. Visual presentation and colorful garnishing have become popular and important factors in raising baking and dessert making into a culinary art form.