Food Fact, Feb. 1: Baked Alaska

Photo: kimberlykv/Flickr

I got handed last week the most extraordinary compilation of food facts. It’s a 2012 calendar that singles out historical facts, patents, discoveries, companies, birthdays of pioneers and scientists, and national celebrations related to food for each day. Each. Day. Imagine!

Photo: rick/Flickr

On January 1, 1898, Grape Nuts were introduced by C.W. Post. On that same day in 1876, the red triangle of Bass Ale became the first registered trademark in the U.K. January 17th was National Hot Buttered Rum Day. Coca-Cola was incorporated on January 22nd, a whopping 120 years ago (1892). Just yesterday, Coke celebrated the birthday of its trademark, which is 119 years old and counting (1/31/1893). And that’s just a few days of food facts I’ve singled out at random.

The author of this remarkable feat of incredibly fun and revealing research is Michael Hynes, a resident of the Boston area whose professional work has nothing to do with food (his wife, however, is Louisa Kasdon, founder and CEO of Let’s Talk About Food).

Rightly so, Hynes has copyrighted his work. Who knows? Maybe some day his own publication will be updated with the date 1/1/12 as the initial publication of his copyrighted food calendar! He and Kasdon were generous enough to share this calendar with PRK. In turn, we will occasionally dip into this incredible archive of food history and share with YOU the day’s Food Fact (or Facts, as the case may be), citing Hynes as intellectual owner of this edible, quaffable, unbelievable R&D.

Today, the first of the month, is a logical beginning. What’s on Hynes’ calendar for February 1st?

National Baked Alaska Day. It ain’t fish.