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Everything Bagel Popcorn Recipe For National Bagel Day

January 15th is National Bagel Day, the first bagel holiday of the year* and we’ve got a fun recipe for you: Everything Bagel Popcorn.

The recipe follows, but first:

> Check out more bagel recipes below.

> More foods waiting for “everything” topping.

> The history of the bagel.

> The history of the everything bagel.

> The history of popcorn.
 
 
RECIPE: EVERYTHING BAGEL POPCORN WITH
HOMEMADE EVERYTHING SEASONING

While it’s easy to purchase an “everything bagel” seasoning mix, this recipe shows how easy it is to make your own.

Make extra to keep in the pantry. Use it in salad dressings, on cole slaw and potato salad, eggs, green salads, grilled chicken and fish, yogurt and cottage cheese, and of course, on soft cheeses like cream cheese and goat cheese (photo #3).

Thanks to the National Popcorn Board for the recipe.
 
Ingredients For 4 Servings

  • 8 cups popped popcorn
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
  • 2 tablespoons black sesame seeds
  • 1 tablespoon garlic flakes
  • 1 tablespoon onion flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  •  
    Preparation

    1. MIX together the seeds and seasonings in a small bowl.

    2. PLACE the popcorn in a large bowl. Drizzle with the melted butter and sprinkle with seasoning mix. Toss until well-coated. Eat.

    3. STORE any leftover seasoning mix in airtight container.
     
     
    MORE BAGEL RECIPES

  • Bagel Buffet
  • Beautiful Bagel Toppings
  • Healthier Bagels
  • Homemade Bagels
  • Pumpkin Cream Cheese
  • Red Caviar Bagel
  • Strawberry Cream Cheese
  • Sweet & Crunchy Cream Cheese Spread
  • Weekend Bagel Brunch Platter
  •  
     
     
    ________________
     
    *Bagel Holidays: National Bagel Day is January 15th. National Bagels & Lox Day is February 9th. National Bagelfest Day is July 26th. In 2018, the Thomas’ English Muffin division of Bimbo Bakeries USA decided to move the date from February 9th to January 15th to avoid competing with National Pizza Day. This was a marketing decision of a single company, but today January 15th is the date that appears first in an online search, while February 9th got lox added to the bagels.
     
     
     
     

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    A bowl of popcorn with Everything Bagel seasoning
    [1] Everything Bagel popcorn (photo © National Popcorn Board).

    A tray of Everything Bagels
    [2] The “real” Everything Bagel (photo © Siegel’s Bagelmania | Facebook).

    A Goat Cheese Log rolled in Everything Bagel spices
    [3] You can used the Everything Bagel seasoning on just about anything, including a goat cheese log (photo © Vermont Creamery).

    Everything Bagel Topping
    [4] Make extra Everything Bagel topping and keep it stored in an airtight jar (photo © Take Two Tapas).

     

      

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    Dutch Crunch Bread: What It Is & Recipes To Bake Your Own

    A pastrami sandwich on San Francisco's Dutch Crunch bread
    [1] Hot Johnnie’s Dutch Crunch Pastrami Sandwich, made on Dutch Crunch bread. On this loaf, the rice paste forms “tiger stripes” (photo © Flavor & The Menu).

    Dutch Crunch Bread Mini-Loaf on a cooling rack
    [2] In these and the remainder of the Dutch Crunch photos, the pattern is giraffe-like. Here’s the recipe (photo © Honeyville).

    Rolls of Dutch Crunch Bread, a.k.a. Giraffe Bread
    [3] Another example of why it’s also called giraffe bread. In addition to loaves, round and oblong rolls are made for sandwiches. Here’s the recipe (photos #3 and #4 © Fiesta Friday).

    Ham & Cheese Slider on a blue plate
    [4] Enjoy a ham and cheese on a Dutch Crunch roll.

    A loaf of Bloomer Bread
    [5] A loaf of bloomer bread. Here’s a recipe (photo © Doves Farm).

    Round and oblong Dutch Crunch rolls
    [6] Round and oblong Dutch Crunch rolls (photo © Max’s Dutch Crunch).

     

    January 14th is National Pastrami Day. We’d tucked a link from Flavor & The Menu about a pastrami sandwich onto our calendar, and when we checked it out we found something we knew nothing about: Dutch Crunch bread.

    First, about the pastrami sandwich in photo #1, which happens to be made on Dutch Crunch bread:

    Pastrami is beef brisket that has been cured, coated in spices (crushed black pepper, coriander, mustard seeds, garlic, and others), cold smoked, and then steamed.

    Hot Johnnie’s Dutch Crunch Pastrami Sandwich is the creation of Jonathan Young, chef/owner of pastrami smokehouse Hot Johnnie’s in San Francisco.

    Instead of the classic pastrami on rye, Hot Johnnie’s Dutch Crunch layers house-smoked pastrami and creamy, and melted Muenster cheese on Dutch Crunch bread, spread with house-made pepperoncini aïoli. Fresh dill and house-made pickles tie the flavors together.

    “Dutch Crunch is one of the most beloved types of breads in the Bay Area,” says Chef Young. “This sandwich is simple yet packed with flavor and incredible texture” [source].
     
     
    SO WHAT IS DUTCH CRUNCH BREAD?

    It turns out that this white bread with a crunchy top descends from tiger bread, which originated in The Netherlands.

    In Dutch, the bread is called tijgerbrood (tiger bread) and tijgerbol (tiger roll).

    The earliest mention of a bread with a crispy, rice flour topping comes from the Netherlands in the early part of the 20th century [source].

    Over time, it spread beyond The Netherlands and became especially popular the U.K., at both artisan bakeries and supermarket chains.

    In 2012, the giant grocery chain Sainsbury’s renamed the tiger bread to “giraffe bread” at the suggestion of a 3-year-old girl.

    Via letter to management and subsequent online petition, she astutely pointed out that the mottled pattern of the crust is much closer to a giraffe’s coat [source 1] [source 2].

    (However, you can see from photo #1 that it is possible to create tiger’s stripes.)

    Tiger bread is begins with soft and fluffy white bloomer bread loaf (photo #5).

    But it gets its “tiger” pattern (or giraffe pattern, depending on your point-of-view) from a rice flour paste which is brushed on time and bakes to a distinctive crunch.
     
     
    Tiger Bread Becomes Dutch Crunch Bread

    Dutch Crust is the San Francisco incarnation of Tiger Bread—named because the original name (and concept) was Dutch.

    It’s an oblong or rectangular loaf with a crinkled, golden-brown crust that crackles when you bite it (photo #2).

    The crumb (the inside) is soft, molding to whatever is placed between the slices.

    The golden brown color is the result of a Maillard reaction* (the same browning that colors toast).

    The crust is made up of of rice flour, sugar, oil, water, and yeast, blended into a paste and brushed on top of the bread. When heat is applied (i.e., baking), these ingredients create a much crunchier crust.

    Because rice flour is free of gluten and has more and different starches than wheat flour, this paste creates the crinkle topping.

    Because of the absence of gluten, the top coat does not spread. Thus, while the wheat bread beneath is expanding from the heat of the oven, the rice flour paste on top dries, cracks, and crisps up to create the patterned look [source].

    The appeal is not only visual, but also textural and aural (you can hear it crunch).
     
     
    WHERE TO BUY DUTCH CRUNCH BREAD

    Unless you live in the San Francisco Bay area, it’s tough to find Dutch Crunch bread. It can sometimes be found in the Pacific Northwest.

    On the East Coast, Wegmans grocery once sold something similar under the name “Marco Polo” bread, but it is not currently on the website. Here’s a photo from 2009—close but no cigar.

    We hope that bakers nationwide get hip to the opportunities Dutch Crunch—or Tiger—or Giraffe—or What Will You—presents.

    In the interim, we found two resources online. While we haven’t tried them, here are two options if you don’t want to bake:

  • Max’s Dutch Crunch
  • Boudin Bakery
  •  
     
    MORE TO DISCOVER

    > The history of pastrami.

    > The different types of sandwich: a photo glossary.

    > The history of the sandwich.

    > The different types of bread: a photo glossary.

    > The history of bread.
     
     
    ________________
     
    *If you’re into science, the color comes from a reaction between the sugar and an amino acid in the bread or other food. Called the Maillard (my-YARD) reaction after the French physician and chemist Louis Camille Maillard, it’s a form of non-enzymatic browning that usually requires heat. Each type of food has a very distinctive set of flavor compounds that are formed during the Maillard reaction. The color and flavor of toasted bread and nuts; barbecued, roasted and seared meats; and roasted coffee (and many others—the browning on fried dumplings, cookies and other kinds of biscuits, breads, toasted marshmallows, and many more) are the result of Maillard reactions. Thus caramel candy is the result of a Maillard reaction. However, the process called caramelization—the caramelization of sugar, as opposed to the creation of the candy—is not a Maillard reaction but a different type of non-enzymatic browning, not involving amino acids. Instead, the sugar is oxidized.

     

     
     

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    The Flavor Of The Year For 2024 Is Ube. What Is Ube?

    Experts at one of the world’s top food and beverage flavor companies have officially identified the official 2024 Flavor of the Year. It’s Ube (OO-beh).

    The “Flavor of the Year” was recently introduced in the 2024 Food and Beverage Flavor Trends Report, an annual publication by California-based T. Hasegawa USA, one of the world’s top 10 flavor manufacturers, based in California.

    Each year, T. Hasegawa leverages its industry expertise, working with many of the world’s top food and beverage brands, to compile this trend report highlighting up-and-coming ingredients, culinary techniques and more.

    The report notes that over the next four years:

  • Ube growth is predicted to outperform 88% of all other foods, beverages and ingredients.
  • It’s projected to grow more than 48% on U.S. menus (according to Datassential).
  • Sixty-seven percent of consumers say they are likely to purchase an ube-flavored beverage or dessert (according to Monin research) [source].
  •  
     
    WHAT IS UBE? 

    Ube (photo #1), also known as purple yam (that’s not the same as purple sweet potato) is a starchy tuberous root that’s native to Southeast Asia and predominantly used in Filipino cuisine.

    It has been a cultural staple in Filipino cuisine for more than 400 years.

    The first printed reference is in Tagalog and Spanish dictionary published in 1613, although it no doubt [source].

    The word means “yam” or “tuber” in Tagalog, a native language in the Philippines.

    From a health and nutrition standpoint, ube is high in the photochemical anthocyanin, a strong antioxidant, which engenders its purple hue.

    It’s also a good source of fiber and vitamin C.

    In terms of history, appears to have originated in Bohol, an island province in the Philippines, specifically in the areas of Panglao Island and Guindulman.
     
     
    How Does Ube Taste? 

    It’s noted for its vibrant violet and lavender hues, ube has a distinctive nutty and sweet flavor profile, with hints of vanilla.

    The color as well as the creamy sweetness make it popular for in desserts in Filipino cuisine; and in the era of social media, the color makes it popular for posts!

    It’s also used in savory and recipes. ube is even sweeter than its distant relative, the purple sweet potato (photo #9).

    It’s ubiquitous in sweets, from cakes to ice creams, other baked goods and desserts, candies and drinks.

    And we can’t say it often enough: Ube, the purple yam, is not the same as the purple sweet potato (see the side-by-side comparison in photo #9).
     
     
    Ube Vs. Sweet Potato

    Ube (purple yam) and purple sweet potatoes are members of different botanical families, which makes them very distant cousins.

    They have different skin types, and different flesh.

    It can be easy to confuse ube purple yams and purple Okinawan sweet potatoes, and there is so much misinformation online. Often, ube is referred to as a purple sweet potato.

    But make no mistake, they are two different tubers.

    Remember high school biology? The plant kingdom breaks down into kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species (plus subspecies, when applicable).

  • Ube are Dioscorea alata (genus and species), in the the family Dioscoreaeae, the yam family. Ube is also called violet yam, water yam, and winged yam.
  • Purple sweet potatoes, also called Okinawan sweet potatoes, are Ipomoea batatas L. Lam, in the family Convolvulaceae, the morning glory family. They are also called beni imo and Hawaiian sweet potato. They have a light brown skin (like a “white” potato) and a deep purple interior, and are a subspecies of…
  • Orange sweet potatoes, Ipomoea batatas, in the family Convolvulaceae They are commonly mislabeled as yams, even by produce professionals. Here’s the difference between sweet potatoes and yams.
  •  
    Nutritionally, ube is similar to a traditional orange sweet potato: 120 calories, 27g carbohydrate, 4g fiber, and 1g protein.

    The flavor is similar, but ube is a bit creamier because it has more moisture. It’s also sweeter.
     
     
    Ube vs. Taro 

    Taro is a starchy tuber like ube, and is often confused with ube. Both can be used in sweet and savory recipes.

  • Their rough, brown skins are similar, although taro has a more scaly exterior that is a darker brown.
  • Taro has white flesh with flecks of purple, as opposed to ube’s deep purple to light lavender flesh, depending on the cultivar.
  • Flavor-wise, ube has a natural sweetness while taro has a more earthy and nutty.
  •  
     
    Watch this excellent video on the difference between regular sweet potato, purple sweet potato, ube (purple yam), and taro.
     
    An illustration comparing ube, taro, sweet potato, and purple sweet potato

    [9] Many thanks to Juanjuan Taste, whose YouTube video (link above0 is the best explanation of these different roots that you can find.
     
     
    HOW TO USE UBE 

    In beverages: With its brilliant purple color, creative chefs, baristas, and mixologists are using frozen ube, ube extract or powder (from dried ube) to make trendy, photogenic cocktails, bubble tea, lattes, and other drinks (photos #2, #3, and #4.

    Just search for #ube on Instagram!

    In sweets: In the Philippines, ube is usually boiled, mashed, and used to make desserts. There are ube candies and puddings like ube halaya, a classic Filipino dessert.

    And the most delicious, perhaps: ube ice cream. It has found its way to the U.S. at specialty stores (and even Trader Joe’s).

    In addition to extract, frozen, and powdered ube, there is also ube jam, called ube halaya (you can find it at Asian grocers and online).

    You can make just about any food to which

  • Ube mashed potatoes (actually, they’re yam)
  • Purple savory and sweet sauces
  • Purple pancakes and waffles
  • Purple gnocchi and other pastas
  • Anything dough-based, like dumplings and pierogi
  • Purple bread and rolls
  • Purple fritters
  • Purple yam soup (recipe)
  • Purple dips, like ube hummus (recipe)
  • Ube and cheese combinations, sweet and savory, from rolls (pandesal recipe) to cheesecake (recipe)
  •  
    For an authentic taste of the prepared tuber without having to cook ube, try picking up a jar of ube halaya to spread on toast, top ice cream, make halo-halo (shaved ice), or eat on its own.
     
     
    HOW TO FIND UBE 

    Unfortunately, it’s not yet easy to find fresh ube in the U.S. We tried to track some down as of this writing, and couldn’t.

    In the Philippines, there are two harvest seasons for ube, in June and December. It has just begun to be grown in Florida, where the warm and humid climate is just right [source].

  • Check at your local Asian grocery store or online purveyors. Otherwise, do what everyone else in the U.S. does…
  • Buy it puréed and frozen, in powder form, or as an extract. Check Asian markets and online.
  •  
    Warning note: If you do find fresh ube, there’s a fair chance that it’s a mislabeled purple sweet potato (a.k.a. Okinawan sweet potato). Even produce managers often confuse the two.

    And if you purchase ube in another form (extract, frozen, powder), be certain it is purple yam and not purple sweet potato.

    But since ube is our Top Pick Of The Week, do try it at your earliest convenience, either by purchasing something made with real ube, or making something yourself.

    There are recipes galore online for anything you could desire, from appetizers through to desserts and snacks.

    > Find more of our Top Picks Of The Week.

    > There’s a food holiday for every day of the year. Check them out!

    > October is Filipino American History Month, a month-long commemoration and appreciation for the Filipino experience throughout American history (which stretches as far back as 1587).

    > Philippine National Day, the independence day of the Philippines, is June 12th.

     

    Ube root, whole and halved
    [1] Ube root. Some roots are a much deeper purple (photo © Dinusha Rajapaksha | iStock Photo).

    Bottle of Monin Ube Syrup
    [2] In a selection of drinks. Here, an ube spritz in sparkling water, ginger ale, or lemon-lime soda like Sprite (photo © Monin).

    Ube Latte with Hello Kitty design
    [3] A latte, with ube-colored milk that’s made purple with food color, ube extract, powder, or syrup (photo © Eiliv Aceron | Unsplash).

    Ube Cocktail in a Martini Glass
    [3] You can do the same with a cocktail (photos #3, #5, and #7 © T. Hasegawa).

    A dish of ube ice cream. The dish is white, the ice cream is purple.
    [4] Ube ice cream. Here’s the recipe (photo © Better Homes & Gardens).

    Purple pancakes made with ube
    [5] Purple pancakes, anyone? Here’s a recipe.

    Dinner rolls made purple with ube
    [6] Dinner rolls made purple with ube (photo © Miguel Lorenzo | Unsplash).

    A purple ube donut filled with ube jelly
    [7] You can make sweet rolls or jelly donuts filled with ube jam.

    An ube pastry topped with shredded coconut
    [8] An ube pastry topped with toasted coconut (photo © McHail Hernandez | Pexels).

    Ube, purple yam soup made with coconut milk and ginger.
    [8] Purple yam soup made with rich coconut milk and fresh ginger. Here’s the recipe (photo © Foodaciously).

     

     
     

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    Weekend Baking: Citrus Tart Recipe With Coriander Crust

    We love lemon tarts or citrus tarts of any kind. So we were excited to try this citrus tart with a buttery crust flavored with coriander (photo #1).

    It’s a spin we’d never have thought of: ground coriander mixed into the dough.

    The flavor of coriander (photo #2) is sweet and a bit citrusy. It is used in both savory and sweet recipes:

  • In savory marinades, masalas (blends of Indian spices, including curries), and roasted vegetables.
  • In sweets like cookies and cakes.
  •  
    The tart was a hit, and has us wondering about what herb to mix in next time (we’re thinking basil).

    This recipe also adds a new dimension to the classic lemon tart by combining both lemon and mandarin juices.

    If you bake the tart and like the result as much as we do, the next time you can try any combination of citrus: grapefruit, lemon, lime, mandarin, orange, yuzu.

    Thanks to the folks at The Fresh Market for sharing their recipe with us, below.

    The recipe follows, but first:

    > The different types of citrus.

    > The difference between mandarins and oranges.

    > The different types of lemons.

    > The history of lemons.

    > The history of mandarins.

    > The difference between pies and tarts.
     
     
    RECIPE: CITRUS TART WITH CORIANDER CRUST

    It’s easy to decorate the top to add beauty to its plain surface. Photos #3 and #4 give you an idea of how lovely this can be.

    Another interesting note:

    The lemon and grapefruit tart in those photos is made with only the peels of the fruits, which are infused into the cream for the custard. Here’s the recipe.

    Ingredients For The Crust

  • 12 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
  • ¼ cup + ⅛ cup confectioners sugar
  • ¼ cup + ⅛ cup granulated sugar
  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 teaspoons ground coriander
  •  
    For The Filling

  • 4 eggs
  • 5 egg yolks
  • 1½ cups freshly squeezed juice (from about 1½ large lemons and 1-4 mandarins, depending on variety and size), plus 3 teaspoons zest
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 6 tablespoons salted butter
  •  
    Optional Garnish

  • Sliced Cara Cara and/or blood oranges, kumquats, berries, mint leaves, whipped cream
  • Pomegranate arils
  •  
    Preparation

    1. PREPARE the crust: In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix butter and sugars together, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl, until incorporated, about 2 minutes.

    Add the flour and coriander and beat just until the mixture becomes moist and starts to come together (it will still be a bit crumbly).

    2. TRANSFER the dough into a 10-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom.

    Press the dough up along the sides and on the bottom of the pan, making sure the sides have a thicker amount of dough than the bottom. This is so the edges of the crust will be less prone to over-baking.

    3. CHILL in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile…

    4. PREHEAT the oven to 375°F. Remove the tart shell from the fridge and prick it all over with a fork.

    Place the tart pan atop a sheet pan or cookie sheet. Cover the dough completely with a large sheet of foil, pressing down on the bottom and along the sides.

    5. FILL the bottom of the tart pan with pie weights or uncooked beans that cover the bottom and are heavy enough to weight down the dough. Bake for 15 minutes.

    While the crust bakes, make the filling.

    6. ADD the first four ingredients to a medium saucepan and whisk constantly over medium heat until mixture becomes thick (just enough to coat the back of a spoon, but not as thick as pudding), about 10 minutes.

    7. REMOVE from the heat and gradually stir in the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time. Set aside. When crust is finished baking…

    8. CAREFULLY remove the foil and pie weights and return the crust to the oven for 10 minutes more.

    9. REMOVE the crust and pour the filling into the crust, smoothing the top with an offset spatula or knife. Return the crust to the oven for another 10 minutes.

    10. REMOVE the tart from the oven, and let cool completely. Then carefully unmold the tart from the pan by placing a hand on the bottom and slowly lifting the bottom up and out of the ring.

    11. PLACE the tart on a serving plate and transfer it to refrigerator to chill for two hours. Garnish as desired and serve.
     
     
     
     

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    Winter Citrus Tart: a mix of lemon and mandarin juices.
    [1] The citrus tart recipe is below (photo © The Fresh Market).

    Ground coriander seed on a spoon
    [2] The coriander plant is a member of the parsley family, native to Southern Europe and the Mediterranean region. The seeds are ground into coriander, the spice. The herb cilantro is the leaf of the plant. The two flavors are vastly different from each other (photo © Savory Spice Shop).

    A citrus tart made with citrus peel (lemon and grapefruit)
    [3] This recipe, from Bakers Table, uses lemon and grapefruit zest—no juice. If you want to candy or crystallize the fruit, see the footnote* (photos #3 and #4 © Bakers Table).

    Slices of citrus tart, topped with slices of cara cara oranges.
    [4] As you cut the cake, you can remove a piece of fruit garnish to top the slices.

    Lemon tart garnished with strawberries, blueberries, and mint leaves
    [5] It’s easy to top the tart with berries and mint leaves. Here’s the recipe (photo © Chelsea’s Messy Apron).

    Lemon tart topped with meringue, like a lemon meringue pie
    [6] Or, give the tart the lemon meringue pie treatment. You can top the whole tart with meringue, or just pipe some dollops. Here’s the recipe (photo © Great British Chefs).

     
    ________________
     
    *How to sugar fruit (a crystal sugar coating). To candy the fruit (cooked, like candied orange peel).

      

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    What Is The Great Fruitcake Toss In The Rockies In January?

    Fruitcake On A Cake Stand
    [1] Why would anyone toss a tasty fruitcake? If you can’t eat it all, slice it and freeze it (photo © Williams Sonoma).

    Let Your Fruitcake Fly sign for the Great Fruitcake Toss
    [2] The slogan of the day (photos #2 and #4 © Visit Manitou Springs).

    Fruitcakes for rent at Great Fruitcake Toss
    [3] If you don’t BYO fruitcake, you can “rent” one (photo © Pikes Peak).

    The Great Fruitcake Toss hoop toss competition
    [4] There are competitions for children and adults.

     

    The Great Fruitcake Toss is a [questionable] food holiday that takes place on the last Saturday of January. This year it’s on January 27th. (There are a bunch of attributions citing it as January 3rd annually. That’s incorrect.)

    The tradition began in 1996 in Manitou Springs, Colorado, a tiny mountainside town just outside of Colorado Springs.

    Each year several hundred people gather in Memorial Park to hurl their unwanted fruitcakes hundreds of fruitcakes into the air—for fun and for prizes.
     
     
    WHY TOSS FRUITCAKES?

    The Great Fruitcake Toss began as an activity in the post-holiday doldrums. The goal was to take a leftover Christmas fruitcake that one didn’t plan to eat, and send it hundreds of feet into the air.

    What began as a post-holiday family festivity evolved into a tradition that “inexplicably grew into the epic event it is today,” says Pikes Peak Region Attractions.

    The fruitcakes are tossed by hand, by slingshot, and even by cannon. See the video below.

    Participate vie in various competitions that test strength, accuracy, and balance.

    Some people get very competitive with mechanical and robotic devices, including a pneumatic canon.

    In January 2007, a group Boeing engineers set the record for the highest Great Fruitcake Toss when their canon, the “Omega 8,” modeled after artillery.

    The compressed air canon flung a fruitcake 1,430 feet into the air—the current distance record.

    There are winners in every age group.

    And there’s no food waste: The tossed “leftovers” are fed to pigs at the local SunMountain Center.
     
     
    TO ATTEND THE 2024 FRUITCAKE TOSS

    On January 27, 2027 the fruitcakes will fly again in Manitou Springs. If you plan to toss, tickets are $1 per game.

    If you don’t bring your own fruitcake, you can rent one for $5, which includes 4 game tickets.

    You can also bring canned goods to donate to St. Andrew’s Food Pantry and receive 1 ticket for each canned good.
     
     
    WHY SHOULD YOU VISIT MANITOU SPRINGS?

    If you’d like to visit anytime—Manitou Springs is known for its mineral springs. You can taste the water at eight different springs; each is different!

    There are and mountain landscapes, dominated by the soaring Pikes Peak, the highest summit of the southern Front Range of the Rocky Mountains at 14,115 feet.

    For fans of archaeology, the Manitou Cliff Dwellings are a group of reassembled ancient Native American cliff structures.

    For hikers there’s the Manitou Incline Trail.

    For the less athletically inclined, Manitou Avenue is home to eateries, art galleries, specialty boutiques, vintage architecture, and nightlife.
     
     
    > December is National Fruitcake Month and December 27th is National Fruitcake Day.

    > Fruitcake recipes.

    > The history of fruitcake.

    > The history of cake.

    > The different types of cakes: a photo glossary.

     


    [5] Check out the different types of extreme competition (video © Robert Berndt | YouTube).

     
     

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