The Hatch Chile Festival, celebrating the famous Hatch green chile (photo #2), is held annually in Hatch, New Mexico on Labor Day weekend, (in 2025, August 30th-31st). It’s a major event for chile lovers, attracting up to 30,000 people each year.

If you have FOMO (fear of missing out), there are plenty of recipes you can make at home—in fact, you’ve got time to schedule a Hatch Chile Potluck for Labor Day Weekend.

You can feast on everything and anything and everything from Hatch Bloody Marys, New Mexican stews and casseroles, and “Hatched” chocolate chip cookies and more.

So have your own festival! Hatch-based foods are great company for burgers, franks, steaks, corn, and other traditional Labor Day fare.

Recipes. You can search for recipes online or purchase and download Melissa’s Hatch Chile Cookbook here here (photo #6).

You can find the hardcover version on Amazon.

And there are dozens of free Hatch pepper recipes on Melissa’s website (see photos #9 through #13 for starters).

Hatch Products. You can buy fresh Hatch chiles from Melissa’s, too, and other online purveyors. Check your local specialty stores in August and September. We’ve even found them at Costco, and markets nationwide have Hatch roasts in their parking lots (and sell the fresh chiles).

Melissa’s also sells Organic Hatch Pepper Polenta, Hatch Salsa, Hatch Pepper Avocado Salsa, Hatch Pecans, and more spicy stuff.

And there are plenty of Hatch salsas, chile powders, and whole roasted canned chiles available on Amazon and elsewhere.

> The history of the Hatch chile is below.

> The history of chile peppers.

> The different types of chiles: a photo glossary.

> The year’s chile pepper holidays.

> The history of bread pudding.

> The history of Tres Leches Cake.

Also below:

> Why chiles are called peppers.

> The year’s hot and spicy food holidays.

> The year’s 24 pudding holidays.
 
 
ABOUT HATCH CHILES

Celebrated for their smoky, earthy, and slightly sweet flavor, green Hatch chiles are celebrated fresh roasted in late August and September.

The green chiles (photo #2) are also diced and frozen for year-round sales. Whole, ripe, red Hatch chiles (photo #5) are dried and available year-round. They’re also ground into Hatch chile powder.

Hatch chile season typically runs from early August through late September, with some variation depending on the weather and growing conditions in southern New Mexico. The peak harvest is mid-August to early September.

Fresh Hatch chiles are often available in markets across the Southwest and increasingly nationwide—especially during August when many grocery stores hold roasting events. You can stock up and freeze them for the rest of the year.

Hatch chiles can be hotter, milder, or the same heat level as jalapeños. The heat varies greatly depending on the specific variety, ranging from mild (around 1,000 Scoville Heat Units [SHU] to quite hot (up to 8,000 SHU or more—jalapeños typically range from 2,500 to 8,000 SHU).

There’s more about them below.
 
 
RECIPE: TRES LECHES BREAD PUDDING WITH HATCH CHILES

Here’s a different spin on that creamy comfort food, bread pudding. The recipe contains Hatch chiles, grown in the Hatch Valley of New Mexico, where the unique soil and climate create their signature flavor. (If you can’t find fresh Hatch chiles, substitute frozen or dried red Hatch chiles.)

Prep time is 15 minutes and bake time is 1 hour.

The bread pudding uses bolillo, Mexico’s most popular bread (photo #3). If you can’t find good bolillos and don’t want to bake your own, substitute French bread (baguette or batard) or Italian bread. Brioche or challah may be too rich and eggy for this recipe, and white sandwich bread is too soft.

Whatever bread you use, for best results it should be day-old/slightly stale. In this state the bread absorbs the custard better without getting mushy.

For a planned celebration, National Bread Pudding Day on November 13th, May 1st is Bread Pudding Recipe Exchange Day, and May 1st-7th is Bread Pudding Recipe Exchange Week. See all the pudding holidays below.

Many thanks to Melissa’s for the recipe. As specialty produce purveors, they have many custom recipes to make with their fruits and vegetables.

For a photo of the inspiration for this recipe, see photo #8, Tres Leches Cake.
 
Ingredients For 8-10 Servings

 
For The Tres Leches Topping

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 350°F.

2. COMBINE in a blender the Hatch chiles, evaporated milk, and condensed milk. Blend until smooth. Strain into a large bowl.

3. ADD the heavy cream, eggs, ground cinnamon, and sugar. Whisk until fully incorporated.

4. LAYER the torn bolillo pieces into a baking dish. Pour the Hatch chile custard mixture over the bread and let soak for 10 minutes.

5. PLACE the baking dish in a water bath and bake for 1 hour.

6. MAKE the topping: Blend the evaporated milk, condensed milk, and Hatch chiles until smooth. Strain into a saucepan and stir in the heavy cream. Bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat.

7. POUR the warm topping over the bread pudding immediately after removing it from the oven. Let it soak in before serving warm. Garnish as desired.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF HATCH CHILES

Hatch chiles, a type of New Mexican chile pepper, are named after the growing area of Hatch, New Mexico. It’s in southern New Mexico in the Mesilla Valley, just north of Las Cruces.

The valley, which stretches along the Rio Grande’s southernmost bend before crossing into Texas and Mexico, is covered with row after row of green, leafy Hatch chile plants for most of the summer.

Every year, after the harvest, there are formal and informal Hatch chile festivals, the big one taking place in Hatch itself over Labor Day Weekend.

In towns throughout New Mexico, the aroma of roasted chiles fills the air, along with the sounds of the Hatch chiles popping and crackling as they roast in propane-powered roasters.

They’re roasted in grocery store parking lots, on street corners and seemingly everywhere and just about everyone enjoys the seasonal treat.

Experts say that the intense sunlight, hot days and cool nights in the valley result in a uniquely flavored chile.

Hatch chiles are descended from chiles cultivated for thousands of years in Central and South America.

Capsicum annuum‡ was domesticated in Mexico at least 6,000 years ago. It is the most widely cultivated and economically important species of the Capsicum genus, and includes popular peppers like Anaheim, banana, bell, Hungarian Wax peppers, jalapeños, cayenne, paprika, pimiento, poblano peppers, serrano, shishito, and many others.

Spanish settlers and missionaries brought chile seeds northward into the American Southwest in the late 1500s. There, the Pueblo peoples and other Native American groups were already cultivating and adapting chiles to the arid climate.
 
 
Modern Cultivation

The modern Hatch chile developed in the late 1800s to early 1900s. Mexico’s Mesilla Valley, which includes the village of Hatch, became a fertile region for chile cultivation due to its hot days, cool nights, and volcanic soil.

In the period from 1907 to 1921 Dr. Fabián García, a horticulturist at New Mexico State University (then called New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts), began to selectively breed chile peppers to create uniform, thick-walled, and flavorful peppers as a crop for local farmers. His NuMex No. 9 variety, released in 1913, is considered the ancestor of modern Hatch chiles.

Later in the 20th century, additional NuMex (for New Mexico) varieties were developed for flavor, size, and heat. These included:

 
Hatch, New Mexico became the center of commercial chile production, and the term “Hatch chile” evolved as a regional brand—it’s not a single botanical variety.

Thus, “Hatch chile” refers to any New Mexican-style chiles grown in the Hatch Valley, rather than to one specific cultivar.
 
 
Hatch Chiles Become Hot (i.e., Popular)

The annual Hatch Chile Festival, begun in the 1970s, helped to popularize the chile pepper nationwide.

The concept of a Hatch chile roast spread nationwide, with roasting events held in grocery store parking lots across the U.S. in late summer.

Thus was Hatch chile season turned into an American culinary ritual.
 
 
THE YEAR’S SPICY FOOD HOLIDAYS

There is no Hatch Chile Day (yet), but here are 14 chile pepper holidays.

So we’re taking this opportunity to presenting the 12 hot and spicy food holidays.

 
For more heat, check out the 11 ginger-related holidays.
 
 
THE YEAR’S 24 PUDDING HOLIDAYS

While there is a National Bread Pudding Day on November 13th, and two more bread pudding holidays in May, we’re taking this opportunity to present all the pudding holidays. We like to plan ahead!

> Here’s how American pudding is different from British pudding. Both types listed.

> Have a pudding party! Here’s how to set up a pudding buffet.

[1] Hatch bread pudding, adding a kick to a creamy comfort food. The recipe is below (photos #1, #2, #4, #6, and #9 through #13 © Melissa’s Produce).

[2] Fresh, green Hatch chiles. When left to ripen, they produce sweeter red chiles (see photo #5).

[3] A bolillo (boh-LEE-yoh) is a crusty white oblong roll. The flavor is very similar to a baguette: the outside crusty and chewy while the inside is soft and fluffy. It’s used for tortas (sandwiches) and everything else. Here’s a recipe to bake your own (photo © Isabel Eats).

[4] A Hatch chile pizza with fresh basil. You can add pepperoni, too. Here’s the recipe.

[5] Dried Red Hatch Chiles are available year-round. They’re also ground into Hatch chile powder (photo © Otis Acres Micro Farm).

[6] You can purchase and download the cookbook here, or buy a hardcover copy on Amazon.

[7] Dice Hatch chiles for fresh salsa. Here’s a recipe (photo © Hatch Chile Store—check out their Hatch chile products).

[8] A slice of Tres Leches Cake, which is made with three milks: condensed, sweetened condensed, and whole milk (photo © Ivana M. | Unsplash).

[9] How about a slice of Hatch chile apple pie? Here’s the recipe.

[10] A plant-based burger deluxe with Hatch chiles (substitute your patty of choice). Here’s the recipe.

[11] Food fun: Hatch chile s’mores. Here’s the recipe.

[12] Hatch chile pepper dogs. Here’s the recipe.

[13] Last but not least: Hatch chile! You can also add some Hatch salsa to the optional sour cream topping. Here’s the recipe.

Chiles were “discovered” in the Caribbean by Christopher Columbus, who called them “peppers” (pimientos in Spanish) because of their fiery similarity to the black peppercorns he was familiar with—although there is no botanical relationship between the two plants, or with the Szechuan pepper.

That’s why calling chiles “peppers” is a misnomer. The term “pepper” (pimiento) is not used to describe them in the Spanish language.

But that’s why chiles are called peppers by many Americans. (The Nibble calls them either chiles or chile peppers [so people who only call them peppers can relate], and we only use “peppers” when referring to bell peppers.)

The Aztec (Nahuatl language) word is chilli, which the Spanish spelled chile.

The British spelling “chilli” results from how the word traveled from Spanish to English and was influenced by English spelling conventions of the 17th–19th centuries.

So why do Americans call their dish chili instead of chile?

In 19th‑century Texas and the Southwest, the Mexican “chile con carne” became “chili con carne” in cookbooks and newspapers. Reasons given include that “chile” could be read as Chile, the country.

By the late 1800s, “Texas chili” was a distinct American frontier dish. The Anglicized “chili” reinforced it as a local specialty rather than just referring to the Spanish chile pepper.

If you want a bit more chile history:

The first chiles were brought to Spain in 1493 by Diego Álvarez Chanca, a physician on Columbus’ second voyage to the West Indies. He first wrote about their medicinal effects in 1494. From Europe, chiles spread rapidly to India, China, and Japan.

In Europe, they first were grown in the monastery gardens of Spain and Portugal as botanical curiosities, but the monks experimented with their culinary potential and discovered that their pungency offered an inexpensive substitute for black peppercorns.

Peppercorns, imported from southeast Asia, were so costly that they were used as legal currency in some countries!

What we call “heat” or ”fire” of the chile is known in the industry as the pungency level. The pungency is the result of both the plant’s genetics and the environment in which it grows. Although plant breeders can produce a chile with a certain amount of relative heat by varying water amounts and temperature levels, genetic control is not yet fully understood.

The heat is due to capsaicin, an alkaloid, and four related chemicals, collectively called capsaicinoids. Each capsaicinoid has a different effect on the mouth, and variation in the proportions of these chemical is responsible for the differing sensations produced by different varieties.

Capsaicin causes pain and inflammation if consumed to excess, and can even burn the skin on contact in high concentrations (habaneros, for example, are routinely picked with gloves). It is also the primary ingredient in pepper spray.
 
________________
 
*There are two Yorkshire Pudding holidays. British Yorkshire Pudding Day is observed each year in the United Kingdom on the first Sunday in February. National Yorkshire Pudding Day on October 13 was begun in the U.S. and is recognized in North America and elsewhere.

†Why two tapioca holidays? June 28th is a broader National Tapioca Day celebration, July 15th celebrates tapioca pudding specifically. There’s no clear explanation for why there are two similar days so close to each other.

Other uses for tapioca: Tapioca is a popular gluten-free flour substitute used in baking, creating chewy textures in bread. It helps to bind ingredients as a thickening agent for gravies, sauces, and soups.

Cassava flatbreads and crackers are dietary staples in many Caribbean and South American countries. Brazilian is known for its savory and sweet tapioca crêpes, beiju de tapioca. Various Asian noodles and crispy snacks are made from tapioca starch.

The cassava root vegetable can be boiled, fried, or roasted as a potato substitute. These culinary uses, along with industrial uses, make tapioca one of the most versatile plants.

‡The other significant species of Capsicum include Capsicum frutescens, known for small, pungent chiles (bird’s eye, Tabasco, Thai), Capsicum chinense, an extremely hot species (Carolina Reaper, ghost pepper, Habanero, Scotch bonnet), and Capsicum baccatum, chiles with fruity flavors, best known for the aji amarillo.
 
 

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.

[1] Gooey Butter Cake (photos #1, #6, and #8 © Park Avenue Coffee | St. Louis).

[2] Ready to serve (photos #2 and #7 © Mark Derse | Taste Of Home).

[3] Cream cheese gives the cake its “gooey” top (photo © Organic Valley).

[4] Confectioners’ sugar is sprinkled on top,but we’ve never liked the mess it creates. See tips below“>below (photo © Donut Equipment).

[5] If you like to use premium ingredients, treat yourself to vanilla extract from Nielsen-Massey (photo © Nielsen-Massey).

[6] If you don’t want to bake, order Gooey Butter Cake from the source in St. Louis.

We had never heard of Gooey Butter Cake until we came across its holiday, August 12th, National Gooey Butter Cake Day!

It turns out that it’s a signature dish of St. Louis, Missouri, a local go-to treat.

But wherever you call home, this rich, delicious, and super-easy dessert hits the spot. The bottom layer of yellow cake of topped with a gooey top layer made from butter, cream cheese, eggs, and vanilla, garnished with confectioners’ sugar.

Gooey Butter “Cake” isn’t actually a cake. It’s a bar cookie, like lemon bars. Bars are one of the 10 different types of cookies.

The recipe follows, courtesy of Taste Of Home.

But if you don’t want to bake, you can order some directly from St. Louis (see below).

> The history of Gooey Butter Cake is below.

> Buy Gooey Butter Cake online, below.

> The history of confectioners’ sugar is below.

> Why is confectioners’ sugar used as a [messy] garnish?

> The history of cake.

> The history of cookies.

> The different types of cake: a photo glossary.

> The year’s 55 cake holidays.
 
 
RECIPE: GOOEY BUTTER CAKE

Prep time is 20 minutes and bake time is 40 minutes, plus 1 hour cool time.

Here’s a step-by-step video.

This cake is particularly sweet, in keeping with many American palates. We cut the sugar by 1/3 in both the cake and the topping.

The recipe was provided by Cheri Foster of Vail, Arizona and tested by Lisa A. Kaminski and Val Goodrich of the Taste Of Home Test Kitchen.
 
Ingredients For 16 Servings

 
For The Topping

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 325°F. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl…

2. WHISK together the melted butter, egg, and vanilla. Add to the flour mixture and stir to combine. Press onto bottom of a greased 13 x 9-inch baking dish.

3. MAKE the topping. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and eggs until smooth. Add the confectioners’ sugar and stir to combine. Pour over the crust.

4. BAKE until the center is almost set and edges start to brown, 40-45 minutes. Cool for 1 hour on a wire rack. Sprinkle with additional confectioners’ sugar if desired.
 
 

[7] Waiting for a cup of tea or coffee.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF GOOEY BUTTER CAKE

Gooey butter cake was invented by accident in the 1930s by a German-American baker in St. Louis, Missouri.

There are different origin stories, but the most common told story attributes it to a baker at Park Avenue Coffee Shop who mistakenly reversed the proportions of butter and flour while making regular cake batter.

Instead of throwing out the mistake, he baked it anyway and discovered the deliciously rich, gooey texture

What is known for sure is that gooey butter cake emerged from the German-American baking community in St. Louis during the Great Depression.

It has remained a beloved local and regional dessert ever since. In fact, it’s considered the signature dessert of St. Louis.
 
 
BUY GOOEY BUTTER CAKE ONLINE

The original Park Avenue Coffee Shop in St. Louis that opened in the 1930s is no longer in operation.

However, there is a locally owned St. Louis business called Park Avenue Coffee that opened in Historical Lafayette Square in 2006, and now has several locations.

It not only makes the original Gooey Butter Cake; it makes a number of different flavors that you can buy online.

 
 

[8] Gooey Butter Cake in Chocolate, Cinnamon, and Red Velvet.
 
 
WHY GARNISH DESSERTS WITH CONFECTIONERS’ SUGAR?

Gooey Butter Cake is one of many baked dessert and sweet bread recipes that has confectioners’ sugar sprinkled on top. It may look elegant at first, but it always makes a mess, flaking off on one’s clothing and adhering to fingers and everything else it touches.

It just doesn’t adhere well to most baked goods.

So why is it used as a garnish?

 
Hack: Some bakers solve the powdered sugar problem by mixing it with a tiny amount of cornstarch, which helps it stick better.
 
 
The History Of Confectioners’ Sugar

Confectioners’ sugar (also called powdered sugar and 10x sugar, because it is milled/sifted 10 times) has a long tradition in European baking. In addition to visual appeal as a garnish—a 19th-century discovery—confectioners’ sugar evolved from practical baking needs.

Starting with granulated sugar for a moment:

Sugarcane originated in Southeast Asia and India, with India discovering how to refining the cane juice into crystalline form by 4th–5th centuries C.E. The technique moved westward to the Middle East, but did not reach Europe until the 13th century.

The form of granulated sugar sold in Europe from the late Middle Ages through the 19th century were molded at the refinery into a cone shape called a sugar loaf. It was easy to chip off pieces with a sugar nipper.

 
Confectioners’ sugar developed gradually over several centuries (the 17th through 19th)as bakers found they needed finer sugar for icings, frostings, and delicate confections, where the grittiness of regular sugar crystals was undesirable.

Plus, a finer texture allowed for smoother mixing and better incorporation into batters and creams. (Remember: These were the days of hand-mixing, long before the first electric mixer appeared in 1885, a pricey appliance for commercial use*.)

Powdered sugar was often sold in compressed tablets or disks which were grated.

The commercial production of confectioners’ sugar became more standardized in the 19th century, when factory-made powdered sugar became available. This marked the transition from home sifting to commercial production.

Modern confectioners’ sugar includes small amounts of anti-caking agents—typically cornstarch or calcium phosphate—to prevent clumping.

> The history of sugar.

> The different types of sugar: a photo glossary.
 
 
________________
 
*The first electric mixer available was invented by Rufus Eastman in 1885. It was initially marketed for commercial use, specifically for whipping cream, eggs, and liquor. The first electric stand mixer, designed for home use, was the KitchenAid Food Preparer, introduced by Hobart Manufacturing Company in 1919. Traveling backward, hand-cranked egg beaters appeared in the 1850s. Simple wire whisks existed in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Large forks were used as cooking utensils in ancient Egypt. From the earliest times, twig whisks were used to mix and stir.

 
 

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.

[1] One of our favorite whole-grain breakfasts (photos #1, #3, #4, #5, #6, and #7 © Post Consumer Brands).(photo © Post Consumer Brands).

[2] For years, Shredded Wheat was produced by Nabisco (photo © Nabisco).

[3] The Original Shredded Wheat brand is now owned by Post

[4] Use Shredded Wheat in recipes; here it coats baked chicken with a sour cream sauce. The recipe.

[5] You can add Shredded Wheat to cookies, muffins, and cereal bars. Here’s the recipe for the bars.

[6] Crumble shredded wheat as a dessert garnish. Here, a Key lime parfait with a crunchy garnish shredded wheat. The recipe.

[7] How about Parmesan chicken with Shredded Wheat? Here’s the recipe.

[8] A 1931 as for Shredded Wheat. Note the original packaging (ad available from Period Paper).

We are big fans of shredded wheat, which has its own national holiday: July 31st. To celebrate National Shredded Wheat Day, we offer you a history of the unique-looking breakfast cereal, plus ways to enjoy it it beyond the breakfast table.

Shredded Wheat cereal is a ready-to-eat breakfast cereal made from 100% whole wheat, formed into distinctive woven wheat biscuits.

It is one of the oldest cold cereals still sold today and a classic example of the early health-food cereal movement.

Original Shredded Wheat biscuits had no sugar, no salt, and no additives, and high fiber—just steamed and baked whole wheat.

> The history of Shredded Wheat is below.

> So are more ways to use shredded wheat.

> The year’s 116 breakfast holidays.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF COLD BREAKFAST CEREAL

In the late 1800s, American diets were heavy in meat, fried foods, pastries, and alcohol, and short on vegetables and other fiber. This led to widespread constipation, indigestion, and dyspepsia (discomfort or pain in the upper abdomen, a common complaint of the time).

Health reformers, especially in Battle Creek, Michigan*, promoted whole grains and high-fiber foods to aid digestion.

Cold cereals like Shredded Wheat, Grape-Nuts, and Corn Flakes were created as “scientific” alternatives to greasy breakfasts.

The philosophy was that bland, whole-grain foods could “cleanse” the body and mind and promote longevity.

Plus, cold cereal fit into the vegetarian, temperance-oriented lifestyle promoted at sanitariums.
 
 
THE PIONEERS OF COLD CEREAL

 
 
THE HISTORY OF SHREDDED WHEAT

Henry Drushel Perky (1843-1906) was a lawyer, businessman, promoter and inventor. A devout vegetarian, he was an advocate of whole wheat and a pioneer in health food, invented Shredded Wheat in 1890.

In the early 1890s, at a Nebraska hotel, Perky, suffering from diarrhea, encountered a man similarly afflicted. The man was eating boiled wheat with cream to mitigate the problem.

Intrigued, in 1892, Perky took the idea of a commercial product made from boiled wheat to a machinist friend, William H. Ford. The two developed a machine that shredded wheat flakes and flattened the cooked whole wheat between steel rollers.

Voilà: the uniquely shaped and turned it into the pillow-like biscuits. (At first, Perky called them “little whole wheat mattresses.”)

They patented the machine in 1893 and presented the machine at the 1893 Columbian Exposition, marketed as a modern health food. It attracted attention for its health benefits and novel form.

In 1895, Perky launched the Cereal Machine Company in Denver, selling both the cereal and the machine to bakeries. Later that year, he opened the Natural Food Company, a factory in Boston, to mass-producing the cereal for consumers.

The company moved to Niagara Falls, New York, for the cheap hydroelectric power and proximity to wheat farms, and eventually became the Shredded Wheat Company.

His initial intention was to sell the machine. Instead, he ended up selling shredded wheat on the street from horse-drawn wagons, meeting consumer demand for a healthy breakfast, meant to be eaten with hot or cold milk (source).
 
 
The Patent Expires

The original patent for Shredded Wheat was issued in 1895. At that time, utility patents lasted for 17 years from the date of issue and thus expired in 1912. (Today it’s 20 years from date of issue, and 15 years for design patents. The name Shredded Wheat is also now generic.)

Nabisco introduced bite-sized Mini-Shredded Wheat in 1930 (decades before Frosted Mini-Wheats).

The cereal was popular enough that the Kellogg Company decided to introduce a similar shredded wheat product. This led to a landmark Supreme Court case: Kellogg Co. v. National Biscuit Co. (1938).

The court ruled that Shredded Wheat was generic after the patent expired, allowing competitors to make similar cereals. 

Nabisco acquired the company in 1928. Nabisco later merged with Kraft and then sold off its cereals. Post Foods (now Post Consumer Brands) currently produces Shredded Wheat in the U.S. In Canada and the U.K., the brand is owned by Nestlé, under license from Post.
 
 
Today’s Varieties

Post, which purchased Original Shredded Wheat from Nabisco, makes Original Big Biscuit, Original Spoon Size, and Spoon Size Wheat ’n Bran.

Most of the sweetened Nabisco/Post flavors have been discontinued, such as Post Honey Nut, Vanilla Almond, Mixed Berry, and the Frosted line (Cinnamon Roll, Mixed Berry, S’mores, etc.).

Kellogg’s has expanded beyond unfrosted Mini-Wheats into Blueberry, Maple Brown Sugar, Pummpkin Spice, Strawberry, Touch Of Fruits, and Little Bites variants including Chocolate.
 
 
OTHER WAYS TO USE SHREDDED WHEAT

Early cookbooks suggested using Shredded Wheat as pie crust, casserole topping, and even mock meatloaf filler.

Later, it became used often in desserts, from garnishes (photo #6) and toppings for crumbles and crisps to chocolate nests for Easter, as well as incorporated into:

 
An easy savory garnish: Mix crushed Shredded Wheat with seeds, olive oil, and herbs to sprinkle over dips, grains, roasted vegetables, salads, soups.

> Check out all these recipes.
 
 
________________
 
*Battle Creek, Michigan was home to Seventh-day Adventist headquarters, a group that promoting vegetarianism and health reform. John Harvey Kellogg’s success attracted imitators and created a cluster of sanitariums and health businesses, including early cereal companies. In fact, Battle Creek earned the nickname “The Cereal Capital of the World” because Post and Kellogg both grew out of the sanitarium culture.

†C.W. Post was a great marketer, and wanted a healthy, natural=sounding name, which appealed to the late 19th-century health food movement. It was promoted as nutritious, easily digestible, and energizing. The “Grape” came from grape sugar (glucose), which was believed to form during the cereal’s baking process; and “Nuts” referred to the hard, crunchy nuggets that resembled small nuts and had a toasty, nut-like flavor.

‡Force was introduced in 1901–1902, created by C.E. Barter and commercially developed with W.K. Kellogg’s help. It was one of the first ready-to-eat toasted wheat flake cereals. By 1903, Force was a national sensation in the U.S. and the U.K.

It was among the first cereals to rely heavily on mass advertising rather than just health claims. But it was a victim of changing tastes and management. As Americans wanted sweet cereals, Kellogg’s, Post, and Quaker Oats dominated shelves with their sugary brands. Plus, Force changed hands multiple times, diluting its marketing consistency. Force vanished from the U.S. by the mid-20th century, unable to compete with sugary cereals.
 

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.

We are a devotee of cheesecake, and haven’t yet found a good Basque cheesecake in our home town. Even the slice we had at the gourmet Spanish market owned by a prominent chef we admire was bland.

July 30th is National (and International) Cheesecake Day. No time like the present to create this drool-worthy dessert.

Basque cheesecake it isn’t [yet] a style familiar to many Americans. The top should be cracked, sunken and burnt, and the technique used makes the top taste caramelized.

Originating at a restaurant in San Sebastián, a resort town on the Bay of Biscay in Spain’s Basque Country, the creamy cheesecake is also known as Burnt Basque Cheesecake, Burnt Cheesecake, San Sebastian Cheesecake.

You can serve it with coffee or tea, but consider what the local Vascos* serve: brandy, sherry, sweet Riesling, ice wine, or other dessert wines.

The recipe follows, but first:

> The year’s 16 cheesecake holidays.

> See the year’s 11 Spanish food holidays below.

> The history of cheesecake.

> The history of Basque cheesecake is below.

> 80 more cheesecake recipes, including sweet, savory, and more (cheesecake ice cream, floats, pops, waffles, etc.).
 
 
BASQUE CHEESECAKE VS. NEW YORK CHEESECAKE

What makes Basque cheesecake unique is its rustic appearance and intense flavor. It’s baked at a higher temperature, 400°F (200°C), which creates its signature blackened top. New York Cheesecake is typically baked at between 300°F and 350°F (150°C and 175°C).

A few more differences:

 
 
RECIPE: BASQUE CHEESECAKE

You can make Basque cheesecake the day before serving and refrigerate it until an hour before serving. It tastes best at room temperature.

Prep time is 20 minutes and bake time is 45 minutes, plus cooling.

This version of the recipe was developed by Lauren Habermehl of Pewaukee, Wisconsin and tested by By Lauren Habermehl and Val Goodrich of the Taste of Home Test Kitchen. We also provide the original La Viña recipe, which differs slightly.

> Here’s a video of the preparation.
 
Ingredients

 
The Original Recipe Ingredients

For comparison, here are the ingredients from the original La Viña recipe (photo #4). Most significantly, the Taste Of Home version above uses an extra egg yolk, less heavy cream, more salt, plus vanilla extract. The extra egg yolk and less cream in the Taste Of Home version results in a denser texture due to the increased fat content. We liked the softer center better—it’s different—but both were equally delicious. Here’s the full La Viña recipe.

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 400°F. Line a 9-inch springform pan with two overlapping pieces of parchment paper. Set aside.

2. BEAT the cream cheese and 1-1/2 cups sugar in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until the mixture is smooth.

3. ADD the whole eggs and the egg yolk, one at a time, until incorporated. Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low; beat in the heavy cream, flour, vanilla extract and salt until smooth.

4. TRANSFER the filling to the springform pan, spreading it into an even layer. Dust the top of the cheesecake with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.

5. BAKE for 25-30 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 450°; bake an additional 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven; let cool completely on wire rack. Remove sides of springform pan and peel back layers of parchment paper. Use a sharp knife to cut into slices.

6. TO STORE: You can store Basque cheesecake in the fridge for up to five days. You can freeze it whole or in individual slices for up to three months, tightly wrapped in two layers of plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil. Defrost it overnight in the fridge and let warm on the counter for an hour before serving.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF BASQUE CHEESECAKE

Basque cheesecake, known as tarta de queso in Spanish, is a relatively new addition to the pantheon of cheesecake recipes.

Note that tarta de queso simply means cheesecake in Spanish, and other styles of cheesecake have long existed before what we call Basque cheesecake. They were (and are) typically lighter, often had crusts, and were baked at lower temperatures (i.e., not “burnt”).

Basque cheesecake was created in 1990 in San Sebastián, Spain—the eponymous Basque region of northern Spain—by Santiago Rivera at his restaurant La Viña.

At the end of many hours of experimentation on taking traditional cheesecake to the next level, he baked it at a much higher temperature, for a longer time than usual, and without a crust.

The result was a dessert with a deeply caramelized, almost burnt exterior and an very creamy, custard-like interior—an innovation.
 
 
The Path To Global Fame

[1] The mouthwatering Basque cheesecake (photos #1, #2, and #3 © Melissa Franco | Taste Of Home).

[2] Basque cheesecake tastes best at room temperature.

[3] You can freeze the cake whole or in slices.

[4] Here’s the recipe from La Viña that was printed in the cookbook, Basque Country, and baked by Luxeat (photo © Luxeat).

[5] There should be a soft custard texture in the center of the cheesecake, but if yours doesn’t have it, it will be just as delicious. Here’s the recipe for this version (photo © Cook Republic).

[6] New York-style cheesecake with a graham cracker crust. Here’s the recipe (photo © Wilton).

[7] Basque cheesecake gelato: Have your cake and your ice cream, too. Here’s the recipe (photo © Cook Republic).

For decades, Basque cheesecake remained largely regional, popular in the Basque country and parts of Spain. However, it began to gain international attention in the 2010s when food bloggers and chefs began discovering and sharing the recipe online.

Its Instagrammability helped fuel its global popularity.

The cheesecake truly exploded worldwide around 2018-2019, becoming a trendy dessert in restaurants from Tokyo to New York.

In 2021, the New York Times called it the “Flavor of the Year,” and it more mainstream food culture.

It has inspired countless variations and interpretations. It was reported by the Times that a Basque cheesecake soft-serve flavor appeared in Singapore!

Here’s a recipe for Basque cheesecake gelato (photo #7), which incorporates large pieces of the cheesecake into vanilla gelato.
 
 
Basque Cheesecake’s Different Names

In the U.S. we call it Basque cheesecake, Basque burnt cheesecake, or burnt cheesecake. Elsewhere, the name varies quite a bit. (Note that vasca/vasco refers to the Basque people.)

The “burnt” descriptor is also commonly added in many languages to emphasize the distinctive caramelized top that sets it apart from other cheesecake styles.

In Spanish-speaking countries, it’s often called:

 
In English-Speaking Countries

 
In France

 
In Other European Countries

 
In Japan

 
However, the term is becoming internationally standardized: Many restaurants and bakeries around the world simply use the term Basque cheesecake, even when writing in their local language.
 
 
11 SPANISH FOOD HOLIDAYS CELEBRATED IN THE U.S.

Note that these holidays originated in Spain, and do not include Tex-Mex foods. The one food we think of as Mexican or Tex-Mex that actually originated in Spain is the empanada†.

 
Food Fight!

Spain is also home to the world’s biggest food fight: La Tomatina. The festival takes place in Buñol, Spain (a municipality in the province of Valencia), where participants throw tomatoes at each other.

What began as a food fight between friends on the last Wednesday of August, 1945 now attracts participants from all over the world. The town of 9,000 residents has seen 40,000 to 50,000 people show up.

For safety reasons, attendance is now capped at 20,000, and the event always sells out. La Tomatina only uses tomatoes that are unfit for consumption and would usually be thrown away by vendors or farmers—150,000 kilos of tomatoes (about 330,000 pounds)!

For all this effort, the event lasts for just one hour! Check out these fun facts about the event.
 
 
________________
 
*Vasco is the Spanish name given to residents of Spain’s Basque region. In the Basque native language of Euskara, they call themselves Euskaldunaks, which means “speakers of Basque” in Euskara. In Spanish, they are also called Vascos. The term “Basque” itself is derived from the Spanish and French words for the Basques, which in turn come from the ancient Vascones, a tribe that inhabited the area.
 
†Unlike many Tex-Mex foods that originated in the American Southwest—burritos, chili, chimichangas, salsa, tacos, etc.—empanadas originated in Spain. The first published recipe is from 1520s, written in Catalan.
 
 

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.

[1] No boring flour here: These fingers have a terrific breading of corn flakes and chopped pecans (photo © Taste Of Home).

[2] Pecans are a great crust for chicken, but if you prefer, you can use your nut of choice. Macadamias? Pistachios? (photo © Schermer Pecans).

[3] Corn Flakes are our favorite coating for fried chicken. Check out this recipe (photo © Kellogg).

[4] Buffalo wings cinnamon honey. You can make your own by mixing cinnamon into plain honey. Or, Drizzle Honey makes a great one (photo © Drizzle Honey).

[5] The tenderloin, shown on top of the breast here, is actually underneath the breast (image by A.I.).

Chicken finger lovers: the cluckin’ good piece of poultry that’s also known as chicken tenders and chicken strips, has its own holiday on July 27th.

A delicious chicken fingers recipe and dipping sauce options follow. But first:

> The year’s 40 chicken holidays.

> The history of chicken.

> The different cuts of chicken. How many can you name?

> Gettin’ geeky: chicken terminology.

> The history of chicken fingers is below.
 
 
RECIPE: CHICKEN FINGERS WITH A PECAN CRUST

A treat for the whole family, this recipe adds even more flavor and protein with a crunchy pecan coating. You can use sauces for dipping or creating your own.

The recipe is from Beba Cates of Pearland, Texas, and sent to us by the Taste Of Home Editorial Team5x.

Prep time is 15 minutes and cook time is 15 minutes.

You can also find pre-cut raw chicken tenders in many markets. Yes, you can also find ready-to-heat-and-eat chicken tenders/fingers in the frozen food aisle, but trust us: This recipe is so much better!
 
Ingredients For 2 Servings

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 400°F. In a shallow bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients (pecans through salt).

2. PLACE the milk in another shallow bowl. Dip the chicken in milk, then roll in pecan mixture.

3. PLACE the strips in a single layer in an ungreased 15 x 10 x 1-inch baking pan. Bake, uncovered, until juices run clear, 12-15 minutes.
 
 
SAUCES FOR CHICKEN FINGERS

Chicken fingers welcome just about any condiment. We always serve a “flight of sauces,” three or more options.

The basics condiments include usual round up of barbecue sauce, honey (including hot honey), honey mustard, ketchup, marinara, ranch, and sweet and sour sauce.

Sophisticated palates will appreciate:

 
 

[6] Chicken tenders at the market (photo © Butcher Shoppe Direct) .

For something relatively new on the scene, the origin of chicken fingers (also called chicken tenders or chicken strips) is lacking in detail. Who first served them? When? Where?

Fried chicken fingers-tenders-strips as we know them today emerged in the 1960s-1970s in the American South.

While several restaurants claim to have invented them, they likely developed simultaneously in multiple locations, given the burgeoning fast-food industry’s need for convenient, handheld chicken options.

The concept was partly inspired by the popular British meal, fish and chips†, substituting breaded, fried chicken for the breaded, fried fish.

Chicken fingers exploded in the 1980s and 1990s as chain restaurants like Raising Cane’s (founded 1996) and Zaxby’s (founded 1990) built entire concepts around them. In fact, the Chicken Fingers holiday was created by Raising Cane’s founder, Todd Graves (with concurrent promotional opportunities, of course)..
 
 
What Part Of The Chicken Do The Fingers Come From?

Chicken fingers are typically cut from the chicken breast, specifically the pectoralis major, the large pectoral muscle. They’re cut into long, finger-like strips along the grain of the muscle.

However, another part of the chicken, the tenderloin (pectoralis minor), is also used. It’s a smaller, separate muscle that lies underneath the main breast meat (photos #5 and #6).

This tender morsel is literally the most tender part of the chicken, and is where the name comes from. Note that fast food chains use the less expensive breast meat.

History provided by Claude A.I. 2025-07-27.
 
 
________________
 
*Real vs. faux honey mustard: Store-bought honey mustard often contains real honey, but the amount can be small. Less expensive sweeteners like high-fructose corn syrup, sugar, or glucose syrup are commonly added, sometimes as the main sweetener. The packets you get from foodservice may contain little or no real honey. Read the ingredients label.

†Fish and chips—fried fish with a side of thick-cut fried potatoes (the chips), first appeared in London around 1860. Their popularity exploded: a cheap, filling, portable food for working-class families. By 1910, there were more than 25,000 fish and chip shops across Britain.

The dish became so culturally important that during both World Wars, the British government ensured that fish and chips remained one of the few foods not rationed!
 
 

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.