July 25th is National Hot Sundae Day, a favorite of our youth. Every year we give ourselves permission to make one. Because we’re picky, our hot fudge brands of choice are two artisan companies that make small-batch products from top ingredients:

 
Both companies make other delicious dessert sauces, which we are fond of giving as party favors and stocking stuffers.

Ice cream lovers may be captivated to know that there are more than 50 ice cream holidays per year, plus 7 ice cream drink holidays (floats, shakes), plus the following:
 
 
THE YEAR’S 6 ICE CREAM SUNDAE HOLIDAYS

 
 
MORE TO DISCOVER ABOUT ICE CREAM

> The history of the ice cream sundae.

> The history of hot fudge.

> The history of ice cream.

> The different types of ice cream and frozen desserts: a photo glossary.

> The year’s 50+ ice cream holidays.

> The year’s 8 ice cream drink holidays.

> How to set up a DIY sundae party bar.
 
 

[4] Somebody’s Mother’s is tops on our list.

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[1] Peach Melba (January 13th): vanilla ice cream, a poached peach half, and raspberry purée (photo © Danilova Janna | Smarterpix).

[2] July 7th: Check out these different ways to make a strawberry sundae (photo © Elena The Wise | Smarterpix).

[3] Hot fudge is calling our name on July 25th (photo © Pixabay | Pexels).

[1] Fruit-based aqua fresca is a thirst-quencher in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. Here’s the recipe (photo © New York Times | Photo: Christopher Testani | Stylist: Simon Andrews).

[2] Coconut water is almost always drunk cold, as that’s when it’s most refreshing. But you can still serve it in a pretty with a garnish of forget-me-nots (photo © Julia Blotskyaya | Pexels).

[3] Iced tea. The garnish of apple slices (approximately 86% water) makes them a hydrating snack as well (photo © Tim DeWeerdt | Pexels).

[4] Ice water. Water hydrates equally whether cold or room temperature, still or sparkling, plain, or or flavored (photo © Hint).

[5] Lemonade can be flavored in so many ways. Check out these recipes (photo © Simit + Smith).

[6] A smoothie adds protein to your favorite hydrating fruits if the recipe includes yogurt Here’s the recipe (photo © Lil’ Luna).

[7] Spa water. Citrus fruits, berries, and herbs are a standard blend. For herbs, consider basil, cilantro, dill, fennel fronds, lavender, lemon balm, rosemary, sage, and tarragon (photo © Sunset Valley Growers).

A hot day in July is a great day to hold National Refreshment Day. It’s celebrated on the fourth Thursday, this year July 24th.

“Refreshing” can mean food or drink, but it should be cool and light with thirst-quenching qualities.

You should increase your intake of fluids—especially water—to help your body maintain proper fluid balance and support essential physiological functions.

While water is undoubtedly the best hydrator, we researched the most refreshing drinks worldwide and drew up a list of refreshers, below.

But, bad news for some: alcohol is not on the list.
 
As good as that cold beer may feel great down, alcohol actually makes you thirstier—it’s dehydrating, the opposite of what the body needs in hot weather. See why below.

Also below:

> Foods that are hydrating.

> The year’s 24 beverage holidays.
 
 
REFRESHING BEVERAGES AROUND THE WORLD

Refreshing Drinks In The U.S.

In alphabetical order:

 
 
Refreshing Drinks In Europe

 
 
Refreshing Drinks In Latin America

 
 
Refreshing Drinks In The Middle East and Africa

 
 
Refreshing Drinks In Asia

 
We didn’t include Thai iced tea or coffee because of the large amount of heavy sweetened condensed milk.
 
 
 
REFRESHING FOODS

Certain foods are widely considered to be refreshing. Not surprisingly, they tend to be: chilled or cold, light in texture, moist or juicy. They can be sweet or tart.

 
Savory choices:

 
In general, stay away from salt. Lemon or lime zest, grated ginger, and mint are cooling substitutes.
 
 
WHY ALCOHOL MAKES YOU THIRSTIER

Alcohol is a diuretic, meaning it removes water from the body by increasing urine production. This causes the body to lose more fluids than it takes in, leading to dehydration.

 
If you must have any alcohol, the trick is to alternate each drink with tall glasses of water.
 

[8] One of our favorite sparklers, S. Pellegrino Sparkling Water, comes in cans for easy portability and recycling (photo © San Pellegrino).

 
To dot the I’s and cross the T’s, another juice holiday is August 29th, National Lemon Juice Day.
 
________________
 
*Not all bubble tea contains tea, despite the name. Yes, traditional bubble tea contains real brewed tea (black, green, jasmine, oolong, etc.), mixed with milk or fruit flavorings, sweetened, and served with tapioca pearls, jelly, or popping boba.
 
Non-tea bubble tea is made with milk, creamers, or fruit syrups, but no actual tea (and is thus caffeine-free). Some examples: taro “milk tea” (taro powder and milk), fruit “milk tea” (made with fruit syrups and milk), and brown sugar boba (milk, brown sugar syrup, tapioca pearls [boba]).

> The history of bubble tea.

†The spritz originated in northern Italy in the 19th century when Austrian soldiers diluted local wines with a “spritz” (splash) of soda water. Over time, it evolved into a cocktail with a bitter liqueur and sparkling wine, like the Aperol Spritz. (The history of the spritz).

With the rise of non-alcoholic or “zero-proof” versions of alcohol, mocktails are created that follow the same formula: a bitter or aromatic base, a sparkling component (water, tonic water), citrus juice, and an optional citrus or herb (mint, rosemary) garnish.

‡Fruits with the highest water content include those that are 90% and above water (cucumber, cantaloupe, strawberries, watermelon) and those that are 80% to 89% (apples, grapefruit, grapes, oranges, peaches, pineapple, raspberries).

Other fruits are still nutritious, but less hydrating—and more calorie- and fiber-dense per gram. They include avocado, banana, passionfruit, persimmon, and dried fruits.

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We often come across a debate about if a hot dog (or burger) is a sandwich. Now that it’s National Hot Dog Month, let’s settle it.

Yes, the hot dog is a sandwich, as is the burger, taco, and burrito.

 
The difference between buns and rolls is below, but first:

> The different types of sandwiches: a photo glossary.

> The year’s 25+ sandwich holidays.

> The years 20 bread holidays are below.

> The history of the sandwich.
 
 
THE 10 SANDWICH CATEGORIES

While there’s no universally agreed-upon taxonomy, culinary professionals and food historians have come to group sandwiches based on structure, assembly, and serving style.

Here are the 10 major sandwich categories, based on their form and preparation, in alphabetical order.

Note that sandwiches can occupy more than one category. For example an open-faced hot roast beef sandwich with gravy belongs to both the Open-Faced and Hot categories. In photo #4, the open-faced finger sandwich (photo #11) also belongs in the Delicate category. In photo #7, the Grilled-Pressed-Hot Sandwich can also be a closed sandwich—and probably should be a subset of Closed Sandwich, except that Hot Sandwich can also be Open-Face.

It takes a true keeper of the flame to want to sort these things out and contribute them to the vast world of food knowledge.
 
 
Breakfast Sandwich

 
 
Closed Sandwich

 
Another sub category is the Delicate Sandwich (photo #4), providing just a bite or two and often made with finer ingredients (photo #11).

 
 
Dessert Sandwich

 
 
Folded or Pocket Sandwich

 
 
Grilled-Pressed-Hot Sandwich

 
 
Hero-Sub-Hoagie-Baguette Sandwich

 
 
Layered-Stacked Sandwich

 
 
Open-Faced Sandwich

 
 
Rolled or Wrapped Sandwich

 
 
Stuffed or Filled Bread

 
 
BUNS, ROLLS AND BISCUITS: THE DIFFERENCE

Americans typically use the word “bun” instead of “roll” to denote the bread that holds hot dogs and burgers.

But we should be calling them rolls, not buns.

There is no official difference: Both are single-serve breads, and the FDA only stipulates that buns and rolls weigh less than one-half pound (as opposed to loaves of bread, which must weigh one pound or more).

Why do Americans ask for a burger bun and a whole wheat bun, yet a ciabatta roll and a Kaiser roll? Cinnamon roll yet sticky bun?

Manufacturers and retailers use whichever term they want.

But there is order to be had in the bread universe!

The American Institute of Baking uses this distinction:

 
We wish everyone who is a stickler for accuracy good luck getting people to change the words they use!
 
 

 

[11] Five finger sandwiches filled with curried egg salad, smoked salmon, cucumber, ham, and artisan peanut butter and jelly (photo © Fortnum & Mason).

[1] A hot dog is most definitely a sandwich (photo © Vermont Smoke & Cure).

[2] The Egg McMuffin introduced America to the breakfast sandwich (see †footnote) Here’s the recipe for this better-for-you version (photo © Aero Farms).

[3] Closed sandwich, the most common category. Here’s the recipe for this yummy Reuben sandwich (photo © Marion’s Kitchen).

[4] A finger sandwich, an open-faced finger sandwich, and a pinwheel. Here’s the recipe (photo © Pinch Me I’m Eating).

[5] This dessert sandwich grills chopped quality chocolate bars on brioche (and almonds, cinnamonn, whatever), with a side of vanilla ice cream (photo © Parma 8200).

[6] In the Folded Sandwich we present some food fusion: Chicken Caesar Salad [U.S.] in pita [Greece] (photo © Leanna Myers | Unsplash).

[7] In the Grilled / Hot category, here’s one of our favorites: mozzarella, fresh basil, and roasted red peppers. Here’s the recipe (photo © Lauren’s Latest).

[8] In the Hero-Sub-Hoagie-Baguette category, the bành mì sandwich, a Vietnamese-French fusion of Vietnamese ingredients on a baguette. Here’s the recipe (photo © Simple Healthy Kitchen)..

[9] The Club is the classic stacked sandwich: a BLT with turkey or chicken. We like to add avocado and arugula or watercress (photo © Peteer | SmartPix).

[9] Open-Faced Sandwiches (tartines in French) can be as plain or fancy as you wish. This trio equals a sandwich-and-a-half (photo © Ella Olsson | Unsplash).

[10] Wrap sandwiches are easily portable, and a thin flatbread wrap is a nicer alternative to risen bread (photo © National Pork Board).

*The difference between finger sandwiches and tea sandwiches: These are similar and may share fillings, but not the same, largely due to shape. Finger sandwiches are a subset of tea sandwiches, made in finger-like rectangles. Tea sandwiches can have any shape.

> Both are created for afternoon tea, bridal showers, lunch buffets, hors d’oeuvre, and even kids’ meals, since the small shapes appeal to children (check out these PB&J piano keys finger sandwiches).

> The fillings for both are often sophisticated. They can be more elegant variations of everyday fare, e.g. Brie with fig jam, curried egg salad, goat cheese with roasted red peppers or arugula, pimento cheese, smoked salmon with capers.

> Finger sandwiches are made on thinly-sliced, crustless bread, 3–4 inches long by 1-inch wide (finger-sized, but coincidentally, finger food). Over time, the term has been adopted by other types of small sandwiches, but the rectangular “finger” is the proper form.
 
> Tea sandwiches are also made on thinly-sliced, crustless bread, and often sophisticated fillings. Initially created for afternoon tea, they consist of buttered bread with sliced cucumber, deviled ham, egg salad, watercress, or other delicate filling. They are most often cut into triangles but also rectangles; rounds, ovals, and specialty shapes (using cookie cutters); and squares.

†The first McDonald’s Egg McMuffin was introduced in 1971 in Santa Barbara, California, as a handheld breakfast option. It was invented by franchisee Herb Peterson, who was inspired by Eggs Benedict. It became a part of the national McDonald’s menu in 1977.
 
 

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[1] Cranberry White Chocolate Halfsies With Orange Zest (all photos © Halfsies).

[2] Nutella Halfsies.

[3] Reese’s Pieces Halfsies.

[4] M&M Halfsies Cookies.

[5] For the chocoholics, Double Chocolate Chip.

Halfsies Cookies are a must-try member of the artisan food scene in New York State’s Hudson Valley.

They give a nod to the best homemade cookies of our youth while integrating the jumbo-tall yumminess of cookis like Levain, with an added sprinkle of fun.

The Halfsies Cookie Company, founded by Dave and Heather Maffei, has mastered the integration of culinary nostalgia with its own unique style in the world of small-batch gourmet cookies.

We find them to be irresistible, and they’re our Top Pick Of The Week.
 
 
WHAT MAKES HALFSIES UNIQUE?

 
Who could ask for anything more? Not us!

There’s lots more to relate, including cookie flavors below. But first:

> The history of cookies.

> The 10 basic types of cookies.

> Cookie favorites: a photo glossary of hundreds of cookie varieties.

> The year’s 44 cookie holidays.
 
 
ORIGIN STORY: THE COOKIES DIDN’T START OUT AS “HALFSIES”

There was no deliberate business decision to sell cookies halves, rather, the name came from a family moment.

To begin at the beginning, in 2018, Dave Maffei traded store credit from returned Gucci loafers for a KitchenAid mixer, embarking on a ten-month journey to perfect the ultimate cookie recipe.

His goal was ambitious yet simple: create cookies that were crispy on the outside while maintaining a soft, chewy interior.

The “Halfsies” name itself emerged from a moment of maternal practicality. When Dave first brought his cookies (then full-sized) to Heather’s parents’ house one Easter, her mother thought they were “way too big” and cut them all in half before serving them on a fancy tray.

Dave was initially mortified by this, but everyone loved the cookies. What could have been a deflating critique instead became the perfect branding opportunity, and the name stuck.

Thanks, Mom, for saving us [i.e., Dave and Heather] time in pondering how to differentiate the cookies from other artisan offerings.

For consumers, the benefit over other artisan cookies include:

 
Their half-cookie format seems to be unique in the artisanal cookie space. Which is not to say that the “half” concept hasn’t existed for a while, exemplified by:

 
 

[6] Halfsies cookies as they were first conceived by a mother-in-law: large cookies cut in half.
 
 
AND NOW, THE FLAVORS

From the creative mind of Maffei have come more than 350 flavors, with a dozen or so available in any particular week.

Recent months’ flavors are shown in the chart. Before you devour them, note that:

 
Are you next?

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We’re celebrating National BLT Day today, July 22nd, with the Cheddar, bacon, and tomato for lunch and a luxury version, a lobster BLT with Gruyère, for dinner.

Which got us to thinking: Is the BLT our favorite sandwich? Actually, its big brother, the club sandwich, topped with turkey or chicken—has an edge. So we decided to see what the rest of the country prefers.

The Top 10 sandwiches in America follow. But first:

> The different types of sandwiches: a photo glossary.

> The year’s 25+ sandwich holidays.

> The history of the sandwich.

> The history of the BLT.

> The history of the grilled cheese sandwich is below.
 
 
AMERICA’S FAVORITE SANDWICHES

We looked at several surveys, which, as is common varied somewhat. Here’s one compiled by 24/7 Wall St. Note that the BLT, Club, and Bacon sandwiches have close kinship:

While we may have our own definitions, by the textbook a BLT is a simple sandwich, usually consisting of just bacon, lettuce, and tomato with mayo between two slices of bread. The club sandwich adds a layer of turkey or chicken on toasted bread. It can be a single or “triple decker.”

The Top 10 Sandwiches

1. Grilled Cheese (photo #1)

2. Grilled Chicken (photo #2)

3. Turkey (photo #3)

4. Roast Beef

5. Ham

6. BLT

7. Club

8. Bacon Sandwich

9. Peanut Butter & Jelly

10. Pulled Pork
 
 
THE HISTORY OF THE GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH

The bread. The earliest form of bread was flatbread made from wild grains and tubers ground into flour, mixed with water, and baked on hot stones. The eastern evidence is ca. 12,400 B.C.E. (predating agriculture!) in what is now Jordan.

There was widespread flatbread use from 7000 to 6000 B.C.E. By 2000 B.C.E., flatbread became common across Near East as well.

The first leavened (risen) bread likely emerged around 3,000 B.C.E. in ancient Egypt, via contact between the flatbread dough and wild yeast.

By the Roman era, 100 B.C.E.–400 C.E., wheat bread was a staple.

> The history of bread to modern times.
 
 
Now that we have the bread, what about the cheese?

Cheese appears, ca. 7000–6000 B.C.E. The earliest evidence has been found in Neolithic pottery in Poland.

The process of cheese making, involving fermenting milk to separate curds and whey, was possibly discovered accidentally when milk was stored in animal stomachs (animal stomachs and bladders were employed as containers in ancient times). Stomachs contain the rennet enzymes necessary to create the curds that are pressed into cheese.

While archaeologists have yet to find the smoking gun (or smoking pottery, as it were), around 6000–5000 B.C.E., in Mesopotamia or the Fertile Crescent, people could plausibly have eaten cheese with flatbreads or early forms of grain cakes.

Sumerians (ca. 3000 B.C.E) and Egyptians (ca. 2000 B.C.E.) both produced cheese. By the time of the Greeks and Romans, cheese was widely made and even aged for texture and flavor. In ancient Rome, bread and cheese were a common soldier’s ration.

> The history of cheese.
 
 
Putting Them Together

The concept of combining bread and cheese dates back thousands of years. Ancient Romans reportedly enjoyed bread grilled with cheese, though not in sandwich form.

Welsh rarebit (rabbit) originated in Britain, possibly as far back as the 14th century (the earliest printed record dates to 1725). Melted cheese was poured over a slice of toasted (presumably stale) bread.

The sandwich was invented on the fly in 1762, to make it convenient to eat while at the gambling table (the history of the sandwich).

Sometime in 18th-century Switzerland, the practice of dipping bread in melted cheese—fondue—appeared. It is believed to have been created as a way to use stale bread.

The Swiss also created raclette, melted cheese served with boiled potatoes, crusty bread, cornichons, and usually a variety of proteins and vegetables.

Needless to say, where ever there was bread and cheese, they were eaten together in some form or other. Take a look at:

 
 
So Where’s The Grilled Cheese Sandwich?

You have to cross the ocean for modern grilled cheese—melted cheese between two slices of bread—which was created in the U.S. in the 1920s.

1920s: It was made possible thanks to two key inventions, beginning in the 1920s:

 
1930s: During the Great Depression (1929-1939), “toasted cheese sandwiches” were a low-cost, satisfying meal, often served open-faced (on one slice of bread) topped with melted cheese.

1940s: During World War II, mess halls served “American cheese filling sandwiches,” usually toasted, to U.S. soldiers. The name “cheese dream” was sometimes used, especially when the sandwich was topped with extras like bacon or tomato and served hot and open-faced.

[1] Number one in the U.S.A.: grilled cheese (photo © U.S. Dairy).

[2] Grilled chicken takes second place (A.I. photo).

[3] Turkey takes #3. Here’s the recipe (photo © The Kitchn | Photo: Alex Lepe, Food Stylist: Rachel Perlmutter).

[4] Roast beef is #4. Here, grilled bread and gravy for dipping turn it into a French Dip sandwich (photo © McCormick).

[5] The good old ham sandwich takes the 5th spot. In this upgraded variation, the bread is pumpernickel, radicchio replaces lettuce, and gherkins substitute for pickle chips (photo © Columbus Craft Meats).

[6] The BLT (photo © Tapis Rouge | Pixabay Content License).

[7] Our personal favorite, the Club Sandwich, adds chicken or turkey to the BLT. Here, it’s served on brioche (photo © St. Pierre Bakery).

1960s: By the 1960s, the term “grilled cheese sandwich” became more common, replacing older terms like “toasted cheese.” The switch to grilling in a pan with butter (rather than baking or broiling) helped define the form we recognize today: two slices of bread, buttered on the outside, filled with cheese, and griddled until golden and melty. Grilled cheese sandwiches became a staple in American households and school lunchrooms. Paired with tomato soup, grilled cheese became a nostalgic comfort food—partly due to school cafeterias, partly due to marketing campaigns by soup companies like Campbell’s.

2000s: Today grilled cheese has evolved from American cheese on white or whole wheat, into a gourmet item, including add-ons beyond the traditional toppings of bacon, tomato, and deli-style pickles.

 
Who’s hungry?!
 
 

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