[1] These edamame are better than the ones at Japanese restaurants! Deft spicing makes the super-delish (recipe and photo © Hannah Kamkinsky | Bittersweet Blog).

[2] We came across this side and it’s become a favorite. Here’s the recipe. You can make it with white rice, but brown rice delivers a better symphony of flavors. For a main course, top with chirashi or grilled fish (photo © Onolicious Hawaii).

[3] Edamame has become so popular, you can find it in most frozen food aisles (photos #3, #9, and #11 © Seapoint Farms).

[4] We’re a big fan of La Tourangelle oils, but you can find a less expensive bottle from Whole Foods’ 365 Brand. Be sure you get toasted* sesame oil (photo © ChefShop).

[5] While the exact ingredients can vary, shichimi togarashi, Japanese Seven Spice, typically includes red chile pepper, sansho pepper (Japanese chile pepper), sesame seeds, orange peel, ginger, nori (dried seaweed), and poppy seeds. You can blend your own with this recipe (photo © Oaktown Spice Shop).

[6] You can find shiitake powder at health food stores or online (photo © Orgfun | Amazon).

[7] You’ve heard of three-bean salad; this is three-bean inari sushi. The deep-fried tofu pouches (abura-age) are simmered in a sweet and savory broth, then stuffed with kidney beans, edamame, and great northern beans (photo © Eiliv Aceron | Pexels).

[8] Edamame (soybeans) growing on the bush (photo © Dipak Shelare |YAYMicro | Panther Media).

[9] Add edamame to your daily salad, be it green or tuna (photo © Vo Thuy Tien | Pexels).

[10] Top a bowl of greens with salmon, chicken, and the colors of the rainbow.

Edamame (ay-dah-MOM-may)—young, green soybeans harvested before they fully mature (photo #7)—has a long history rooted in East Asian agriculture and cuisine, particularly in Japan, China, and Korea.

In addition to their appearance in Asian restaurants in the U.S., they have become a fusion food.

 
The recipe follows. Below you’ll find:

> The history of edamame.

> Why soybeans are a nutritional powerhouse.

> The year’s bean holidays.

> Head to the different types of beans: a photo glossary.

> Here’s how to eat edamame (YouTube).
 
 
RECIPE: SPICED EDAMAME

Thanks to Hannah Kaminsky of Bittersweet Blog, whose recipe inspired this article.

If you’re purchasing the Japanese ingredients for the first time, you’ll find many uses for them.
 
Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. BOIL the edamame in plenty of water for 4-5 minutes until tender. Drain thoroughly.

2. TOSS with the sesame oil, shichimi togararshi, shiitake powder, and salt.

3. ADJUST the seasonings to taste. We’ve enjoyed them at all temperatures: hot, room temperature, and chilled.

Variation:

4. TOSS the edamame into the air fryer for 8 minutes at 400°F until lightly charred around the edges. This extra step really takes the edamame to the next level!
 
 
THE HISTORY OF EDAMAME

Soybeans have been cultivated in China for more than 5,000 years. While they were and are primarily for their fully mature, dried form to make products like tofu and soy sauce, edamame, the immature green soyeans, likely originated as a seasonal, fresh preparation.

And likely in Japan: References to eating green soybeans are sparse in ancient Chinese texts.

The word edamame is Japanese. It translates to “stem beans”—the pods were traditionally boiled while still attached to the stem for easier handling and storage. (In English usage, the word is both singular and plural [like sushi]).

Soybean cultivation in Japan is believed to have begun around the early Yayoi period, approximately 300 B.C.E. to 300 C.E. Yet, many centuries pass by before we hear of edamame.
 
Edamame Appears In The Food Record

 
 

[11] Whether a green salad, grain bowl, or poke bowl, edamame adds lots of nutrition and bright color.

NUTRITION: EDAMAME ARE GOOD FOR YOU!

Edamame (young, green soybeans) are not only delicious and versatile—they’re also highly nutritious. They’re:

 
 
A YEAR OF BEAN HOLIDAYS

 
Plus:
 

 
 
________________
 
*Toasted sesame oil is made from roasted seeds, and has a richer, nutty flavor and a darker color than regular sesame oil, made from raw seeds. Toasted sesame oil has a lovely aroma and is used primarily as a finishing oil or for adding flavor to sauces and dressings (we like to use 2/3 EVOO and 1/3 toasted sesame oil in a vinaigrette). Regular sesame oil has a neutral flavor and a higher smoke point, making it useful for general cooking and frying.

†The history of Japanese cuisine in the U.S. moved outside of Japanese-American enclaves and into the mainstream in the 1950s, with interest from returning American servicemen who had been stationed in Japan. Teppanyaki, exemplified by Benihana, founded in 1964 in New York City, introduced theatrical cooking to Americans. Other restaurants opened introducing sukiyaki and tempura.

In the 1960s and 1970s, sushi bars began to appear in major U.S. cities. Sushi gained popularity among foodies, and the rise of health-conscious eating of more fish attracted others.

In 1971 Nissin Foods introduced packaged ramen to the U.S. market, and by the late 1970s, the inexpensive and filling instant ramen had become a staple food among students.

In the 1980s–1990s, sushi restaurants and Japanese fast-casual dining grew rapidly, expanding beyond cities to suburbs, shopping malls, and airports. Dishes like teriyaki, miso soup, and udon noodles became mainstream.

In the 2000s, grab-and-go sushi began to appear in supermarkets, and authentic ramen shops began opening in major U.S. cities. Poke bowls, sashimi-inspired but created in Hawaii, appeared, as did ice cream mochi, invented in California as an Americanization of the Japanese rice dough sweet.

Social media brought us sushi burritos and ramen burgers)Japanese fare is now a staple in America, at prices from fast food to high-end omakase sushi experiences costing several hundred dollars.

‡This has nothing to do with beans. The holiday was named for a hospital therapy dog named Bean, and celebrates all canine colleagues who give us a lift.
 
 
 

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May 25th is National Wine Day: a day to try something new. Have you had Vinho Verde lately (pronounced VEEN-yo VAIR-day, Portuguese for green wine, i.e. young wine)?

A green wine is one released from three to six months after the grapes are harvested. They may be red, white or rosé, and they are usually consumed soon after bottling.

These wines are meant to be enjoyed young, typically within two to three years of the vintage date. Unlike many wines that improve with age, these fresh, vibrant wines will not.

The wine doesn’t have a green tint; “green” is an industry term that refers to a wine’s youthful, fresh character.

It’s a summer standard—great for the outdoors, from patio to pool to picnic. It’s a perfect sipping wine and apéritif.

Just remember that it needs to be served well-chilled, ideally between 45°F-50°F. The crispness and gentle effervescence becomes more pronounced at lower temperatures.

> The history of Vinho Verde is below.

> So are food pairings.

> The year’s red wine holidays.

> The year’s white wine holidays.
 
 
WHAT IS VINHO VERDE?

Vinho Verde comes from the Minho region in northwestern Portugal, a lush, mountainous area known for its abundant rainfall and granite soils.

In fact, the Vinho Verde D.O.C. (Controlled Denomination of Origin) is Portugal’s largest wine region (photos #9 and #10).

This terroir produces light, crisp wines with naturally high acidity and lower alcohol content—typically ranging from 8.5% to 11.5%, compared to the 12%-15% found in most other wines.

The white wines are a pale straw color with bright acidity, subtle fruit flavors, and often a subtle effervescence that’s more of a light tickle on the tongue than the pronounced bubbles you’d find in sparkling wines (some producers do make fully sparkling wines).

The slight tickle is called frizzante, and it’s from residual carbon dioxide retained from fermentation. It gives the wine a lively character.

The white Vinho Verde wines are made from indigenous Portuguese grape varieties including Alvarinho, Loureiro, Trajadura, Arinto, and Azal. Many producers create blends using several of these grapes.

And the prices are great!

Entry level wines ($8-$12), which are widely available in the U.S., include brands like Casal Garcia, Gazela, and basic Aveleda bottlings. Despite the low prices, quality is generally reliable since the D.O.C. regulations require standards to be maintained.

Mid-range wines ($12-$18) include premium bottlings from established producers like Quinta da Aveleda’s reserve wines, better Broadbent selections, and some single-estate wines. They deliver more complexity and concentration.

Premium-range wines ($18-$30) showcase single-varietal Alvarinho wines instead of blends. These wines deliver greater depth, structure, and aging potential—Vinho Verde at its highest level. Look for producers like Anselmo Mendes, and Quinta de Santiago, and Quinta do Soalheiro.

Ultra-premium wines ($30-$60) are Alvarinho wines from renowned producers or special vineyards. Often from old vines or exceptional vintages, these bottles are in limited supply. If you see one, grab it and let it age to experience the region’s ability to produce serious contenders that maintain their essential character.
 
Red Vinho Verde

It’s easy to think of red Vinho Verde as a new style, but red wines were actually produced in the region long before the whites. In fact, red grapes dominated the region from the beginning of Vinho Verde production.

In medieval times, the region’s farmers primarily grew red grape varieties like Borraçal, Espadeiro, and Vinhão. These wines were the everyday table wines for local consumption—light, acidic, and meant to be drunk young with simple meals.

The shift toward white Vinho Verde began in the mid-20th century as export markets developed. International consumers had greater interest in crisp white wines, leading many producers to replant their vineyards with white grape varieties.

Today, red Vinho Verde is somewhat of a specialty product, readily available within Portugal but limited in export.
International availability is much more limited.

Brands like Aphros, Aveleda and Quinta da Raza appear sporadically. Red Vinho Verde is lighter than most red wines and not as universally appealing as the white versions.
 
Other Green Wines

Green and green-style wines from other areas include:

 
What all green wines have in common is their emphasis on freshness over power, food compatibility over standalone complexity, and immediate drinking pleasure over aging potential.
 
 

[11] For casual sipping, serve fruit, seafood, or vegetable crostini with Vinho Verde. Here, fresh peach slices top ricotta (photo © Good Eggs).
 
 
VINHO VERDE & FOOD PAIRINGS

Vinho Verde’s crisp acidity and light body make it very food-friendly.

 
In addition to Portuguese fare, pour a glass with American favorites:

Seafood Pairings

 
Summer Salad Pairings
Put citrus, herbs, or mild cheeses in your salad, such as:

 
Appetizer/First Course Pairings

 
Cheese Pairings

Vinho Verde is an ideal pairing with fresh, mild varieties like burrata, goat cheese, mozzarella, and ricotta.

The wine’s acidity complements the milky flavors and creamy textures without overwhelming their delicate freshness.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF VINHO VERDE

The origins of wine in the region date to the Roman era, when vineyards were first established in this verdant area between the Minho and Douro rivers.

However, the distinctive wine-making style we recognize as Vinho Verde began to emerge during the medieval period.

By the 12th century, local farmers had adapted their viticulture to the region’s unique climate and topography, learning to work with the terroir: the granite soil, abundant rainfall, the cool breezes from the Atlantic Ocean, and so forth.

The wine’s naturally high acidity and lower alcohol content made it ideal for daily consumption by working people, and wouldn’t impair farm laborers during their workday. (Remember that beer and wine were drunk because water sources were often contaminated.)
 
 
Vinho Verde In The 20th Century

The 20th century brought significant changes that made improvements in the wine.

 
In 1908, the Minho region (image #9) was legally demarcated, making it one of Portugal’s first officially defined wine regions.

The Comissão de Viticultura da Região dos Vinhos Verdes was created in 1949 to oversee quality and authenticity. Vinho Verde became a protected designation of origin (denominação de origem controlada, or D.O.C.) in 1984.

The wine’s international reputation grew significantly in the latter half of the 20th century, particularly as global wine markets opened to Portuguese exports:

 
Today, Vinho Verde is one of Portugal’s most successful wine exports, along with Espumante, Madiera, and Port.

[1] Vinho Verde, a light, refreshing white wine, is a perfect pairing with summer seafood. Here’s the recipe for these mussels in white wine sauce (photo © Eyre Peninsula Seafoods.

[2] Salmon crudo with Vinho Verde (photo © Bordeaux Magazine).

[3] Quinta da Aveleda produces one of the most widely available and reliable Vinho Verdes, a classic example of the style with bright citrus notes and gentle effervescence (photos #3 an #4 © Grapes and Grains).

[4] Casal Garcia is another classic and affordable Vinho Verde. The entire category is approachable without breaking the bank.

[5] single-varietal Alvarinho wines from producers like Quinta do Soalheiro or Anselmo Mendes showcase the complexity within Vinho Verde, offering more concentrated flavors while maintaining the style’s characteristic freshness.

[6] Hop on the high-end tinned seafood trend to present a mini-buffet with Vinho Verde (photo © Foods & Wines From Spain).

[7] Vinho Verde is a quality companion to sushi, sashimi, crudo, and poke (photo © Lognetic | iStock Photo).

[8] Whatever your seafood of choice, serve it with Vinho Verde (photo © The Palm | Facebook).

[9] The Minho region of Portugal, home to Vinho Verde D.O.C., is in the northwest portion of Portugal (photos #9 and #10 © Rimontgó Wineries).

[10] Close-up on the sub-regions.

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On May 19th we celebrate National Devil’s Food Cake Day, perhaps our favorite type of chocolate layer cake.

This tasty article shares:

> How is Devil’s Food Cake different from other chocolate cakes?

> The history of Devil’s Food Cake.

> The top 12 iconic chocolate cakes from the U.S. and Europe.

Plus, links to:

> The history of cake and a photo glossary parade of cakes.

> The 55 cake holidays in the U.S.A.
 
 
WHAT MAKES DEVIL’S FOOD CAKE DIFFERENT

A specific combination of characteristics give Devil’s Food Cake (photos #1 and #2) its specialness.

 
So from whence did this magnificent chocolate cake arrive? And is it related to Angel Cake?
 
 
THE HISTORY OF DEVIL’S FOOD CAKE

Angel Food Cake had been around for three decades when Devil’s Food Cake debuted at the turn of the 20th century. It was developed as a richer, more indulgent chocolate cake and named as a contrast to the lovely but lean Angel Food Cake.

The contrasting names reflect their opposite characteristics.

 
The first printed reference to Devil’s Food Cake is a recipe that appeared in Mrs. Rorer’s New Cook Book, published in 1902.

The cake was created during a time when cocoa powder was becoming more accessible to average American households, thanks to improved processing methods developed in the late 19th century (the history of cocoa powder).

Cocoa powder imparts a more intense and concentrated chocolate flavor than chocolate, often leading to a richer and darker cake. It also influences the texture, delivering a moister and more tender crumb.

Mrs. Rorer’s recipe used chocolate and had a less intense chocolate flavor than cocoa-powder-centric modern versions, but it established the name and concept.

She also used boiled icing (photo #11 and footnote*), rather than the chocolate frosting and ganache that have since replaced it.

The name itself seems to have been deliberately created (presumably by Mrs. Rorer) as a counterpoint to the already popular Angel Food Cake, which had been around since the 1870s.

Food historians have uncovered pre-1902 recipes for chocolate cakes with similar ingredients, but they weren’t specifically called Devil’s Food Cake.

Around the same time as the cookbook was published, Devil’s Food recipes began appearing in women’s magazines and community cookbooks across America.

Within a couple of years (1905-1906), the cake had gained significant traction. By the 1920s, it was firmly established in the repertoire of American cakes.
 
 
The Earliest Devil’s Food Recipes

Original recipes often used melted chocolate rather than cocoa powder.

 
 
Devil’s Food Cake Evolves

Over the decades, home economists at companies like General Mills and Pillsbury refined recipes to work reliably with their flours and other ingredients to generate consumer excitement.

Betty Crocker Devil’s Food Cake Mix was introduced in 1956, helping to standardize what Americans expected Devil’s Food Cake to taste like—and making it easy to bake one any time.

Devil’s Food became a popular birthday cake choice (it certainly was ours!), and a featured dessert at restaurants across America.

It became a classic American dessert.
 
 
Devil’s Food In The 21st Century

Recipes have adapted to different dietary interests: gluten-free versions using almond flour, alternative sweeteners, plant-based egg substitutes, and alternative fats instead of butter (avocado oil, coconut oil, olive oil).

Connoisseurs have sought more complex chocolate flavors, using single-origin cacao and higher-percentage cacaco chocolate. Some bakers add miso or tahini can for an umami hit that complements the chocolate flavor profile.

Flavor enhancements have turned the traditional hint of coffee into pronounced espresso; or added spices (cardamom, chile, cinnamon) or finishing salt (sea salt, smoked salt).

Alcohol has been worked into recipes, from spirits (Bourbon, rum, Tequila) to liqueur (Amaretto, Grand Marnier, Kahlúa), to red wine.

Some replace the traditional chocolate filling with trending flavors like lavender, matcha, and salted caramel—and even mousse and black cherry (shades of Mousse Cake and Black Forest Cake!).

Similarly, the chocolate frosting has been replaced with other flavors. (Personally, we replaced the chocolate frosting with shiny chocolate ganache or glaze a decade ago.)

Finally, there’s the fun of added crunch. But that’s food for another article.

 
 
THE ICONIC CHOCOLATE CAKES

What are the must-try chocolate cakes in addition to Devil’s Food Cake?

For this selection, the cake itself has to be chocolate, not a yellow cake with chocolate filling/icing such as Dobos(h) Torte, Opera Cake, and Smith Island Cake.

American Classics

 
European Classics

 
 
__________

*Boiled icing, also called boiled frosting or Italian meringue, is a cake frosting made by slowly pouring hot sugar syrup over stiffly beaten egg whites. This creates a fluffy, silky, and stable frosting (photo #11). It’s also called 7-minute frosting due to its quick preparation time.

> Here’s the recipe.

> The difference between frosting, icing, and glaze.

†Is lava cake American or French? It’s complicated! The cake called lava cake, molten chocolate cake, or molten lava cake was introduced to America by Jean-Georges Vongerichten, the famous French-American chef who claims to have invented it in 1987 at his New York City restaurant JoJo. He explained that he accidentally undercooked some chocolate sponge cakes, and when he cut into them, they had a liquid center. He refined his “mistake” into a wildly popular international hit.

However, in 1981 Michel Bras, another world-famous French chef whose restaurant Laguiole in southern France has received three Michelin stars since 1999, had created a similar dessert in 1981 called coulant au chocolat (“flowing chocolate). It featured a ganache center that would melt when the cake was heated.

Jacques Torres, the renowned French pastry chef, maintains that the lava cake is simply a new presentation of fondant au chocolat, a classic French dessert that has existed for much longer.

Fondant au chocolat (“chocolate fondant”) dates to the 1950s or earlier. It’s a dense, moist chocolate cake with a soft, almost fudge-like interior—though not necessarily molten.

The word fondant in French means melting or melt-in-the-mouth, but this refers to the soft texture and not a runny center.

But outside of France, some restaurants and recipes misuse the term to describe lava cakes.

Regardless of who deserves credit for the original invention, lava cake became extremely popular in the 1990s and early 2000s, spreading from high-end restaurants to chain restaurants and even frozen food sections of grocery stores. Today, it’s considered a classic chocolate dessert worldwide.

As of this writing, all three chefs are still hard at work. Maybe a Zoom call to talk it out? The Nibble will be happy to moderate.

‡Alternatives to flour in flourless cake: Ground nuts are most common, but otheringredients can provide the structure in flourless cakes, starting with additional chocolate (or cocoa powder) and eggs (very rich!) or whipped egg whites (for the most classic result). Small amounts of arrowroot or cornstarch can also stabilize the cake’s texture.

Ground seeds (pumpkin, sesame, sunflower) can replace ground nuts, as can desiccated coconut or coconut flour. Chickpea flour or black bean purée create dense, fudgy textures.

Additional options include breadcrumbs, ground dried dates or other dried fruits, ground rolled oats, and seed butters (pumpkin, sesame/tahini, sunflower).

[1] We celebrated by baking this Devil Food’s Cake recipe from Ashley, the Baker By Nature extraordinaire. We deemed it “as good as Mom’s (photos #1, #2, and #3 © Baker By Nature).

[2] Yes, it’s rich. Pour yourself a glass of milk!

[3] Also try Ashley’s chocolate cheesecake. Here’s the recipe.

[4] German Chocolate Cake is made with a special kind of chocolate invented at Baker’s Chocolate Company by Sam German in 1852. It has more sugar than semi-sweet chocolate, and the goal was to simplify baking by providing the chocolate and sugar in one. The German Chocolate Cake recipe didn’t appear until 1957, submitted to the Dallas Morning News by a Mrs. George Clay. (photo © Kraft).

[5] Mississippi Mud Cake is a fudgy chocolate cake that’s baked, topped with mini marshmallows, and then baked again to help them adhere. A generous dose of chocolate frosting is poured over to coat the marshmallows. Here’s the recipe. Not to be confused with Missippi Mud Pie, a chocolate cookie crust layered with brownie and chocolate mousse or custard, served with whipped cream or ice cream(photo © Tastes Better From Scratch).

[6] Red velvet cake has been around since the start of the 20th century, but it didn’t become a national craze until 1989, when the groom’s cake in the film “Steel Magnolias” was red velvet—and shaped like an armadillo! (photo © King Arthur Baking)

[7] Black Forest Cake, Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte in its original German, incorporates the Morello cherries and brandy made from them (Kirsch) from the Black Forest region of Germany. Here’s the recipe (photo © Kitchen Stories).

[8] Chocolate Lava Cake, with the “lava flow” (photo © Stock Cake).

[9] Flourless Chocolate Cake, dense, delicious, and gluten-free (photo © Harry & David).

[10] Sachertorte, the toast of Vienna. Here’s the recipe (photo © Jernej Kitchen).

[11] Boiled icing, also called Italian meringue and 7-minute frosting. Here’s the recipe (photo © Sweet and Savoury).

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May is National Salad Month, and if you haven’t yet tried a chopped salad sandwich, this is the time!

How would our culture evolve at seemingly warp speed if not for TikTok? One of the foods that has viraled into our lives is the chopped salad sandwich, which appeared a couple of years ago and quickly became a thing.

Just as with a conventional chopped salad, each bite delivers a delightful blend of flavors and textures.

You don’t have to start with a conventional salad—say, a Chef Salad or a Greek Salad.

If you prefer, you can take many popular sandwich fillings—BLT, club, falafel, ham and cheese, hoagie, po’ boy, Reuben, turkey and Swiss—add enough veggies, chop the ingredients, and bind with your favorite dressing.
 
 
THE KEY TO SUCCESS IS AN EXTRA-FINE DICE

Dressing serves as the binding agent, but if you use a thin dressing (e.g. vinaigrette instead of mayo), you need a stronger bread.

The viral sandwiches are on hero rolls, but we prefer ours on crusty baguette or rustic loaves (for crunch), focaccia or naan (for sturdiness).

While we enjoy pita pockets, be had to search for thicker ones so the dressing different drip through.

> The history of the chopped salad is below.

> The history of salad.

> The history of the sandwich.

> The different types of sandwiches: a photo glossary.

> The 25+ sandwich holidays.

> The 40+ salad holidays.
 
 
WHAT WE’VE MADE SO FAR

It’s easy to turn your favorite salad into a chopped salad sandwich. Finely dice your favorite ingredients—largely veggies and proteins, but nuts and fruits (dried or fresh) and other crunch (e.g. Chinese noodles) work, too.

Thus far, we’ve turned these salads into chopped salad sandwiches (we use a mezzaluna rocker, photo #8):

Next up we’re planning a Mexican chicken salad with tomatoes, bean, corn, and tortilla strips, using the Cheesecake Factory’s recipe.
 
Allow us to note that all of the traditional “salad” sandwiches—chicken salad, crab salad, egg salad, shrimp salad, tuna salad—can be chopified by adding more vegetables—the ones you’d receive if you ordered the salad on a platter instead of a sandwich.

You can invent your own chopped salad sandwich too, and that’s the fun of it. We had the remnants of a Mediterranean dinner in the fridge, so created our own Mediterranean chopped salad sandwich with:

 
 
THE HISTORY OF THE CHOPPED SALAD

The ancient Romans made a forerunner of the modern chopped salad called acetaria (their word for salad, derived from acetum, Latin for vinegar). An assortment of raw vegetables were cut into small pieces and dressed with vinegar, oil, and herbs.
 
 
The Modern Chopped Salad: Born In The U.S.A.

The modern chopped salad began to appear in the early 20th century. Beginning in the 1920s, versions of the Italian Antipasto Salad (photo #4) began to appear on menus of Italian-American restaurants in New York, Chicago, and Philadelphia, cities with large Italian immigrant populations.

Taking the ingredients off the antipasto platter, as it were, the Antipasto Salad was (and is) a mix of cured meats, cheeses, and vegetables, all cut into bite-sized pieces and dressed with olive oil and vinegar.

But it was a Beverly Hills restaurateur who created the dish that engendered the spread of chopped salads nationwide, helping to establish chopped salad as a restaurant staple.

It was created by Jean Leon (né Lluís Ferreny Anguera), the founder of La Scala restaurant in Beverly Hills, California. The eponymous La Scala Salad (photo #5) was on the menu when he opened the original La Scala restaurant in 1956 (it’s still there, in a different location).

Leon had emmigrated from Aragon, Spain. His restaurant quickly became famous among Hollywood celebrities and elites, and the La Scala chopped salad became one of his signature dishes.

It was its own version of the antipasto salad, featuring finely diced lettuce, salami, mozzarella cheese, and garbanzo beans (chickpeas) with a distinctive vinaigrette dressing.

It was chopped so finely that it could be eaten with a spoon, which was part of its appeal: It allowed celebrities to eat salad neatly without worrying about being photographed with lettuce hanging from their mouths.

The salad was widely copied in restaurants across the country and is considered one of the pioneering versions of the modern chopped salad.

The Cobb salad, debuting in 1937, certainly is a chopped salad (photo #7) although it was never marketed in those terms. Still, it contributed to the format’s popularity with its aesthetic appeal of rows of finely diced ingredients.

By the 1980s and 1990s, chopped salads had become increasingly popular in American restaurants, particularly in delis and Italian-American establishments.

The early 2000s saw a major boom in chopped salad chains like Chopt and Sweetgreen, which made customizable chopped salads. Thusly, the chopped salad became lunch staple.

What’s next? With today’s global cuisine influences and the availability of specialty ingredients, there’s no stopping the opportunity to create vibrant variations.
 
 
Predecessor Sandwich Inspiration

We don’t want to close without a shout-out to sandos that appeared long before chopped salad sandwiches (and long before the word sando, for that matter, which first appeared in print in the U.S. in 1965):

 
 
________________

*The difference between Chef Salad and Cobb Salad: They have more similarities than differences. For starters, both include lettuce (usually iceberg or romaine), tomato, and hard-boiled eggs. The meats, cheeses, other veggies, and dressings differ. Both are plated with the other ingredients on top of the greens. Chef salad is sometimes tossed.

> Meats: Chef has ham, turkey, and/or roast beef; Cobb has grilled/roasted chicken and bacon.

> Cheese: Chef has Swiss or Cheddar), Cobb has blue cheese.

> Other Veggies: Chef has cucumbers, Cobb has avocado.

> Dressing: Chef has Thousand Island, Ranch, or vinaigrette; Cobb has blue cheese, Ranch, or vinaigrette.

†Yes, olives are fruits, not vegetables. They are the fruit of the olive tree. Not all fruits are sweet: Chiles are also fruits.
 
 

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[1] This Chopped Chicken Salad Sandwich has bacon and ranch dressing—a nice switch from mayo. Here’s the recipe (photo © Eat Like Erin).

[2] An Italian Chopped Salad Sandwich can be your version of a chopped hoagie Here’s the recipe (photo © Bellyful).

[3] A Chopped Cuban Sandwich. Here’s the recipe (photo © I Am Homesteader).

[4] One of the early chopped salads was the antipasto salad. Here’s a recipe (photo © DeLallo).

[5] Dating to 1956, the La Scala Salad from Los Angeles spread the popularity of chopped salads. Here’s the recipe (photo © Cucina By Elena).

[6] The classic Chef Salad. Here’s the recipe (photo © The Stay At Home Chef).

[7] The classic Cobb Salad. Here’s the recipe (photo © Ain’t Too Proud to Meg).

[8] If you don’t use a mezzaluna, it’s an eye opener. Be sure to get one with a double blade (photo © Chef Master | Amazon).

[1] A bowl of top-quality chocolate chips from Callebaut. See all the ways to use them here (photo © Coco Dolce).

[2a] Chocolate chip ice cream is one of our favorite ways to use chocolate chips, whether the ice cream is chocolate, coffee, cherry, mint, raspberry, or vanilla. Here’s the recipe for this mint chip ice cream (photo © McCormick).

[2b] Another of our favorite ways to enjoy chocolate chips: in blondies (photo © King Arthur Baking | Instagram).

[3] It’s a definite yes to chocolate chip cheesecake (photo © Kelly Cline | iStock Photo).

[4] Ditto for pistachio chocolate chip pound cake, in graceful Bundt form (photo © King Arthur Baking).

[5] It’s a classic: chocolate chip pancakes (photo ChatGPT).

[6] What makes a peanut butter and banana sandwich better? Chocolate chips (photo ChatGPT)!

[7] Use chocolate chips to garnish any dessert. Here, it’s tiramisu pudding parfait (photo © Julia Hartbeck | Taste Of Home).

[8] Chocolate makes muffins and scones that much more delicious (photo ChatGPT).

[9] Are these large pyramids chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, or a hybrid category? An innovation from Dandelion Chocolate, we’ll give you the skinny below (photo © Rachel Askinisi | Business Insider).

[10] Chocolate chips vs. chocolate chunks. See which you should use depending on what you’re making (photo ChatGPT).

[11] White chocolate chips from Callebaut (photo Lake Champlain Chocolates).

[12] Ruby chocolate chips from Callebaut (photo Lake Champlain Chocolates).

[13] Dulcey disks from Valrhona. Callebaut makes similar product, which they call Gold, and also a Caramel disk(photo © Valrhona).

[14] The original Toll House Inn cookbook, still available (photo © Dover Publications).

May 15th is National Chocolate Chip Day. Not National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day—that’s August 4th.

You can do many things with chocolate chips in addition to baking cookies. We have a bunch of suggestions for you.

And we’re going to introduce you to a very special type of chocolate chip from Dandelion Chocolate (photos #9 and #15), and tell you the history of the chocolate chip, and the differernce between chocolate chips and chocolate chunks.

First, a little Chocolate 101:
 
> Chocolate terms: a photo glossary.

> The history of chocolate.

> The history of white chocolate (photo #11).

>The history of ruby chocolate (photo #12).

> The history of Dulcey (blonde) chocolate (photo #13).
 
 

[15] A specially engineered chocolate chip from Dandelion Chocolate. Read all about them below (photo © Dandelion Chocolate).
 
 
SOME OF THE MANY WAYS TO USE CHOCOLATE CHIPS

Chocolate chips are delightfully versatile. Here are just some ways to use them:

Baking

 
Candy

 
Frozen Desserts

 
Breakfast

 
Beverages

 
More

 
 
CHOCOLATE CHIPS VS. CHOCOLATE CHUNKS: THE DIFFERENCE

Is there a difference to using chocolate chips versus chocolate chunks? Yes!

Aside from shape, the main differences between chocolate chips and chocolate chunks come down to:

 
Except when we need a chips that isn’t made in chunk form (e.g. peanut butter chips, white chocolate chips—photo #11), we prefer chocolate chunks in cookies for a simple reason: more chocolate in each bite!
 
 
PRODUCT FOCUS: DANDELION CHOCOLATE CHIPS

If they look large in the photo (#9, #15) they are! At one-inch square, from Dandelion Chocolate of San Francisco, they weigh in at a substantial 3.5 grams each.

In comparison, a single Nestlé chocolate morsel typically weighs about 1.4 grams/0.05 ounces. (The mini chocolate chips are smaller and their chocolate chunks are larger and weigh more per piece.)

To appreciate what Dandelion has achieved. you have to brush up on is origin chocolate: the term used to specify chocolate made from beans from a single origin. In the case of Dandelion, those origins include Colombia, Ecuador, Honduras, Tanzania, and Uganda.

Like all agricultural products, each displays the flavors of its terroir. Just like coffee beans, wine grapes, olive oil, etc.

So do you prefer the cacao flavors of South America—fruity and floral—or the flavors of Africa—richer, darker flavors, with notes of cinnamon, fig, and berries? Check the options and decide.

> Here’s what you need to know about single origin chocolate.
 
 
Why Was A Special Pyramid/Diamond Shape Created?

These custom-made pyramid chips were modeled after the hand-piped chips the Dandelion kitchen team would make for the giant cookies sold in their cafés.

They used to use chocolate chunks, but one customer, a Tesla engineer named Remy Labesque thought he could come up with something better. In 2020, he shared his idea for a better shape that would function perfectly in a large cookie.

He worked with Dandelion to create their signature chip: one inches square at the flat bottom, rising to a peak in the center, that reminds one of a pyramid or diamond.

As you can see in photos #9, it’s quite different from the traditional teardrop-shaped chips/morsels. Labesque created a unique pyramid-like structure featuring two tapered edges and a flat bottom.

Two of the bottom edges are thin and taper off while the other two are slightly thicker. The engineer explains that this is how the big chips are able to melt evenly. The design wasn’t an aesthetic choice, it was functional.

 
Get Your Dandelion Chocolate Chips

> Head to the company website and do a search, so you can see all five varieties.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF CHOCOLATE CHIPS

Chocolate chips were invented by accident in 1937 by Ruth Graves Wakefield, who owned the Toll House Inn in Whitman, Massachusetts.

She was making Butter Drop Do cookies—a simple butter cookie recipe that dates to colonial times. She wanted to add chocolate.

She cut a Nestlé semi-sweet chocolate bar into small pieces, expecting the pieces to melt in the oven and create chocolate cookies. Instead, the pieces retained their shape, creating the first chocolate chip cookies—or Toll House cookies, as she named them.

The Toll House cookies became popular at the inn, and the recipe began to spread. She published it in a cookbook called “Toll House Tried and True Recipes” in 1936 (you can get a paperback version on Amazon-—photo #14).

As the cookies gained popularity, sales of Nestlé’s semi-sweet chocolate bars increased significantly in the New England area.

Recognizing the business opportunity, Nestlé approached Wakefield in 1939 to strike a deal. They purchased the rights to use her recipe and the Toll House name on their packaging. In exchange, Wakefield reportedly received:

 
Nestlé’s Morsels Arrive

After concluding the deal, Nestlé began producing chocolate chips specifically designed for baking, eliminating the need for consumers to chop chocolate bars themselves. In 1940, they introduced Nestlé Toll House Real Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels.

Nestlé’s decision to make chocolate chips in a teardrop or morsel shape rather than the pieces obtained from chopping a chocolate bar was driven by practical considerations:

 
 
The Evolution Of Chocolate Chips

Chocolate chunks, as a distinct square or rectangular product, were first marketed to consumers in the early 1940s to avoid manual chopping.

Chunks delivered a more substantial taste and a change from the uniformity of traditional chips. Within a decade or so, chocolate chunks had become a staple in baking aisles

In the 1950s and 1960s, chocolate chips and chunks became a staple in American pantries.

By the 1970s, Americans were chip-happy enough to market numerous options. Currently, you can find:

 
In fact, you can make any flavor of chip your heart desires. Here’s how.

(Note: Always read the ingredients label. If it contains cocoa butter, it’s chocolate, even if there are no cocoa solids (e.g., white chocolate).

Nestlé deliberately called their product morsels. Early recipes, including Wakefield’s original, often described the process as adding “chocolate broken into bits” or “pieces of chocolate.”

(By the way, you can get her cookbook—see photo #14.)

So who was first to call them “chocolate chips?”

There is no aha! moment. The term emerged gradually in popular usage, likely developing organically among home bakers.

By the mid-1940s, the term “chocolate chip cookies” was becoming commonplace in cookbooks and newspaper recipe columns. This suggests the term was already in the vernacular.

By the 1950s, “chocolate chip cookies” was standard, regardless of whether Nestlé’s Morsels or another brand was used.

The second decade of the 21st century saw the introduction of ruby chocolate (photo #12), created by Barry Callebaut in 2017. The pink-hued chocolate is made from specially processed ruby cocoa beans. It has a fruity, slightly tart flavor.

Ruby is the first new chocolate category since white chocolate was introduced in the 1930s. (The first dark chocolate bar was introduced in 1847, and milk chocolate in 1875 or 1876.) Here’s more about ruby.

Dulcey (photo #13 or blonde, chocolate came earlier, in 2012—an accident caused when a chocolatier left the heater on under white chocolate for too long.

See the footnote† for why Dulcey/blonde/gold chocolate isn’t its own category.

The new product produces caramel notes, and is so delicious that we wonder what’s next! In the interim, here’s more about Dulcey.

It isn’t yet made in chips, but you can purchase the baking disks.

†Why Ruby chocolate is a 4th category of chocolate but Dulcey isn’t a new category: For almost a century, three categories of chocolate have been recognized: dark, milk, and white chocolate. To be classified as a new category of chocolate, a product must be derived from cacao beans and contain cacao solids and/or cocoa butter and have naturally occurring color and flavor. Both Ruby and Dulcey do that.

But Dulcey is essentially caramelized white chocolate, made by heating to develop the flavor. It is not a new bean or extraction method. Dulcey is like toasted white chocolate—delicious and unique, but not a new structure. Thus, it’s a flavor variation of white chocolate, not a new category.

One might ask: Isn’t milk chocolate just dark chocolate with milk added—yet milk chocolate is its own category? No, milk chococolate i’s an entirely new structure, not a blend of finished dark chocolate with milk added. In fact, if you added milk to finished dark chocolate, it would seize—it’s chemically incompatible unless emulsified during conching and tempering. So, structurally and legally, milk chocolate is a distinct formulation, and its own category.
 
 

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