What’s a Frozen Hot Chocolate? It’s an icy cold version of hot chocolate, of course. Depending on how you make it, it’s a chocolate milkshake with added cocoa powder. There are many variations of the recipe.

Some recipes start by blending melted chocolate with hot cocoa powder, milk, and ice, and garnished with whipped cream (like this recipe).

Others are minimalist, blending ice with cocoa powder, sugar, powdered non-dairy creamer, and milk (like this Hershey’s recipe).

The original Frrrozen Hot Chocolate [not a typo] from Serendipity 3 in New York City uses a recipe similar to the one below but with chocolate ice cream, sprinkles, and a maraschino cherry (the recipe).

The following recipe is our go-to.

It uses a packet of hot cocoa mix, milk, and ice, plus the added richness of vanilla ice cream.

> National Hot Chocolate Day is January 31st.

> National Milkshake Day is September 12th.

> The history of hot chocolate.

> The history of frozen hot chocolate is below.
 
 
RECIPE: FROZEN HOT CHOCOLATE

You can opt to make this recipe with a no-sugar-added cocoa mix and no-sugar-added ice cream.

In our opinion, if you want to shave calories, it’s better to lose the sugar than the richness of whole milk.

If you use mini marshmallows, use your kitchen torch to brûlée them as in photo #3.
 
Ingredients Per Drink

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE the milk and ice in a blender and process just until the ice is crushed.

2. ADD the hot cocoa mix and ice cream. Blend until ice cream is combined into a milkshake consistency.

3. GARNISH as desired.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF FROZEN HOT CHOCOLATE

Frrrozen Hot Chocolate has long been on the menu at Serendipity 3 in New York City (founded 1954). Back in the 1960s when we met the owner, Stephen Bruce, he told us that he invented it.

As noted earlier, he (or his chef) added cocoa powder to chocolate milkshake ingredients.

Today the restaurant serves 13 different flavors of Frrrozen Hot Chocolate, including Birthday Cake, Peanut Butter, and Salted Caramel.

While many celebrities have graced Serendipity’s tables, one, Selena Gomez, became a partner and investor in 2021 (which should make it Serendipity 4*).

If anyone knows a different origin, speak now or forever hold your peace.

We have seen references that:

 
While Herrell may have had Frozen Hot Chocolate on the menu, Bruce beat him to it by a decade or more.
 
 
________________

*The Serendipity 3 founding partners were Stephen Bruce, Patch Caradine, and Calvin Holt. The “desirable discoveries made by accident” include not just frozen hot chocolate, but a foot-long hot dog and a caviar omelet (the latter created by chef James Beard).

[1] The original Frrrozen Hot Chocolate. Here’s the recipe from Chef Joe Calderone (photo © Serendipity 3).

[2] This version doesn’t use ice cream but does use high-quality melted chocolate. Here’s the recipe (photo © Lauren Allen | Tastes Better From Scratch).

[3] Surprisingly, Hershey’s version is the most spare: no ice cream, but powdered dairy creamer. Here’s the recipe (photo © The Hershey Company).

[4] How about a Peanut Butter Frozen Hot Chocolate? Here’s the recipe (photo © Chocolate Moosey).

[1] Serve pineapple juice on the rocks with a wedge of fresh pineapple (photo © Denys Gromov | Pexels).

[2] Make a no-bake pineapple cheesecake. Here’s the recipe (photo © Kraft Recipes).

[3] Spiced Pineapple Rum Punch. Here’s the recipe (photo © Koloa Rum).

[4] Pineapple Pound Cake. Here’s the recipe (photo © Hannah Kaminsky | Bittersweet Blog).

[5] Canned pineapple juice from Dole enabled people in the U.S., Europe, and elsewhere to experience it (photo © Dole Food Company).

August 14th is National Pineapple Juice Day. While we don’t think we’ve had a glass of pineapple juice in our adult life, we have had it in cocktails, desserts, glazes, marinades, and other recipes.

Here are some of them. We’ve also included a few that include pineapple chunks or slices but no added juice.

> The history of pineapple.

> The history of pineapple juice is below.
 
 
DRINKS WITH PINEAPPLE JUICE

 
 
DESSERTS WITH PINEAPPLE JUICE

 
 
USES FOR LEFTOVER PINEAPPLE JUICE

 
 
PINEAPPLE JUICE TRIVIA

Pineapple juice is rich in nutrients, particularly copper, manganese, and vitamins B6 and C. These nutrients play an important role in bone health, immunity, wound healing, energy production, and tissue synthesis.

Some research suggests that pineapple juice may contribute to a stronger immune system.

In 1932, the Hawaiian Pineapple Company successfully developed a process of clarifying the juice, while capturing the aroma and flavor of the fruit.

Countries consuming the most pineapple juice:

 
Pineapple juice can be used as a meat tenderizer.

Pineapple juice powder can be used in baked goods (cakes, muffins, pies, scones), candies, condiments (barbecue and chili sauces, chutneys, jams), and savory recipes like sauces and stews.

Pineapple juice powder can also be used in marinades for chicken and fish.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF PINEAPPLE JUICE

The pineapple Ananas comosus var. comosus) originated in South America, thousands of years ago. It is believed to have originated in what is now southern Brazil and Paraguay.

The natives of those regions carried it throughout South America via trade. It eventually reached the Caribbean, Central America, and Mexico, where it was cultivated by the Mayas and the Aztecs.

The first Europeans to see pineapples were Christopher Columbus and his crew, on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, in 1493. Columbus called them piña de Indes, “pine of the Indians,” because their shape was reminiscent of Europe’s pine cones.

He brought them back to King Ferdinand in Spain, and the exotic fruit was an instant hit in the royal court.

It was brought to northern Europe by the Dutch, from their colony in Surinam.

Spanish traders introduced the pineapple to Guam, Hawaii, The Philippines, and Zimbabwe.

There is no record of the date when pineapples arrived in Hawaii. The fruit may have arrived with the Spanish years before the arrival of Captain James Cook in 1778. Conceivably, it could have washed ashore from a Spanish or Portuguese shipwreck or brought ashore by sailors [source].

However, the presence of pineapples was first recorded in 1813. A Spanish horticulturist, Don Francisco de Paula Marin, described pineapple planting in his journals in 1813.

When American missionaries first arrived in Hawaii in 1820, pineapples were found growing wild and in small gardens.

The pineapple canning industry began in Baltimore in the mid-1860s using fruit imported from the Caribbean. The export-based Hawaiian pineapple industry was developed by a group of Californians who arrived in Hawaii in 1898, and the well-connected James D. Dole who arrived in 1899.

The first profitable lot of canned pineapples was produced by Dole’s Hawaiian Pineapple Company in 1903 and the industry grew rapidly from there [source].

Pineapple juice is manufactured from ripe pineapples. It contributed to the success of Hawaii’s pineapple industry in the 1930s.

In 1932, the Hawaiian Pineapple Company successfully developed a process of clarifying the juice, while capturing the aroma and flavor of the fruit.

This led to the large-scale cultivation of pineapples and the canning of both the juice and the fruit (slices, chunks, crushed).

This enabled many Americans, Europeans, and consumers in other parts of the world to experience pineapple for the first time. Fresh pineapples were very costly, due to the need to pick them when ripe. and then transport them across the seas.

Most of America’s pineapple juice consumption goes into cocktails.

Otherwise, the average American drinks pineapple juice 1.4 times per year [source].

The global pineapple juice market size was valued at $2.37 billion in 2021 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.1% from 2022 to 2028 [source].
 
 

Maury Pittman, a fitness trainer and wellness professional, has reinvented the tea bag. He’s infused it with honey.

You add boiling water, steep, and sip: The sweetness of honey pleases your palate to the end. Yummy honey with no sticky mess.

How does he do it?

Maury’s tea bags include premium robust black or green tea and premium, granulated honey.

The result is both delightful and invigorating.

With 10 years in business under his belt, Maury is still making his uniquely blended tea bags, each filled with a perfect combination of whole-leaf tea and sweet granulated honey.

It’s a tea-riffic combination, says Maury, who continues to use only the best, highest-quality teas and granulated honey.

So: Steep, sip, and enjoy a cup of hot or iced tea infused with honey (and lots of love from Maury).
 
 
MEET THE TEAS

Maury’s offers two premium teas, black and green, both available in regular and decaf, both all-natural.

The specialized formula works great in both hot and cold water.

All you have to do is heat the water and allow the bag to steep. The longer it steeps, the sweeter it gets.

Maury’s Black Buzz

Maury’s Black Buzz tea bags are whole-leaf black tea uniquely blended with sweet granulated honey.

Maury’s Green Glory

Maury’s Green Glory tea bags are whole green leaf tea uniquely blended with sweet granulated honey.

Black or green, caf or decaf, every cup is pure deliciousness.
 
So, whether you’re snuggling on the couch with a hot cup of tea, or on the patio with a tall glass of iced tea, experience the delights of Maury’s Hive Tea.

Sip, sip, hooray!
 
 
GET YOUR MAURY’S HIVE TEA

A box of 15 tea bags is $9.99, with shipping and taxes included.

A box of 30 tea bags is $18.99, with shipping and taxes included.

Subscribe & Save: 30 bags delivered every 30 days is $16.99 per month.

Are you ready to join the hive?

Head to MaurysHiveTea.com.
 
 
TAKE A SIP OF THIS TEA INFO

> The different types of tea.

> The different types of honey.

> The history of tea.

> The history of iced tea.

> The history of tea bags.

> The history of afternoon tea.

> The history of honey.

> A year of world and national tea holidays.
 
 
HONEY HOLIDAYS

World Honey Bee Day is celebrated every third Saturday in August (upcoming: August 19, 2023, August 17, 2024).

National Honey Month is September.
 
 
 
 

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

[1] What’s missing from this picture? The sweetener! That’s because honey granules are in the tea bag (photo © Mark T. Wendell Tea Company | Facebook).

[2] A box of Maury’s Black Buzz (photos #2 and #3 © Maury’s Hive Tea).

[3] A box of Maury’s Green Glory.

[4] With Maury’s, there’s no need to drizzle honey, or clean up dripped honey (photo © National Honey Board | Facebook).

[5] Instead, there are honey granules in each tea bag. You can also use it in brines, marinades, sauces, vinaigrettes, and drizzled on frosting. You can find granulated honey online (photo © Spice Jungle).

[1] Classic SPAM Musubi. Here’s the recipe (all SPAM photos © Hormel).

[2] SPAM Musubi Spring Roll. Here’s the recipe.

[3] Barbecue SPAM Musubi. Here’s the recipe.

[4] SPAM Musubi Pizza. Here’s the recipe.

[5] Inside-out SPAMtastic Musubi. Here’s the recipe.

[6] You can make musubi and other finger food with this inexpensive press (photo © Ayccnh Store | Amazon).

[7] Beyond musubi recipes, furikake can be used to sprinkle on rice, grains, eggs, potatoes, and other foods (photo © Eden Foods).

You may know what SPAM luncheon meat is, but do you know SPAM Musubi? It’s when a slice of SPAM is served atop a pad of nigiri sushi rice. Yes, it’s SPAM sushi. And we’ve got SPAM Musubi recipes!

August 8th is National SPAM Musubi Day, trailing July 31st, National SPAM Day.

What is SPAM Musubi? It may look like SPAM sushi, but sushi requires vinegared rice and this rice has no vinegar.

Instead, musubi is the same as onigiri, a Japanese rice ball (made in different shapes) that’s made with regular steamed rice, no vinegar. Meat, fish, or vegetables are tucked inside the rice.

Both musubi and onigiri mean the same thing, with regional differences. Some Japanese speakers use one word, some use the other.

Recipes follow, but first a bit of history as to how SPAM musubi came to be.

> The history of SPAM.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF SPAM MUSUBI

During World War II, many Pacific outposts had little refrigeration or local sources of meat. American and Allied troops were supplied with cans of SPAM, which were easily stored without refrigeration, required no cooking, and could be eaten on the go.

Hormel says more than 100 million pounds of SPAM were shipped overseas on both fronts, to help feed the troops during the war. Not surprisingly, the troops got sick of it.

Even the commander-in-chief. General Dwight D. Eisenhower, ate his share [source].

But after the war, residents of conflict-wracked countries struggled with hunger and famine, and cans of SPAM sent to them were sometimes the only protein source available. SPAM became integrated into local dishes.

In the decades after World War II, as native Koreans and Japanese migrated to Hawaii, they brought their cuisines.

Japanese immigrants to Hawaii are credited with inventing SPAM musubi, a SPAM version of a rice ball.

Musubi uses SPAM instead of the fish or other ingredients used in a rice ball (musubi or onigiri).

SPAM musubi has led to SPAM burritos and SPAM tacos. There are also SPAM banh mì, SPAM bibimbap, SPAM budae jjigae (Korean stew), SPAM corn dogs, SPAM fried rice, SPAM fries, SPAM poke bowls, SPAM ramen, and much more.

Check out all of the official SPAM recipes.

In Hawaii, where the U.S. military has long maintained a presence, more SPAM is consumed per person than in any other state.
 
 
25 MORE SPAM MUSUBI RECIPES

In addition to the original SPAM musubi recipe, below, the brand has created:

 
 
RECIPE: ORIGINAL SPAM MUSUBI

You can make this with one or two rice layers.

The rice is seasoned with furikake is a Japanese seasoning made from dried bonito, sesame seeds, nori seaweed flakes, sugar, salt, and MSG. You can find furikake in Asian food stores and online.

Its name derives from the Japanese word for sprinkles. It’s commonly served on bowls of steamed rice.

Prep time is 10 minutes and cook time is 5 minutes (plus rice cooking time).
 
Ingredients For 2 Pieces

 
Preparation

1. COOK the SPAM in a large skillet until lightly browned and crisp. Drizzle with grill sauce or cooking sauce.

2. PLACE the rice into a musubi press. Or, line the inside of an empty SPAM can with plastic wrap and add the rice. Press the rice down firmly.

3. SPRINKLE the rice with seasoned furikake and toasted sesame seeds. Place the SPAM on top of the rice. Press down firmly. Optional: top with the remaining rice and press down.

4. REMOVE the layered SPAM and rice from the musubi press or can. On a work surface, cut the nori to the desired width.

5. LAY the nori shiny-side-down. Top with the layered SPAM and rice. Wrap the nori around it. Serve immediately.
 
 
 
 

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

August is National Sandwich Month. While sharing some of our favorite sandwich recipes, we’re also presenting a year of sandwich holidays (below). Plan to celebrate!

The modern European sandwich began in England in 1762 as a portable, convenient finger food. The concept spread over time to countries worldwide, resulting in the stuffed pita pockets of the Middle East to Korean bao, Japanese katsu sando, and Vietnamese bânh mì.

So what exactly is a sandwich? You know what it is, but just for the record:

A classic sandwich comprises two slices of bread with a filling.

The filling can be just about anything but typically consists of cheese, fish, meats, protein salads (chicken, egg, tuna), or vegetarian/vegan ingredients, that are placed between the slices.

The bread can be slices from a loaf or can be a roll (bagel, hamburger roll, hero roll, hot dog roll, kaiser roll, etc.), international bread (baguette, ciabatta, croissant [photo #1], focaccia), flatbread wraps (photo #4), and even non-bread, like lettuce leaves (photo #5).

Within the overall realm of “sandwiches,” there are at least nine sub-categories. Here they are, per our own analysis and breakdown.
 
 
CATEGORIES (TYPES) OF SANDWICHES

Note that within the nine types of sandwiches, the definition of a sandwich as two or more pieces of bread with filling between them varies in the case of open-faced sandwiches, specialty sandwiches, and wraps.

Classic sandwich. Any filling between two slices of bread, a sliced roll, biscuit, croissant, bagel, etc. Two slices of thicker flatbreads, such as focaccia and naan, can make a conventional sandwich. Hero and hoagie sandwiches also fall into this category. So do donuts and waffles substituting for bread, Paula Deen style.

Dessert/sweet sandwich. These include regular sandwiches with sweet fillings: Marshmallow Fluff and jelly or peanut butter, Nutella, and banana and chocolate spread, for example. We’ll add ice cream sandwiches, “frozen sandwiches” which sandwich ice cream betweern thin slices of cake or cookies.

Double-decker sandwich or stacked sandwich. A conventional sandwich with at least three slices of bread. A club sandwich, for example, can be made from three or four slices of bread. A Big Mac is a double-decker sandwich. A Dagwood is the king of stacked sandwiches.

Fried sandwich. A classic sandwich with a filling is dipped into an egg mixture, with or without a breadcrumb coating, and then deep-fried or pan-fried. A Monte Cristo sandwich is an example.

Grilled sandwich. This category includes sandwiches grilled on a flat grill, a wire grill, a grill pan on the stove, or a panini press. The objective is to melt or warm the ingredients. The best example is a grilled cheese sandwich.

Open-faced or open-face sandwich, a.k.a. an open sandwich, tartine in French, and smørrebrød in Danish. It uses only one slice of bread with the filling piled on top. Hot sandwiches such as roast beef and gravy are often served open-faced. Avocado toast, Eggs Benedict, and Welsh rarebit [rabbit] are also open-faced sandwiches, as is the infamous creamed chipped beef on toast. A tostada could be given a pass into this group.

Paleo sandwich. Bread is not part of a paleo diet, so paleo sandwiches use cabbage, collard, or lettuce leaves, or cauliflower patties as their base. Depending on the base, they can be crafted like conventional sandwiches or wraps (photo #5).

Party sandwich or specialty sandwich. This comprises a fancy presentation typically made for parties or afternoon tea. Examples include:

 
Wrap sandwich. A sandwich filling is rolled in a soft flatbread such as lavash, naan, piadina, pita, or tortilla. Burritos, quesadillas, and tacos can also be considered as part of this group. And, while it isn’t made with bread, a cabbage, collard, or lettuce wrap (photo #5) also belongs here.
 
 
> The history of the sandwich.

> The different types of sandwiches: a glossary.
 
 
SANDWICH HOLIDAYS
 
January

 
March

 
April

 
May

 
July

 
August

 
September

 
October

 
November

[1] A sandwich is a filling in between two slices of bread. That includes rolls and other breads such as croissants (photo © Andrea Roxana | Unsplash).

[2] There are dessert sandwiches, too, like this chocolate panini served with a side of ice cream (photo © Parma 8200 | Bloomington, MN [alas, permanently closed]).

[3] Lobster rolls are a sandwich, as are hot dogs and burgers (photo © Taste Of Home).

[4] Wrap sandwiches are easy to make: Just roll the ingredients in a tortilla or other flatbread (photo © Cloud Food | iStock Photo).

[5] Can’t have bread? Make your wrap sandwich with cabbage, collard, or lettuce leaves (photo © Coffee And Quinoa).

[6] Pinwheel sandwiches are fancy party fare (photo © Hidden Valley).

[7] A sandwich loaf or party sandwich loaf is a sandwich made from a loaf of bread and iced with cream cheese or other savory to resemble a layer cake. Here’s the recipe for this one (photo © Betty Crocker).

*British Sandwich Week is a week-long celebration of “quite possibly the most iconic British culinary invention, the sandwich.” It is essentially a marketing promotion for brands and some feature charitable components. The sandwich industry also holds its Sammies Awards, with winners in numerous categories (e.g. Best New Sandwich, Sandwich Retailer of the Year, Healthy Eating Award Winner).

†German Sandwich Day celebrates a simple, open-faced German sandwich called a Butterbrot (“buttered bread”). It’s a favorite German snack, consisting of a single slice of high-quality German bread and quality butter, served plain or topped with fresh herbs, sea salt, or something more substantial—e.g. a slice of cheese or meat, cream cheese, jam, honey, or Nutella.