June 1st is National Milk Day. Some people never touch a glass of milk, but we love it. We can drink two eight-ounce glasses a day. That’s in addition to cereal milk, yogurt and other milk-based products.

Our brother is the same. So we were surprised recently when he asked if we’d like a few quarts of almond milk; he had purchased too much.

Why the switch to plant milk? A physician had suggested that he cut back on cholesterol. He found that he preferred the rich, creamy taste of almond milk to fat-free cow’s milk (all plant-based foods are cholesterol free).

He also likened the flavored varieties—Chocolate, Coconut, Vanilla—to milkshakes without the calories.

Almond milk can be used in just about any recipe calling for cow’s milk: in baking, hot and cold beverages, sauces and soups. The only significant limitation is in recipes that require cow’s milk starches to thicken, such as custard, pudding and yogurt. You need to add other thickening agents.

Another benefit: You need never run out of milk. Brands like Almond Breeze have shelf stable versions. Just store extra cartons in the pantry. Like Parmalat brand cow’s milk, no refrigeration is required until the container is opened.

Below:

> Milk trends in America.

> The different plant milks.

> How to choose.

Elsewhere on The Nibble:

> The history of almonds and almond nutrition.

> The year’s 38 nut holidays.

> The year’s 16+ milk and cream holidays.
 
 
TRENDS: WHAT’S HAPPENING TO MILK IN AMERICA
 
For decades, cow’s milk consumption per capita has been on the decline, as newer generations—even pre-teens—drink coffee and soft drinks instead of a glass of milk. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, consumption across all age groups dropped 25% in the 37 years between 1975 and 2012.

Since 1999, according to market research firm Euromonitor, plant-based alternatives, called non-dairy milks, have grown in annual sales by an average of 10.9%. They are now a $1 billion-plus category in domestic retail sales.

The trend is based on personal factors, largely allergies, kosher and vegan diets, lactose intolerance and sustainable lifestyles*.

In the U.S., cow’s milk still dominates total milk consumption but plant milks have become a major secondary category and are now considered mainstream.

Plant milks are especially strong among younger, lactose-intolerant, vegan, and flexitarian consumers.
 
 
 
Below: 16 plant milks from which to choose, plus banana milk, which is a category unto itself.

[1] Almond milk is our favorite of the nondairy milk alternatives. Each person has his/her own preference. (photos: The Nibble).

[2] In addition to using Original in coffee and tea, Chocolate and Vanilla make tasty snacks (photo: The Nibble)

[3] Soy milk was the first widely-available plant milk (photo: The Nibble).

Twenty years ago, the option for non-dairy milk at supermarkets was soy milk. Then rice milk arrived. Today, the list is threefold larger:

 
See our tasting notes in the †footnote below.
 
 
Niche Plant Milks

 
Plus:

 
 
HOW TO CHOOSE?

Which one you choose should depend on two factors: taste preference and nutritional components. For example:

 
As the disclaimer goes, speak with your healthcare professional before making any changes.

How about a tasting party?

It can get expensive trying different milks. One idea is to invite people for a “tasting party” so everyone can see which option(s) they prefer—both in beverages and for other uses, like cereal.

If you spring for the milks, you can ask other participants to bring food. Perhaps the cooks and bakers in the group can bring dishes made with a plant milk.

________________

*Cow manure and flatulence produces huge amounts of methane, a major greenhouse gas. Here’s more information.

†Tasting Notes:

> Almond milk doesn’t have the protein of cow’s milk, but it is lower in calories and some brands add calcium and vitamins during processing. The key benefit for us is the mild taste. You probably wouldn’t even notice if someone replaced almond milk for cow’s milk in your coffee. A close second to soy in terms of sales, almond milk is the non-dairy milk with the largest annual sales increases.

> Cashew milk is beloved by our vegan expert Hannah Kaminsky, who drinks and cooks only with non-dairy milks. We should have tried it by now, but are too enthralled by almond milk.

> Coconut milk (the drinkable milk in a carton, not to be confused with the canned coconut milk for cooking and cocktails) has a noticeable amount of coconut flavor. If coconut is one of your favorite flavors and you want to taste it every time you use milk, then this is your milk alternative. While coconut milk is low in calcium and protein, on the good side it is also low in calories.

> Hemp milk is a product that people either love or hate. Personally, we don’t like the earthy flavor in a milk product. Like rice milk, it is an option for people who have nut and soy allergies.

> Oat milk we tried onlyonce, and didn’t care for it. Ditto with flax milk. Be your own judge.

> Rice milk can be gritty and watery. It is also higher in calories, carbs and sugar, lower in calcium and a poor source of protein. It is best for people who have nut and soy allergies.

> Soy milk is tasty when flavored, but in its plain form, there can be a beany aftertaste depending on the brand (we like it as a coffee milk). Soy milk has the most protein of the non-dairy milks; but on the down side, processed soy isoflavones can affect hormones, raising the risk for breast cancer; they can also depress thyroid function. Unless it’s organic, soy milk is likely made with GMO soybeans. Soy is the highest milk alternative in sales, but that’s because it’s been around for so long and anyone who has drunk it for years has no incentive to change. But almond milk is closing in!

________________

*Cow manure and flatulence produces huge amounts of methane, a major greenhouse gas. Here’s more information.
 

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

Eton Mess is a traditional English dessert consisting of strawberries, pieces of meringue and whipped cream. It is traditionally served at Eton College’s annual cricket game against rival Harrow School (both are among the most prestigious secondary schools in the U.K.), and on any other day that one wants to eat it.

The recipe has been known by this name since the 19th century. Variations include bananas instead of strawberries and a scoop of ice cream, which actually preceded the addition of the meringues.

Why is it called a “mess?” According to Merriam-Webster, the word may refer to the appearance of the dish or may be used in the older sense of a prepared dish of soft food.

The recipe version below was sent to us by Safest Choice pasteurized eggs—the eggs to use when the recipe requires eggs that aren’t cooked, like Caesar salad, eggnog, mousse and steak tartare. (You can also pasteurize eggs at home.)

A mess indeed, but a delicious mess! Photo courtesy SharedAppetite.com.

RECIPE: ETON MESS

Ingredients For 4 Servings

For The Chocolate Chip Meringues

 
For The Chocolate Covered strawberries

Crushed meringues give the dish texture. Photo courtesy SharedAppetite.com.

For The Whipped Cream

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 275°F. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the egg whites until frothy and soft peaks form. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat, adding the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time until all the sugar has been incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed. The meringue is done when the peaks are stiff, hold their shape, and no grit is felt from the sugar. Gently fold in the chopped chocolate.

2. LINE two baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats. Drop the meringues by the spoonful (about 2 tablespoons each) onto the baking sheets. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the meringue easily peels away from the parchment paper. Cool completely on a wire rack. Meringues can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container for several days.

3. MAKE the chocolate-covered strawberries. Melt the chocolate in a microwave; dip the whole strawberries and set on wax paper or parchment to dry.

4. COMBINE the diced strawberries, sugar and vanilla extract in a small mixing bowl. Let sit for approximately 15-30 minutes to macerate.

5. MAKE the whipped cream. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract. To avoid splashing, start on a lower speed and increase the speed as the whipped cream begins to take shape. Beat to the desired stiffness. If you won’t be using it right away, cover and place in the refrigerator. It will keep for several hours, and might need a quick whip with a whisk to regain its shape.

6. BREAK 8-12 meringues by hand: A good variety of big and small pieces creates good texture in the dessert.

7. LAYER approximately 1/2 cup whipped cream in 8 dessert bowls. Top with a few spoonfuls of macerated strawberries, and a generous sprinkling of dark chocolate and crushed meringues. Top with a chocolate covered strawberry and serve.
  

A gyro (pronounced YEE-ro) is a Greek lamb sandwich on pita bread, roasted on a vertical spit and served with tomato, onion, and tzatziki, a yogurt-cucumber sauce (recipe). Other condiments and sauces can be added or substituted.

While lamb is traditional, chicken or pork can be used; outside Greece, you can find beef, lamb or another sausage, even veal. In addition to slices of meat, the meat can be minced and shaped into small patties.

If you’re a vegetarian, you can substitute grilled portabello musuhrooms.

The word “gyro” comes from the Greek word for “turn,” referencing the meat that is turning on the spit (see the photo towards the bottom of this article). A deboned leg of lamb is grilled on a rotating vertical spit and shaved off the leg in thin slices for the gyro.

Eating food off of pita bread or wrapping food in pita is an Ancient Greek tradition; the pita is served as an edible plate. The tradition continues today—although you’ll also get a piece of foil or kitchen parchment to hold the pita from a street vendor, and a plate in a restaurant.

National Gyro Day is September 1st. National Pita Day is March 29th.

Below:

> The history of the gyro.

> The recipe for lamb gyros with feta.

> Also check out the Greek gyro salad bowl: great if you don’t want pita (or even if you do).
Elsewhere on The Nibble:

> The year’s 27+ sandwich holidays.

> The different types of sandwiches: a photo glossary.

> The different types of bread: a photo glossary.

> The history of bread.

> The year’s 20+ bread holidays.

> The year’s 16 Greek food holidays.

> The history of pita bread.
 
 
GYRO HISTORY

Gyros, per se, originated in Greece, a descendant of the Turkish döner kebab. While humans have roasted meat on horizontal spits for millennia, the vertical rotisserie was a 19th-century innovation from the Ottoman Empire around the 1830s–1850s.

Grilling stacked meat on a vertical spit and cutting cooked slices to serve is a technique developed in the Turkish city of Bursa in the 19th century. The name döner comes from the Turkish word for turning. Döner kebab literally means “rotating roast.”

Cooking meat vertically allowed the juices to bast the meat as they dripped down, and it saved significant space in crowded city markets. The sliced meat and other sandwich fixings were served on pita or other flatbread. Other relatives include shawarma from the Middle East and tacos al pastor from Mexico.

 
Döner Kebabs Migrate To Greece

Döner kebabs traveled from Turkey to Greece following the 1922 population exchange between Greece and Turkey†. Greek and Armenian refugees from cities like Constantinople (Istanbul) and Smyrna (Izmir) brought the vertical spit technology with them to Athens.

In Greece, the name eventually was translated to gyros, from the Greek word γύρος (yee-ros), which also means to turn or circle.

Gyros Shift To Pork

While the döner kebab uses lamb or beef due to Islamic dietary laws, the Greeks used pork, which was more affordable and widely available in the region.

Gyros Come To America

The gyro sandwich as a mass-market fast food happened in Chicago and New York.

Most food historians credit Greek immigrant George Apostolou with serving the first American gyro at the Parkview Restaurant in Chicago, in 1965.

In fact, the reason Americans eat “gyros” and not “doner kebabs” is due to the far larger amount of Greek immigrants to the U.S. in the 20th century. They set up gyro stands and introduced a delicious new fast food to the nation.

And then came gyro cones. Traditionally, gyros were made by hand-stacking individual slices of sliced meat.

But when the gyro began to take off, Chicago entrepreneurs like Chris Tomaras (Kronos Foods) and Peter Parthenis (Grecian Delight) industrialized the process. They created the mass-produced, ground-meat “cone,” a blend of beef and lamb that could be frozen and shipped to restaurants nationwide, to be cooked and wrapped like a cone in pita.

The gyro got a boost from a 1971 New York Times article, which introduced the “new” sandwich to New Yorkers, describing it as a “lamb, tomato, and onion concoction nestled in a fold of soft bread called pita.”
 
 
MAKE YOUR OWN GYROS

Most people eat gyros made by food vendors, but for National Pita Day, try making your own at home. The recipe below is adapted by one from Maria Benardis, award-winning author, chef and founder of Greekalicious, Sydney, Australia’s first exclusively Greek cooking school.

But for Maria’s recipe you don’t need a spit: Roasting the lamb is just as delicious.
 
 
PICK YOUR MEAT

If you don’t like lamb or don’t want to roast a whole leg, you can use any of the following:

 
PLUS

 
 
RECIPE: FETA-CRUSTED LAMB GYROS WITH
HERBED YOGURT SAUCE

This recipe is more layered than your typical gyro. A salty feta crust forms on the lamb with some heat from the red chili flakes.

Instead of the standard tzatziki yogurt-cucumber-garlic-dill sauce, Maria makes a herbed yogurt sauce which eliminates the cucumber but adds basil, mint and parsley. (It’s also a delicious dip.)

Maria also adds the baby potatoes to the gyro, but we prefer to serve them on the side. You can replace them with an all-American side of fries.

[1] Gyros made from chopped meat patties, with the traditional tzatziki sauce (yogurt and cucumber). Here’s the recipe from The Little Spice Jar (photo © The Little Spice Jar).

[2] Pork gyros served American style, with fries. Sometimes, a smaller number of fries are tucked into the pita, alongside the meat (recipe by Sam Sifton, photo © Gentl and Hyers for The New York Times, food stylist Maggie Ruggiero, prop stylist Rebecca Bartoshesky).

[3] Steak gyros. Here’s the recipe from Le Creme De La Crumb (photo © Le Creme De La Crumb).

[4] Lamb roasting on a spit (photo © Meruyert Gonullu | Pexels).

[5] Doner kebab with tomato sauce, cucumber, and a side of fries (photo © Nano Erdozain | Pexels).

[6] No lamb to roast? Use lamb sausage as in this gyro from Kevin Eats (photo © Kevin Eats).

[7] We love tzatziki, herb-flavored Greek yogurt with cucumbers. While the recipe below doesn’t include the cucumbers, here’s a classic tzatziki recipe that does (photo © Cava Grill).

 
Ingredient For 8 Servings

 
For The Lamb

 
For The Feta Mixture

 
For The Herbed Yogurt Sauce

You can substitute store-bought tzatziki.

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 355°F (180°C). Place the lamb and potatoes in a baking dish and season with salt and pepper.

2. PLACE all ingredients for the feta mixture in a food processor and blend until smooth and thick. Coat the lamb well with the feta mixture. Drizzle some olive oil over the top of the lamb and the potatoes. Add enough water to the baking dish to just cover the base.

4. COMBINE the ingredients for the yogurt sauce in a food processor and blend until all the herbs are chopped and the sauce is smooth and thick. Place in a bowl and refrigerate. When the lamb is ready…

5. SLICE the lamb thinly. Warm the pita; if you like, you can lightly brush each side with olive oil and place the bread on a hot grill or in a grill pan for warming and grill marks.

6. ASSEMBLE: Place some yogurt sauce in the center of the pita, arugula and slices of tomato and onion. Top with some lamb and some more yogurt sauce. Serve flat, with an optional side of roasted potatoes.
 
Find more of Maria’s delicious recipes at Greekalicious.com.au.
 
 

[8] Avoiding bread? Try these lamb gyro bowls. No pita is required—but don’t let that stop you from enjoying some. Here’s the recipe (photo © Tasty Yummies).

________________
 
*Al pastor toppings can include avocado sauce, lime wedges, Mexican crema (sour cream), pickled onions, pico de gallo, salsa roja and/or salsa verde.

†This mandatory exchange between Greece and Turkey was a formal attempt to create ethnically homogeneous nation-states following the end of the Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922) and the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. Turks in Greece returned to Turkey, Greeks in Turkey returned to Greece. This event is unique in history because it was not just a side effect of war, but a legally mandated “exchange” enshrined in international law. The exchange was officially authorized by the Convention Concerning the Exchange of Greek and Turkish Populations, signed in Lausanne, Switzerland, on January 30, 1923. Crucially, the exchange was based on religion, not language or ethnicity. Greek Orthodox Christians living in Turkey were defined as “Greeks.” Muslims living in Greece were defined as “Turks.” Approximately 1.2 million Christians moved from Asia Minor (Turkey) to Greece, and roughly 400,000 Muslims moved from Greece to Turkey.

The logic at the time was “prevention of further bloodshed.” Both countries had been through years of battle: horrific violence and ethnic cleansing. The international community believed that by physically separating the two religious groups, they could prevent future civil wars and minority persecution. However, this forced millions of people who had lived in their ancestral homes for centuries to leave everything behind. While it arguably stabilized the borders between the two nations, it left a deep “cultural trauma” on both sides, as families were uprooted from lands they had inhabited since antiquity. The exchange radically changed agriculture. In many cases, the departing Greeks were the primary vintners and silkworm farmers in Turkey, while the departing Muslims from Crete and Macedonia were expert olive and tobacco growers.

On a positive note regarding the culinary “exchange”: Refugees from Smyrna (now Izmir) brought the Smyrna stile of more sophisticated, spice-heavy culinary tradition to Athens. This included the use of cumin, cinnamon, and allspice in savory dishes like Soutzoukakia Smyrneika (spiced meatballs). The refugees, often arriving with nothing, turned to small-scale vending. The gyro and bougatsa, a custard or meat-filled phyllo pastry, became staples of the Greek urban diet.
 

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

> The 2026 list is below.
 
 
2015: AN INFORMAL LIST

Nation’s Restaurant News (NRA) reports something that may not even be news: Italian food remains America’s favorite “international” restaurant cuisine. No other cuisine comes close, although Mexican and Chinese round out the “big three.”

Sixty-one percent of the 1,000 people surveyed said they eat Italian food at restaurants at least once a month. By comparison, Mexican cuisine was eaten at least once a month by 50%, and Chinese cuisine by 36%.

We couldn’t find an official survey of the most popular Italian dishes, but one informal survey we found nominated the following as the Top 10 favorite Italian restaurant entrées in the U.S. (excluding pizza, the majority of which is consumed at pizzerias* rather than conventional Italian restaurants):

1. Chicken Parmigiana
2. Fettuccine
3. Lasagna
4. Linguine With Clam Sauce
5. Veal Marsala
6. Chicken Saltimbocca
7. Pasta Primavera
8. Shrimp Fra Diavolo
9. Penne Alla Vodka
10. Spaghetti Marinara (with tomato sauce)

 
Our own Top 10 list would be different, but we wouldn’t turn any of these down! And we’d add our own Top 10 Italian Desserts list: cannoli, panna cotta, zabaglione, tiramisu, berries with mascarpone, riccota cheesecake, biscotti, gelato/semifreddo/spumoni/tortoni, sorbetto/granita and bomboloni.

The NRA defines “ethnic” cuisine broadly as any cuisine originating in a different country or within a specific region of the United States. We prefer the term “international cuisine” (it’s hard to think of French and Italian food as “ethnic”), but that doesn’t always work. American cuisnes—think Cajun and Creole—are ethnic but not international, as are California, Hawaiian, New England, Southern and Southwestern cuisines, among others.

Choose the term you like better and read the full article at NRN.com.
 
 
2024: THE YOUGOV LIST (INACCURATE!)

A YouGov survey data from 2024-2025, claims that these are the top 10 favorite Italian dishes in the United States. However, three of their Top 10 aren’t even Italian! And Pasta With Chicken And Garlic Sauce? Is that a “Top 10” thing now? What happened to Chicken Parm?

In order of popularity, YouGov’s methodology has produced:

1. Spaghetti with Meatballs: 84%
2. Ravioli: 80%
3. Pasta with Tomato Sauce: 80%
4. Macaroni and Cheese: 80% (NOT ITALIAN!*)
5. Lasagna: 78%
6. Caesar Salad: 74% (NOT ITALIAN!*)
7. Pasta with Chicken and Garlic Sauce: 73%
8. Fettuccine Alfredo: 73%
9. Taco Salad: 72% popularity (NOT ITALIAN!*)
10. Baked Ziti: 68% popularity

*Caesar Salad was created by an an Italian immigrant restaurateur Caesar Cardini, in Tijuana, Mexico in the 1920s (the history of Caesar Salad).

*Taco Salad? Definitely Tex-Mex, developed by the inventor of Fritos for Disneyland in 1955 (the history of Taco Salad).

*Mac and cheese was invented by Thomas Jefferson (or his cook—the history of macaroni and cheese).

So let’s get on with a better list.
 
 
2026: THE ABACUS LIST

We asked one of our favorite A.I. “consultants,” Abacus, for its take. It advised, of course, that there is no one official list. “But based on U.S. restaurant menus, sales, and general popularity, these are the 10 Italian (or Italian‑American) dishes that are consistently the biggest hits in the U.S.:”

1. Pizza (especially pepperoni & Margherita)
2. Spaghetti With Meatballs (or Bolognese, meat sauce)
3. Lasagna
4. Fettuccine Alfredo
5. Chicken Parmigiana
6. Garlic Bread
7. Ravioli
8. Baked Ziti and other baked pasta casseroles
9. Tiramisu
10. Cannoli

 
We vote with Abacus!

[2] Spaghetti and Meatballs.

[3] Lasagna.

[4] Fettuccine Alfredo. Our favorite variation adds green peas and pancetta (photos #4 and #5 © Taste Of Home).

[6] Garlic Bread. The photo for Number 5, Chicken Parm, is below.

[7] Ravioli (photo © Chesapeake Bay).

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Elote is the Aztec (Nahuatl) word for what the corn on the cob. It is pronounced ay-LOW-tay. Removed from the cob, the recipe has a different name, esquites, from the Nahuatl word for toasted corn, ízquitl.

This hack from Good Eggs in San Francisco eliminates the need for a grill. Just use a gas range to turn ears of fresh corn into this Mexican street treat.

Here’s more about elote, including an off-the-cob elote salad.
 
 
RECIPE: STOVE TOP ELOTE

Ingredients

1. USE tongs to hold the ears of corn directly over the stove top flame, turning to to blister the kernels.

2. REMOVE from the heat, slather with butter, roll in crumbled queso fresco and finish with a squeeze of lime and a pinch of ancho chile powder.
 
 
ELOTE CONDIMENTS

In Mexico people serve the classics: ancho chili powder, lime, queso blanco. But in the U.S., some people substitute mayonnaise or sour cream (crema) for the butter.

Pepper or seasoned salt are also options (lemon pepper is popular in Texas, per Wikipedia). Other options: cilantro, fresh parsley, oregano.

Or for a true American take, how about crumbled bacon?