February 13, 2022 - National Snack Food Month | National Cheddar Day

Welcome to February 13th, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate our favorite snacks. The 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago unveiled many amazing things to its visitors. Advancements in transportation, weaponry, and wonders from around the world. But one its most enduring legacies is the popularizing of snack food. Fairgoers were given a box of Cracker Jack upon entry. As much as people loved it, the molasses, popcorn, and peanut snack was too gooey for mass production. A few years later, the formula was perfected and Cracker Jack became a huge hit. Soon after came a host of other foods trying to capitalize on the trend of munching between meals. February is National Snack Food Month, so tear open a bag of chips or go old school with a box of Cracker Jack. Cheese lovers might not care that their favorite snack is actually named for the place that it’s made but today we give thanks to the village of Cheddar in Somerset, England. In the U.K. cheddar cheese accounts for more than half of the multi billion dollar cheese market. And here in the United States, cheddar is just behind mozzarella in popularity. So how did this “cheddar love” migrate across the pond? Enter Peter McIntosh, who brought his talent for cheese making to Tillamook County, Oregon in 1894. His superior skills earned him the title of the Cheese King of the Coast, and today there are more cows than people in Tillamook County. On National Cheddar Day savor the flavor that’s treasured on both sides of the pond. I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices