National Zucchini Bread Day
Vegetables in cake sounds weird, but carrot cake proved it a success. Zucchini cake follows in the same vein, a moist, tasty sweet treat…with a healthy side?
Zucchini happens to be a vegetable that tends to take on the flavor of the other ingredients it is combined with. It is a commonly used ingredient in savory meals such as casseroles, stir fry, or side dishes. But many people don’t know that it can also be a yummy, healthful ingredient that is part of a variety of baked goods. Moist and sweet, this popular bread is delicious enough to deserve its own day to celebrate: National Zucchini Bread Day.
Those who have not grown up with it may find that the idea of making Zucchini Bread sounds a bit strange. Using that green gourd-ish like vegetable to make a tasty bread? This might seem a bit suspicious.
But most of the people who are willing to try it are just a taste away from falling in love!
History of National Zucchini Bread Day
Zucchini, as it is known today, seems to have developed fairly recently, somewhere around the late 1800s, in Italy. (Although some sources say it may have been around in Mexico for several thousand years prior to this!)
The gourd seems to have made its way to the United States through Italian immigrants and to other places in the world as well. Many countries and cultures now have dishes that they love to cook or bake using this versatile vegetable.
Since Zucchini is a prolifically growing vegetable, it stands to reason that garden growers from years ago would have looked for ways to incorporate it into everything. And Zucchini Bread was likely born out of this, sometime in the 19th century.
National Zucchini Bread Day is the day to celebrate this tasty treat!
How to Celebrate National Zucchini Bread Day
Celebrating this day comes with all sorts of delicious ideas, including:
Make Some Delicious Zucchini Bread
Obviously, the most logical thing to do on a day like today is to make (and eat!) zucchini bread. Whether baking one loaf or several, zucchini bread is an easy, delicious snack that can also function well as breakfast or even dessert.
Experienced chefs agree that Zucchini Bread is a good starter recipe because it is fairly easy to make. Although it is called “bread” it is actually a quick-bread recipe that does not require any yeast. In fact, the recipe resembles a cake more than it does bread.
Share it with Others
Make a few loaves and pass them out to neighbors, friends or family in honor of National Zucchini Bread Day. The loaves wrap nicely in foil or paper–don’t forget to top with a pretty bow!
Or, for individual size gifts, pour the bread batter into muffin tins before baking. Wrap up and leave one on the desk of each coworker, for a lovely little Zucchini Day treat.
Learn Fun Facts About Zucchini
Zucchini is a fun vegetable that most people don’t know much about!
- Zucchini is actually a “summer squash”. They are normally a medium to dark green in color (but may also be light green or dark yellow) and are usually shaped like a large cucumber.
- What Americans call a zucchini, British and other cultures may refer to as a “courgette”.
- Most baking recipes that use zucchini call for it to be grated before being incorporated into the batter.
- Technically, the word “zucchini” is plural. One is actually called “zucchina”.
- Zucchini has a high fiber content, is low in carbs, and is packed with vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals that are important for the health of the body.
Now you’re ready to celebrate National Zucchini Bread Day in style!
