Crumbly, warm, aromatic, golden goodness conveniently in handheld size; I am no doubt talking about the muffin. Sometimes life gets a little overwhelming and as somebody who is plagued with existential dread and spends at least half of my mornings wishing I never existed in the first place, I have to make a constant and conscious effort to be able to appreciate the little things in life that keep me going. I need to show some gratitude toward my favorite little breakfast breads. Clearly other people feel the same way as me since February 20th is recognized as National Muffin Day. I would like to bring attention to this national holiday, so let’s celebrate the muffin, one of humanity’s finer acts of creation, and marvel in the culinary craft of this delicate and modest bundle of homemade deliciousness. I’d also like to mention that National Muffin Day happens to coincide with Hoodie Hoo Day, which is a fortunate coincidence; they seem to complement each other.
To fully appreciate the muffin, let’s dive into its history. The origin of the muffin is a mystery, however Hannah Glasse is considered to be the first person to include a muffin recipe in a cookbook. It is important to note that her recipe is for English muffins, different from the classic American muffin which is much more cake-like. However, I do not discriminate, and I am here to recognize all muffins, including the English muffin. These little English pucks have been around prior to Glasse’s cookbook published in 1747, “The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy”, however in the last 150 years, they have risen in popularity to the shelves of almost every large chain grocery store in the western world. English muffins are great in my opinion; you can add a fried egg and sausage patty to make a little breakfast sandwich which are great for busy mornings or lazy dinners. You can add some butter and jam which pairs nicely with a hot tea. They are a nice and reliable side to any breakfast and are definitely underrated. In the 1800’s, the muffin started to become popular in England and America. It wasn’t until the discovery of baking powder in the 1840’s, that the American muffin began to evolve. Americans began experimenting more with the muffin and naturally added more sugar, butter, and fat to them, along with other mix-ins such as berries and nuts.
“To begin… To begin… How to start? I’m hungry. I should get coffee. Coffee would help me think. Maybe I should write something first, then reward myself with coffee. Coffee and a muffin. Okay, so I need to establish the themes. Maybe a banana-nut. That’s a good muffin.”
– Nicolas Cage
Cage, Nicolas, performer. Adaptation. Directed by Spike Jonze, written by Charlie Kaufman, Columbia Pictures, 2002
Now let’s learn some fun facts about muffins:
- Muffin men would troll the streets of Victorian London selling English muffins. The muffin men sellers would ring bells which were prohibited by Parliament in the 1840s. (“The History of Muffins”) Who knew that the British Parliament had beef with muffin men?
- Massachusetts, New York, and Minnesota have state official muffins. Respectively, they are corn, apple, and blueberry muffins. (State Symbols USA)
- The world record for the largest muffin made is 323 lb, baked by SCHÄR and NIP food in Milan, Italy. (“Largest Muffin”) The average muffin is about 100 g, which means that the largest muffin made is about 1465 times larger than it.
The diversity of muffins is one of their charms. Muffins come in a variety of flavors with different add ins, which provides a lot of different combos. Some popular flavors include blueberry, raspberry, chocolate chip, chocolate, banana nut, cranberry orange, lemon poppyseed, bran, oat, zucchini, and many more. I am partial to blueberry muffins; the crumble top, sweet and tangy blueberries, paper lining, aromatic vanilla and cinnamon, and light, thin icing is pure perfection in my opinion. A blueberry muffin paired with a hot coffee for a weekend brunch never fails to give me just enough will to live to make it through the next week.
Literal baked perfection such as muffins deserves a day dedicated to them. On February 20th let us unite to celebrate the muffin. Not only are they exemplary culinary creations, but they also boast a rich history marked by a fortunate series of evolutions that have brought them to their esteemed status as soul food, cherished by many Americans with their enlarged and disease-ridden hearts. What are some ways to celebrate and get in the holiday spirit? Bake some muffins! Eat some muffins! Share muffins with friends and family! At the end of the day, it is about embracing and appreciating muffins. Savor the moment, savor the muffin. Live, Love, Laugh, eat muffins.
Work Cited
Nunemaker, Posted By: Jessy, and About Jessy NunemakerAward-winning Author. Writer. #1 Fan of Dessert. “The History of Muffins.” Little Indiana Bakes, 12 Feb. 2024, littleindianabakes.com/history-muffins/#muffin-man-serial-killer.
State Symbols USA. State Symbols USA, statesymbolsusa.org/. Accessed 17 Feb. 2024.
“Largest Muffin.” Guinness World Records, www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/largest-muffin/#:~:text=The%20 largest%20 muffin%20weighed%20146.65%20kg%20%28323%20lb%29,food%20in%20Milan%2C%20Italy%2C%20on%2016%20october%202015] Accessed 17 Feb. 2024.
