January 19, 2022 - World Quark Day | National Popcorn Day

Welcome to January 19th, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate versatile snacks and superfoods. In the world of science, the term quark refers to a subatomic particle. Recently, the word has also been adopted as the name of a popular European cheese. Quark cheese is similar in taste to cottage cheese, however, it doesn’t have curds. Instead, it’s smooth and creamy, most commonly used in German cheesecake. Quark often finds its way into breakfast foods like crepes and oatmeal. And it can be substituted for ricotta in lasagna and manicotti. So as you can tell, quark is pretty versatile. You’ve probably come across it in the grocery store and didn’t even know it, since in the United States it’s often referred to as pot cheese or farmer’s cheese. It’s World Quark Day, a great time to try this delicious cheese with a funny name. Early Spanish explorers were fascinated by the small white flower that would burst from a heated kernel of corn. It wasn’t until the late 1800s, however, that popcorn really took off. That’s when Candy store owner, Charles Cretors, developed a steam machine for popping corn. He sold the snack from horse drawn wagons throughout the streets of Chicago. Around this time a new confection known as Cracker Jacks was also popping up. The 1908 anthem Take Me Out To The Ballgame knocked Cracker Jacks into the stratosphere. Then in 1938, Glen Dickson took a gamble on the expensive corn popping machines by installing them in his movie theatres, and popcorn became a home run snack. This January 19th marks the 9th anniversary of National Day Calendar’s website and we credit National Popcorn Day for fueling our curiosity. 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