It’s Kentucky Derby Day (first Saturday in May) …. DID YOU KNOW: “Black jockeys and horsemen dominated the sport of Thoroughbred racing, from the first Kentucky Derby in 1875 through 1903, right before the Jim Crow era…” ~ Yahoo Sports (May 2022)...
See Also Mint Julep Day…(official drink of the Kentucky Derby since 1875). “Black bartenders across the South made the the Mint Julep a national sensation and along the way invented modern mixology” ~D. Wondrich…
May 4th is also:
• National Herb Day (first Saturday in May as well)… what better herb to showcase than MINT for today ?…
DID YOU KNOW: Most American mint originated on the continent of Africa ?… And that African-American culinary professionals were among the first to creatively use mint in all kinds of American cookery, confections and concoctions including muddling mint into cocktails and adorning drinks and iced teas with fresh mint leaves, and as a natural flavoring added to ice creams and chocolate confections ? … You’re Welcome America! I say on behalf of these amazing artisan Ancestors…
Below are pics of various herbs I’ve snapped during work-related trips to the New York and Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. Turns out that several commonly used culinary herbs are in the mint family — one of the largest herbal families (also known as the dead-nettle family) that includes several herbs used in the healing and culinary arts like Basil, Lavender, Mentha (Mint), Oregano, Rosemary, Sage and Thyme:
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• It’s also National Candied Orange Peel Day …
Above: a version of candied orange peels I made once upon a time — as you can see mine are more like candied citrus rings of mostly peel with some fruit….
Although candied citrus peels are mostly used by bakers, no surprise I made them to adorn a custom batch cocktail I created for a special family friend’s celebration and holiday toast…✨CHEERS!✨
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