Fun facts about mac and cheese

_Elsa_

“Barney! What are you doing here?” asks Elsa. 

Barney is enjoying a piece of cheese and is also quite surprised to see Elsa and Jelly Queen.

“I usually come here to pick up my cheese,” says Barney. “I decided to take a tour of the factory because I’ve never done it before.”

What a pleasant surprise! The guide continues the tour with some fun facts about mac and cheese.

‘From college students and children to Founding Fathers and media moguls, it seems like everyone loves macaroni and cheese. Its history dates back centuries and has been part of America since America was a thing. Keep reading to learn everything you never thought to ask about one of the world’s most enduring treats.

Mac and Cheese Is Really Old - Medieval chefs were hip to the mac and cheese trend before it was a trend. In the 14th century, King Richard II’s master chefs compiled a manuscript called the Forme of Cury (“Method of Cookery”). The text featured a recipe for a dish called “makerouns,” which is incredibly similar to the mac and cheese we know today — it might just be the earliest recipe for the dish ever published.

Thomas Jefferson Loved to Eat It - According to Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello estate, the principal author of the Declaration of Independence and America’s third president loved mac and cheese — though Jefferson referred to all pasta as “macaroni.” He had a pasta machine brought to his estate and ordered pasta from Europe. Jefferson apparently loved pasta of all kinds, but mac and cheese was a favorite.

Thomas Jefferson Didn’t Love to Make It - Smithsonian Magazine goes a step further in saying that Jefferson is widely credited for popularizing macaroni and cheese in the United States, but that’s a somewhat whitewashed version of history. His enslaved chef, James Hemmings, learned to make the dish and is, of course, the one who labored to prepare it and cook it. In fact, mac and cheese was a celebration food for blacks in the Antebellum South before Jefferson ever caught wind of it, and it remains a weekend party staple in many African American communities to this day.

The Word ‘Macaroni’ Has Evolved - The English word for the venerable pasta we know as “macaroni” comes from the Italian “maccheroni” - but it didn’t start there. The Italians borrowed from the Greek word “makaria,” which translates to “food made with barley.”

Everybody Has the Best Recipe - Like chili and sangria, everyone seems to have a recipe for macaroni and cheese and everyone seems certain that theirs is the undisputed best. For some context on just how popular the dish has become, a Google search for “macaroni and cheese recipes” returns 52.8 million results.

You Can Enter Any Number of Recipe Contests - If you’re one of those people who are certain your recipe is the best, there is no shortage of contests and competitions to test your mettle. St. Louis, for example, hosts an annual Mac & Cheese Throwdown in July. New Orleans’ NOLA Mac and Cheese Fest in October includes a contest of its own.’ (Source)

‘The song "Yankee Doodle" was invented by the British to insult American colonists. The section where Doodle puts a feather in his cap and calls it macaroni is a slap at the ragged bands of American troops.’ (Source) 

As they leave the room where they are making the cheese, Elsa asks the guide what is Yankee Doodle? 

Let’s continue - Who is Yankee Doodle?

Start at the beginning – Elsa and Jelly Queen take a factory tour