U.S. National Melba Toast Day 2023: Read about the date, history and timeline of this day

 U.S. National Melba Toast Day 2023: Read about the date, history and timeline of this day

The history behind National Melba Toast Day, a thin crisp toast, on March 23, is equally crisp. Do you know it all started with a chef who was enamored by an Australian opera singer? Whether you eat it plain out of the box or with salad and soup, none of us can deny loving the bland little treat that’s an absolute delight to crunch on. And knowing it was cooked out of love adds another dimension to its taste!

HISTORY OF MELBA TOAST DAY

Melba Toast Day is a potent reminder of the fact that the best things come in small packages — this time, an act of love, cooked and baked into a slender crunchy toast. 

The creation of Melba toast dates back to around 1897 when a French chef of the Savoy Hotel, Georges Augustus Escoffier, who was smitten with an Australian opera singer named Nellie Melba, baked a dry toast for her just because she truly enjoyed having grilled slices of bread (and wanted to lose weight).

Before being known as Melba toast, it was named ‘Toast Marie.’ When Dame Nellie Melba fell sick and had to watch her diet, she switched to the crunchy treat to get her necessary carbs. And so, the toast was readily named after her, including many other dishes that the same fellow cooked to honor his favorite singer.

Melba Toast tastes heavenly with a dessert of raspberry sauce, peaches, and vanilla ice cream, also known as ‘Melba peaches.’ What’s more, the legendary cook concocted ‘Melba sauce’ of raspberry puree and red currant as well as the scrumptious ‘Melba garniture,’ consisting of chicken, truffles, and mushrooms. Melba toast, however, remains unbeatable and is a staple of the snacks inventory at our homes. Dame Nellie Melba died in 1931 at the age of 69, yet continues to live on in the form of a sturdy slice of crispy toast. We celebrate this day to toast this thin, baked bread and Escoffier’s gastronomical token of love.

MELBA TOAST DAY TIMELINE

Peach ‘Swan’ Melba Dessert (1892)

Legendary chef Georges Augustus Escoffier at the Savoy Hotel, London, makes the famous dessert to honor Nellie Melba’s performance at Lohengrin opera featuring a swan-like ice sculpture topped with spun sugar.

Crunchy Token of Love (1897)

Escoffier bakes the perfectly thin and yummy toast for Dame Nellie Melba’s weight-loss diet.

Mayo Clinic Certifies the Fame (1925)

The American Academic Medical center prescribes Melba toast as part of the ‘18-day reducing diet’ to actress Ethel Barrymore, making the food item more popular than ever.

Melba Rests in Peace (1931)

At the age of 69, Dame Nellie Melba breathes her last breath but remains immortalized in food.

HOW TO CELEBRATE NATIONAL MELBA TOAST DAY

1) Finish a box of Melba toast

Why not? Munch on this treat at breakfast, in the evening, and round the clock — you know you can do it without asking for permission! Melba toast is famous for being light as a feather and able to be paired with almost anything — soups, salads, cheese, creamy desserts, tea, and so forth.

2) Make a dish using Melba toast

Besides a healthy treat to gnaw on as you walk around, Melba toast can come as a primary ingredient to various delicious dishes. Google or rack your brains to come up with a dish that uses the crispy toast such as canapes, wild mushroom toasts, or a Melba toast quiche!

3) Cook Melba toast at home

It’s quite easy. All you need is bread, an oven, and a love for Melba — as did its creator. Cut it up in thin slices and serve your family.