Everyone knows that Santa’s favorite way to wash down his plate of cookies is with a big glass of eggnog. This tradition has been around for decades, but have you ever asked yourself why? When did drinking this egg and milk concoction become a holiday tradition?
It all started on a cold, snowy night on December 24th, 1920 in the North Pole. Santa was busy packing up his sleigh with all of the gifts his elves had worked so hard to make. Meanwhile, Ms. Clause, worrying about all of the weight Santa had lost in the prior months of Christmas preparation, wanted to provide him with a hearty snack to take with him on his long night journey. Opening up the fridge, she grabbed a few eggs for protein, milk for calcium and some cream for a few extra calories. She then went to the pantry and grabbed some sugar – because as we all know, Santa has a quite the sweet tooth. After blending them all together in a pot over the stove until smooth, she let it cool, took a sip, and the rest is history.
Sounds believable, right? Well, as it turns out, this story is not completely true. The real story of the creation of eggnog has been debated through the years. Some historians believe that it originated from the early medieval Britain “posset,” a hot, milky, ale-like drink. Milk, eggs, and sherry were foods of the wealthy, so eggnog was often used in toasts to prosperity and good health. The “nog” part of its name may stem from the wordnoggin, aMiddle English term for a small, carved wooden mug used to serve alcohol. The drink crossed the Atlantic to the English colonies during the 18th century and soon became a favorite due to its’ rich dairy content paired with rum, an inexpensive liquor at the time.
These days, eggnog is still often spiked with a bit of rum or bourbon during holiday festivities but is just as good without, not to mention kid friendly!
Want to make some yourself? Click below to get the classic Eggnog recipe.
https://ncegg.org/recipes/classic-cooked-egg-nog/
Feeling a bit more creative? Check out our other eggnog inspired recipes on our featured page!
