1 00:00:06,840 --> 00:00:09,120 Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to Saber. I'm Anny Rees and I'm 2 00:00:09,160 --> 00:00:15,560 Speaker 1: Lauren Vogelbaum, and today we're talking about birthday cake. No, Lie, Nope. 3 00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:20,480 Speaker 1: This episode goes out to three of my closest friends, Caitlin, Katie, 4 00:00:20,480 --> 00:00:25,599 Speaker 1: and Marissa. Hi. Yeah, Hello. These ladies are extraordinary friends. 5 00:00:25,880 --> 00:00:30,400 Speaker 1: We've been together since before elementary school. Yeah, and twice 6 00:00:30,400 --> 00:00:32,840 Speaker 1: a year we do trips together. And they literally brought 7 00:00:32,840 --> 00:00:34,479 Speaker 1: tears of my eyes when I crossed the finished line 8 00:00:34,479 --> 00:00:35,960 Speaker 1: of my last race and they were all there with 9 00:00:35,960 --> 00:00:40,280 Speaker 1: amazing signs. They're so supportive. I value their friendship. And 10 00:00:41,159 --> 00:00:43,440 Speaker 1: they all have birthdays within a month of each other, 11 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:48,239 Speaker 1: including one that, as this podcast releases the day of 12 00:00:48,880 --> 00:00:52,280 Speaker 1: this her birthday today, So happy birthday to all of you. 13 00:00:53,200 --> 00:00:57,360 Speaker 1: And also, I forgot that listener mail about slitting the 14 00:00:57,480 --> 00:01:02,080 Speaker 1: cakes through while children's scream. We were like, whole, We've 15 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:06,640 Speaker 1: we want to talk about this. That was so great. Um, 16 00:01:06,680 --> 00:01:10,080 Speaker 1: do you have a cake preference? Lord? I love a cake. Um. 17 00:01:10,120 --> 00:01:13,120 Speaker 1: There's something about like the springy texture and the contrast 18 00:01:13,160 --> 00:01:16,280 Speaker 1: of that with like the creamy frosting and the nostalgia factor. 19 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:19,560 Speaker 1: I feel like my entire childhood was just a series 20 00:01:19,640 --> 00:01:24,080 Speaker 1: of kid's birthday parties. Um with that giant cheat cake 21 00:01:24,160 --> 00:01:30,000 Speaker 1: from grocery stores. Oh goodness. Um. My preference, even when 22 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:32,679 Speaker 1: I was a kid, actually has always run towards less sweet, 23 00:01:32,720 --> 00:01:35,280 Speaker 1: like German style deserts, like a soccer tort which my 24 00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:38,240 Speaker 1: dad used to make us, a chocolate layer cake with 25 00:01:38,319 --> 00:01:41,959 Speaker 1: apricot filling and chocolate ganosh, and it was almost bitter. 26 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:44,720 Speaker 1: It was so good. But I have a hard time 27 00:01:44,840 --> 00:01:49,360 Speaker 1: turning down any cake. Yeah, I don't know. Something about 28 00:01:49,400 --> 00:01:53,000 Speaker 1: like ice rinks and cheat cake just puts me in 29 00:01:53,040 --> 00:01:55,400 Speaker 1: a good mood. We are coming up with the song 30 00:01:55,520 --> 00:02:00,240 Speaker 1: titles today. I sprinks and cakes again. If you have 31 00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:03,840 Speaker 1: written this song or if it needs to be written right, 32 00:02:04,720 --> 00:02:09,520 Speaker 1: free title yes and then send it to us. Dessert wise, 33 00:02:09,560 --> 00:02:12,959 Speaker 1: for me, cakes are at the lower end of my tear. Okay, 34 00:02:13,120 --> 00:02:16,120 Speaker 1: but I am a big fan of the spectacle cake. 35 00:02:16,440 --> 00:02:18,839 Speaker 1: Oh yeah you are. I've seen you make at least 36 00:02:18,880 --> 00:02:22,040 Speaker 1: one of these. Yes, I like making an exploding volcano 37 00:02:22,120 --> 00:02:25,520 Speaker 1: cake for the volcano Pompeii, which happened on the same 38 00:02:25,600 --> 00:02:29,120 Speaker 1: day I was born, just like many many years ago. Well, sure, 39 00:02:29,760 --> 00:02:34,920 Speaker 1: not a vampire or anything like that. So you say 40 00:02:35,400 --> 00:02:42,519 Speaker 1: not a vampire other monsters have immortal qualities to Lauren. Um. 41 00:02:42,520 --> 00:02:44,639 Speaker 1: And my most memorable cake is actually one I made 42 00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:47,000 Speaker 1: for one of my aforementioned friends, Katie, and it was 43 00:02:47,040 --> 00:02:50,040 Speaker 1: just a rainbow bunt cake, but I don't think she 44 00:02:50,120 --> 00:02:52,560 Speaker 1: was expecting it, and it just became this really meaningful thing. 45 00:02:52,600 --> 00:02:55,520 Speaker 1: And it actually snowed in Georgia, which was a huge deal. 46 00:02:56,480 --> 00:03:00,720 Speaker 1: And I made a stairway ramp that it into another 47 00:03:00,800 --> 00:03:03,440 Speaker 1: snow ramp that went down a hill into another rap, 48 00:03:03,840 --> 00:03:06,000 Speaker 1: and I convinced my parents this was safe using the 49 00:03:06,040 --> 00:03:08,640 Speaker 1: old they did it in home alone defense and this 50 00:03:08,880 --> 00:03:13,760 Speaker 1: actually worked. How old were you? Its like, oh my goodness, 51 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:16,919 Speaker 1: I remember my dad. He was like, just because I 52 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:19,320 Speaker 1: do it movies, I don't think that's a good idea. 53 00:03:19,440 --> 00:03:21,520 Speaker 1: My mom kind of thought about it for me. She's like, yeah, 54 00:03:21,600 --> 00:03:25,080 Speaker 1: I did do it in that movie. Didn't there and 55 00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:27,440 Speaker 1: it worked, but she my mom didn't make me go first, 56 00:03:28,200 --> 00:03:33,000 Speaker 1: and then when it was successful, then she let Katie go. Um. 57 00:03:33,080 --> 00:03:35,040 Speaker 1: And then I have another friend who we celebrate joint 58 00:03:35,040 --> 00:03:39,800 Speaker 1: birthdays together and her mom is like a really good baker, 59 00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:45,560 Speaker 1: and um, she made a SpongeBob themed pineapple cake that 60 00:03:45,720 --> 00:03:49,240 Speaker 1: was pretty that's beautiful. It looked like a pineapple had 61 00:03:49,280 --> 00:03:53,360 Speaker 1: figurines on it. I was in college. I'm not ashamed. 62 00:03:55,320 --> 00:04:02,960 Speaker 1: But anyway, let's get to our question. Birthday cakes. What 63 00:04:03,120 --> 00:04:07,160 Speaker 1: are they? Well, um, it's a cake you have to 64 00:04:07,160 --> 00:04:11,000 Speaker 1: celebrate someone's birthday. Makes sense. That's not always the case. 65 00:04:11,720 --> 00:04:14,320 Speaker 1: Oh well, okay, it's also a flavor. Um. And I 66 00:04:14,360 --> 00:04:17,440 Speaker 1: suppose that any cake can be a birthday cake, or 67 00:04:17,440 --> 00:04:19,680 Speaker 1: even anything that you shape like a cake. But the 68 00:04:19,720 --> 00:04:22,440 Speaker 1: American concept is a two layer cake with some kind 69 00:04:22,440 --> 00:04:25,200 Speaker 1: of filling between the layers and some kind of icing 70 00:04:25,360 --> 00:04:27,880 Speaker 1: to cover it. Um, you put tiny candles on it, 71 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:30,320 Speaker 1: and you like them, and you sing happy birthday to 72 00:04:30,320 --> 00:04:32,760 Speaker 1: the celebrant and they blow the candles out, and then 73 00:04:32,760 --> 00:04:35,600 Speaker 1: you slice and distribute the cake to the partygoers. And 74 00:04:36,480 --> 00:04:38,440 Speaker 1: I guess I've never really thought about it before. But 75 00:04:38,520 --> 00:04:40,560 Speaker 1: as I was writing that out, I was like, this 76 00:04:40,680 --> 00:04:44,600 Speaker 1: is heck and weird. It's pretty strange. Why do we 77 00:04:44,680 --> 00:04:50,479 Speaker 1: do this? Well, we'll get to that later, we will. Uh. First, 78 00:04:50,560 --> 00:04:55,080 Speaker 1: let's talk about nutrition. It's like the number one health food, right. 79 00:04:55,560 --> 00:05:02,599 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, absolutely, I started to mind starting cake my mouth. Uh. Hey, 80 00:05:02,640 --> 00:05:05,520 Speaker 1: that's a valid life decision. It's all about balance um. 81 00:05:05,560 --> 00:05:08,279 Speaker 1: According to the Internet, a serving of yellow cake with 82 00:05:08,360 --> 00:05:11,680 Speaker 1: chocolate frosting is one eighth of an eighteen ounce cake, 83 00:05:11,760 --> 00:05:15,080 Speaker 1: equalling out to sixty four grams per slice. That slice 84 00:05:15,080 --> 00:05:19,640 Speaker 1: contains about your daily recommended intake of fat, grams of sugar, 85 00:05:19,720 --> 00:05:22,760 Speaker 1: and basically nothing of value. Um. I mean, there's like 86 00:05:22,800 --> 00:05:25,480 Speaker 1: two grams of protein in there. Um, there's some iron, 87 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:30,200 Speaker 1: there's some value in the happiness that you get from sharing, 88 00:05:30,920 --> 00:05:34,520 Speaker 1: nothing of nutritional value, nothing that your body can turn 89 00:05:34,560 --> 00:05:39,720 Speaker 1: into like stuff that you need for your body, unless 90 00:05:40,480 --> 00:05:44,200 Speaker 1: it's a Monster's Inc. Situation where you can take the 91 00:05:44,360 --> 00:05:49,560 Speaker 1: energy from happiness and convert that into actual energy. I 92 00:05:49,600 --> 00:05:52,440 Speaker 1: haven't done the research on it, um, I just know 93 00:05:52,680 --> 00:05:55,560 Speaker 1: that that seems to be what's happening in Monsters Inc. 94 00:05:55,800 --> 00:06:01,120 Speaker 1: I'll call Sully see if they've got any research on that. Yes, Oh, 95 00:06:01,160 --> 00:06:07,640 Speaker 1: I almost went on a whole Pixar unified universe. Stand alright, anyway, Okay, numbers, 96 00:06:08,640 --> 00:06:13,719 Speaker 1: there are around a million types of cake? Is that? 97 00:06:13,920 --> 00:06:18,159 Speaker 1: Is that an approximate approximate number. Anything you can imagine 98 00:06:18,240 --> 00:06:21,240 Speaker 1: can be and has been, a flavor of cake just about. 99 00:06:21,839 --> 00:06:25,120 Speaker 1: But here are a few, uh notable mentions. Will say 100 00:06:25,279 --> 00:06:29,760 Speaker 1: Okay yet Brooklyn Blackout Cake named after the post Pearl 101 00:06:29,800 --> 00:06:32,520 Speaker 1: Harbor blackout drills in Brooklyn. What. Yeah, I've never heard 102 00:06:32,520 --> 00:06:36,039 Speaker 1: of that German forest cake Gooey butter cake, which is 103 00:06:36,040 --> 00:06:37,760 Speaker 1: a cake I made the mistake of making for someone 104 00:06:37,800 --> 00:06:40,760 Speaker 1: and now they want it every year. Um. Moravian sugar 105 00:06:40,800 --> 00:06:43,520 Speaker 1: cake a potato cake courtesy of the Moravian immigrants in 106 00:06:43,560 --> 00:06:46,560 Speaker 1: North Carolina. Enslaved people in the South made some of 107 00:06:46,560 --> 00:06:50,520 Speaker 1: the most creative and innovative cake recipes, incorporating ingredients like coconuts, 108 00:06:50,600 --> 00:06:55,200 Speaker 1: coconut cake, chase late chase cake, the German BlackBerry jam 109 00:06:55,279 --> 00:06:58,400 Speaker 1: cake complete with a year old jar of jam, and 110 00:06:58,440 --> 00:07:02,479 Speaker 1: Saved your Christmas Cowboy cake made with cooked down raisins, 111 00:07:02,839 --> 00:07:06,840 Speaker 1: and of course Mayo cake. Oh I've never had a 112 00:07:06,880 --> 00:07:09,400 Speaker 1: Mayo cake and I'm still I mean, I like the 113 00:07:09,400 --> 00:07:12,800 Speaker 1: tang of like sour cream and a cake. Yeah, listeners 114 00:07:12,800 --> 00:07:15,840 Speaker 1: sent as a recipe for Mayo cake, and spite my 115 00:07:15,960 --> 00:07:18,680 Speaker 1: intense dislike of Mayo, I do think I would like 116 00:07:18,760 --> 00:07:23,480 Speaker 1: it because I mean it's just it's more for like texture, Yeah, 117 00:07:23,520 --> 00:07:28,239 Speaker 1: kind of like putting putting in a cake. Yeah. Birthday cake, however, 118 00:07:28,520 --> 00:07:32,800 Speaker 1: is as mentioned before, a flavor unto itself now um, 119 00:07:32,920 --> 00:07:36,360 Speaker 1: by which people seem to have spontaneously agreed that birthday 120 00:07:36,400 --> 00:07:39,440 Speaker 1: cake is vanilla cake with vanilla frosting and maybe like 121 00:07:39,520 --> 00:07:43,680 Speaker 1: raspberry filling and probably sprinkles. I'm not sure how and 122 00:07:43,720 --> 00:07:48,400 Speaker 1: why everyone simultaneously decided this. I think it must be 123 00:07:48,440 --> 00:07:51,480 Speaker 1: a like sensory. It's very pretty thing, kind of like 124 00:07:51,520 --> 00:07:55,160 Speaker 1: how pizza it's always pepperoni and cheese. Yeah, oh yeah, yeah, 125 00:07:55,240 --> 00:07:57,960 Speaker 1: you're right, because my favorite cake is definitely chocolate, but 126 00:07:58,520 --> 00:08:02,840 Speaker 1: it's not as like visually yeah, like fun fetty flavored share. 127 00:08:03,400 --> 00:08:07,000 Speaker 1: We'll get into fun oh we will, Oh we will, 128 00:08:07,240 --> 00:08:10,960 Speaker 1: we will, But so during the height of the birthday 129 00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:14,040 Speaker 1: cake flavor madness, which we might still be in, I'm 130 00:08:14,080 --> 00:08:18,360 Speaker 1: not sure. Birthday cake flavored Crispy Creans and Oreos and jellybelly, 131 00:08:18,440 --> 00:08:21,760 Speaker 1: jelly beans and flips, candy coated pretzels and Peeps and 132 00:08:21,840 --> 00:08:25,360 Speaker 1: three Musketeers bars and m and m's and air heads 133 00:08:25,400 --> 00:08:30,560 Speaker 1: and red vines. Birthday cake tea it's rohitous and herbs 134 00:08:30,600 --> 00:08:35,199 Speaker 1: and sprinkles um Birthday cake vodka. It's a perhaps surprisingly 135 00:08:35,240 --> 00:08:39,000 Speaker 1: popular flavor for nutrition bars and way protein. Birthday Cake 136 00:08:39,120 --> 00:08:42,600 Speaker 1: yogurt and ice cream and frozen drinks. Birthday cake popcorn. 137 00:08:42,640 --> 00:08:46,079 Speaker 1: It's coated in cake batter, infused white chocolate, and again 138 00:08:46,160 --> 00:08:50,040 Speaker 1: topped with sprinkles. Marie Calendar once had a birthday cake 139 00:08:50,080 --> 00:08:52,920 Speaker 1: pie which was like a cream pie topped with two 140 00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:59,520 Speaker 1: layers of fun fetty birthday cake. That's spectacular. I I 141 00:08:59,600 --> 00:09:02,920 Speaker 1: don't know what humanity has wrought with that one. I 142 00:09:03,040 --> 00:09:06,319 Speaker 1: don't either, but we all knew it was about to happen. 143 00:09:08,520 --> 00:09:10,040 Speaker 1: I feel like it's one of those things that, like 144 00:09:10,400 --> 00:09:13,160 Speaker 1: bearing witness to it in person, like you just you're 145 00:09:13,200 --> 00:09:16,560 Speaker 1: just instantly go insane. It's like Thulu, You're just like, yeah, 146 00:09:17,080 --> 00:09:22,160 Speaker 1: your mind cannot just breaks yes, and then you start 147 00:09:23,440 --> 00:09:25,960 Speaker 1: putting handfuls of it in the now, rubbing it on 148 00:09:26,000 --> 00:09:29,200 Speaker 1: your face. That does sound like a horror movie waiting 149 00:09:29,200 --> 00:09:35,559 Speaker 1: to happen. Anyway. The flavor of birthday cake seems to 150 00:09:35,600 --> 00:09:38,920 Speaker 1: be vanilla cream and a little bit of berry, and 151 00:09:38,960 --> 00:09:43,000 Speaker 1: according to data from Nielsen, birthday cake flavored stuff saw 152 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:50,080 Speaker 1: a sales increase of over between This trend is not dead, folks, no, 153 00:09:50,240 --> 00:09:56,960 Speaker 1: not at all. One. Rachel Sugar Perfect Perfect I know Um, 154 00:09:57,080 --> 00:10:00,920 Speaker 1: writing for Vox, said birthday cake as a flavor. It's 155 00:10:00,920 --> 00:10:04,960 Speaker 1: the simplest kind of birthday cake, cheerfully uncomplicated, the primary 156 00:10:05,000 --> 00:10:09,120 Speaker 1: colors of cake. Birthday cake is basic and it is pretty, 157 00:10:09,400 --> 00:10:11,920 Speaker 1: and in an ironic twist of anti aging, it reminds 158 00:10:12,000 --> 00:10:14,320 Speaker 1: us all of when we were basic and pretty too. 159 00:10:16,760 --> 00:10:23,840 Speaker 1: Wise words wise words. Uh, there's a place in As 160 00:10:23,880 --> 00:10:27,640 Speaker 1: I've mentioned before, I come from a very small hometown, 161 00:10:28,440 --> 00:10:32,880 Speaker 1: and there wasn't a lot in the way of drinking options, 162 00:10:33,360 --> 00:10:35,520 Speaker 1: Like you could go to a restaurant and get beer, 163 00:10:35,559 --> 00:10:37,960 Speaker 1: but there was one place you could go that was 164 00:10:38,000 --> 00:10:39,680 Speaker 1: sort of no, there's more than one, but there was 165 00:10:39,679 --> 00:10:42,000 Speaker 1: one place that we did go. Um and on your 166 00:10:42,000 --> 00:10:46,120 Speaker 1: birthday you got a free birthday cake shot and it 167 00:10:46,240 --> 00:10:49,400 Speaker 1: came with like candle and it was a whole thing. 168 00:10:49,640 --> 00:10:53,320 Speaker 1: I did involve whipped cream. M M yeah, I think so. Jeez. 169 00:10:54,040 --> 00:10:56,559 Speaker 1: They were very nice, But I mean, you don't want 170 00:10:56,559 --> 00:10:59,800 Speaker 1: to do more than one birthday cake shot. It's good 171 00:10:59,800 --> 00:11:03,400 Speaker 1: that birthday is only once a year. Yes, that is 172 00:11:03,440 --> 00:11:06,240 Speaker 1: the allotted amount of birthday cake shots. The body can 173 00:11:06,280 --> 00:11:12,040 Speaker 1: handle only once a year. Um. If we look at numbers, 174 00:11:12,160 --> 00:11:14,200 Speaker 1: they're they're kind of hard to nail down because there 175 00:11:14,280 --> 00:11:19,920 Speaker 1: is so much cake happening. Sure, but in over sixteen 176 00:11:19,920 --> 00:11:22,959 Speaker 1: million more Americans used a box cake mix as opposed 177 00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:26,160 Speaker 1: to making one from scratch, and a lot of people 178 00:11:26,200 --> 00:11:29,240 Speaker 1: report a feeling that quote, it doesn't count if you 179 00:11:29,280 --> 00:11:32,280 Speaker 1: make it with a box. I disagree, but I understand 180 00:11:32,280 --> 00:11:34,880 Speaker 1: the feeling. Oh, I absolutely disagree. Yeah, I mean I 181 00:11:34,920 --> 00:11:38,080 Speaker 1: disagree specifically because the only time I ever made a 182 00:11:38,160 --> 00:11:41,120 Speaker 1: layer cake from scratch, I spent all day doing it 183 00:11:41,440 --> 00:11:46,040 Speaker 1: and it was just exactly as good as one that 184 00:11:46,120 --> 00:11:49,280 Speaker 1: I could have gotten from Publix or Kroger. And I 185 00:11:49,360 --> 00:11:53,880 Speaker 1: was like, well, first and last time for that one, 186 00:11:53,920 --> 00:11:57,280 Speaker 1: and done, as they say, But the story of the 187 00:11:57,320 --> 00:12:00,640 Speaker 1: cake is not done. No, we have some history for 188 00:12:00,720 --> 00:12:02,680 Speaker 1: you coming up. But first a quick break for a 189 00:12:02,679 --> 00:12:14,040 Speaker 1: word from our sponsor, and we're back, Thank you sponsor, 190 00:12:14,120 --> 00:12:18,200 Speaker 1: And we're back with some history of cake, mostly birthday cake. 191 00:12:18,240 --> 00:12:22,080 Speaker 1: There's a lot of cake history out there, Oh my goodness. Yes, 192 00:12:22,160 --> 00:12:24,000 Speaker 1: we dip into a bit of it here and there, 193 00:12:24,040 --> 00:12:28,599 Speaker 1: but we tried to centralize. We generally do. Sometimes we're successful, 194 00:12:28,600 --> 00:12:32,840 Speaker 1: other times we're not. But alright, the cake is largely 195 00:12:32,880 --> 00:12:38,439 Speaker 1: associated with celebrations and especially birthdays, and this association goes 196 00:12:38,480 --> 00:12:41,480 Speaker 1: all the way back to ancient Egypt, where the huge 197 00:12:41,600 --> 00:12:46,600 Speaker 1: deal that was the celebratory crowning ceremony a k their 198 00:12:47,040 --> 00:12:51,080 Speaker 1: birth as a god of the pharaoh um and it 199 00:12:51,160 --> 00:12:55,440 Speaker 1: was such a big deal that the celebration was widely adopted. 200 00:12:55,480 --> 00:12:57,760 Speaker 1: If I saw a big party, I was like, OK, 201 00:12:58,280 --> 00:13:02,800 Speaker 1: able to do that too. Though this did not necessarily 202 00:13:03,080 --> 00:13:07,320 Speaker 1: include cake. The Bible references a birthday celebration for a 203 00:13:07,360 --> 00:13:11,960 Speaker 1: pharaoh dating back to three thousand b C. Again probably 204 00:13:11,960 --> 00:13:16,120 Speaker 1: their birth as a god, not their actual state of birth. Yes, 205 00:13:16,920 --> 00:13:21,080 Speaker 1: the ancient Greeks took this practice and added dessert. This 206 00:13:21,200 --> 00:13:24,880 Speaker 1: dessert was typically a baked full moon shaped cake in 207 00:13:24,960 --> 00:13:27,440 Speaker 1: honor of the goddess Artemis, who was the goddess of 208 00:13:27,480 --> 00:13:30,800 Speaker 1: the moon, among you know, other things. To make the 209 00:13:30,840 --> 00:13:34,000 Speaker 1: cakes glow like a moon would, candles were lit and 210 00:13:34,080 --> 00:13:37,959 Speaker 1: put on the cakes. But backing up a step, the 211 00:13:38,080 --> 00:13:40,360 Speaker 1: ancient Romans were the first to make birthday cakes. They 212 00:13:40,400 --> 00:13:43,320 Speaker 1: just kind of did it on the deal. These cakes 213 00:13:43,360 --> 00:13:46,360 Speaker 1: were made of a mixture of yeast, flour, honey, and nuts, 214 00:13:46,400 --> 00:13:49,720 Speaker 1: and were at first reserved for weddings and maybe the 215 00:13:49,840 --> 00:13:54,800 Speaker 1: fiftieth birthday of a famous dude, supposedly Emperor Hadrian would 216 00:13:54,840 --> 00:13:59,040 Speaker 1: send cakes to birthday party invitees who couldn't make it. Oh, 217 00:13:59,080 --> 00:14:00,640 Speaker 1: I like that. I know it's a power move, but 218 00:14:00,679 --> 00:14:04,760 Speaker 1: I like it. All right. If I'm getting cake, I'll 219 00:14:04,760 --> 00:14:08,160 Speaker 1: take I'll take it. Going off of that sort of, 220 00:14:08,240 --> 00:14:11,440 Speaker 1: for a long time, Christians considered birthday celebrations a thing 221 00:14:11,520 --> 00:14:15,800 Speaker 1: for Pagans, and thus even at least they did it first. 222 00:14:16,240 --> 00:14:19,160 Speaker 1: But sometimes around the fourth centuries, see, Christians didn't about 223 00:14:19,200 --> 00:14:22,280 Speaker 1: face and started celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. One 224 00:14:22,320 --> 00:14:24,400 Speaker 1: of the reasons behind this was the hope that people 225 00:14:24,440 --> 00:14:28,360 Speaker 1: already celebrating the Roman tradition of Saturnalia would sort of 226 00:14:28,600 --> 00:14:34,000 Speaker 1: transition to Christmas. Women's birthdays weren't really a thing most 227 00:14:34,080 --> 00:14:38,240 Speaker 1: Europeans celebrated until the twelfth century. Lots of societies didn't 228 00:14:38,320 --> 00:14:41,840 Speaker 1: keep birth records for anyone except for royalty until like, yeah, 229 00:14:41,880 --> 00:14:44,440 Speaker 1: like the Middle Ages or thereabouts. The Greeks did, but 230 00:14:44,520 --> 00:14:47,760 Speaker 1: they had those priorities like mostly old dudes. But by 231 00:14:47,880 --> 00:14:51,000 Speaker 1: around this time, around the Middle Ages, Catholics were keeping 232 00:14:51,040 --> 00:14:53,760 Speaker 1: birth records, and it was also common to name a 233 00:14:53,840 --> 00:14:56,400 Speaker 1: child for a patron saint, so instead of a birthday, 234 00:14:56,760 --> 00:14:59,720 Speaker 1: you would basically celebrate your name day. And I don't 235 00:14:59,720 --> 00:15:01,520 Speaker 1: know what I mean by that in Game of Thrones, 236 00:15:01,680 --> 00:15:04,280 Speaker 1: but but historically a name day was when you'd have 237 00:15:04,320 --> 00:15:07,560 Speaker 1: a party on the day um that you're saint was celebrated, 238 00:15:08,880 --> 00:15:13,160 Speaker 1: and this is still traditional in some Catholic communities. China 239 00:15:13,280 --> 00:15:18,080 Speaker 1: also had a birthday celebration, specifically for a child's first birthday. 240 00:15:18,920 --> 00:15:21,280 Speaker 1: If we look at the less ancient and more modern 241 00:15:21,320 --> 00:15:24,760 Speaker 1: birthday celebrations complete with cake, we need to look at 242 00:15:24,960 --> 00:15:29,280 Speaker 1: Germany's Kinderfest, a fifteenth century celebration held four children. The 243 00:15:29,320 --> 00:15:31,760 Speaker 1: morning of a child's birthday, the birthday kid would get 244 00:15:31,760 --> 00:15:34,440 Speaker 1: a cake with a number of candles equaling their age 245 00:15:34,680 --> 00:15:37,640 Speaker 1: plus one, the plus one representing the hope that the 246 00:15:37,720 --> 00:15:41,040 Speaker 1: coming year would be healthy, the light of life, as 247 00:15:41,080 --> 00:15:44,160 Speaker 1: it was called. The candles are specifically the smoke from 248 00:15:44,200 --> 00:15:49,120 Speaker 1: them were meant to bring your wishes up to God. However, 249 00:15:49,840 --> 00:15:53,000 Speaker 1: it was a test of endurance because no one was 250 00:15:53,120 --> 00:15:57,720 Speaker 1: to enjoy the cake until dinner, like they would replace 251 00:15:57,800 --> 00:16:00,520 Speaker 1: the candles all day as they burnt down um. The 252 00:16:00,560 --> 00:16:03,320 Speaker 1: idea of Kinderfest was that on their birthday, a child 253 00:16:03,400 --> 00:16:06,280 Speaker 1: was more susceptible to evil spirits, so the party was 254 00:16:06,320 --> 00:16:11,400 Speaker 1: partially like a form of protection. Oh, how interesting. If 255 00:16:11,400 --> 00:16:13,560 Speaker 1: the child in question made it through the day. Could 256 00:16:13,560 --> 00:16:17,240 Speaker 1: just imagine you'd be smelling it. Oh, I would be, 257 00:16:17,320 --> 00:16:20,080 Speaker 1: and that's me um. They would then attempt to blow 258 00:16:20,160 --> 00:16:23,480 Speaker 1: out the candles in one breath while making a wish, 259 00:16:23,520 --> 00:16:26,800 Speaker 1: and if they were successful, their wish would come true. 260 00:16:27,480 --> 00:16:29,840 Speaker 1: As today, you were not meant to share that wish. 261 00:16:29,920 --> 00:16:32,800 Speaker 1: You couldn't tell anyone or it would or it won't 262 00:16:32,840 --> 00:16:38,840 Speaker 1: come true. We all know that as fact. Absolutely perhaps 263 00:16:38,880 --> 00:16:41,000 Speaker 1: this was the case, or perhaps it was this, or 264 00:16:41,040 --> 00:16:43,840 Speaker 1: perhaps it was both. Because there's a lot of history 265 00:16:43,840 --> 00:16:47,000 Speaker 1: going on. You would find birthday cakes shaped like the 266 00:16:47,040 --> 00:16:50,560 Speaker 1: baby Jesus and this was more a celebration of him 267 00:16:50,640 --> 00:16:55,080 Speaker 1: than you. And side note, before Christmas this year, I 268 00:16:55,160 --> 00:16:58,120 Speaker 1: drove past a church marquee that said it's not your 269 00:16:58,160 --> 00:17:02,040 Speaker 1: birthday and I was like, you don't know me sign 270 00:17:03,120 --> 00:17:06,880 Speaker 1: it could be they don't know. It's not reserved for 271 00:17:08,080 --> 00:17:11,040 Speaker 1: we can share birth we can lots of people do. 272 00:17:11,240 --> 00:17:14,840 Speaker 1: I think that's the whole math problem. Yeah? See, Okay, 273 00:17:14,960 --> 00:17:19,320 Speaker 1: all right, well let's talk about Count Ludwig von Zenzidorf. Okay. 274 00:17:19,560 --> 00:17:23,919 Speaker 1: In seventeen forty six he had an epic birthday feast 275 00:17:23,920 --> 00:17:27,159 Speaker 1: and festival complete with cake and candles. Quote, there was 276 00:17:27,200 --> 00:17:29,520 Speaker 1: a cake as large as any oven could be found 277 00:17:29,520 --> 00:17:31,720 Speaker 1: to bake it, and holes made in the cake according 278 00:17:31,760 --> 00:17:34,119 Speaker 1: to the years of the person's age, everyone having a 279 00:17:34,200 --> 00:17:39,119 Speaker 1: candle stuck into it and one in the middle. I 280 00:17:39,160 --> 00:17:42,879 Speaker 1: guess that was pretty epic. Yeah. When England picked up 281 00:17:42,920 --> 00:17:46,800 Speaker 1: the tradition, they added symbolic objects baked within the cake. 282 00:17:47,040 --> 00:17:50,119 Speaker 1: Coins and thimbles were a typical thing. The coin was 283 00:17:50,200 --> 00:17:53,720 Speaker 1: lucky and represented wealth. The thimble, meanwhile, meant you would 284 00:17:53,760 --> 00:17:56,320 Speaker 1: never marry. So I guess you didn't want that one. Dang. 285 00:17:56,480 --> 00:18:02,480 Speaker 1: I mean that's a crappy party favor. Ah. Yeah. Anyway, 286 00:18:02,560 --> 00:18:05,840 Speaker 1: apparently even today cakes are baked with fake coins and 287 00:18:05,920 --> 00:18:08,679 Speaker 1: candies in the UK and listeners please right in to 288 00:18:08,760 --> 00:18:13,520 Speaker 1: confirm or deny. But until the Industrial Revolution, the birthday 289 00:18:13,520 --> 00:18:17,280 Speaker 1: cake wasn't accessible to most people, and that's because the 290 00:18:17,440 --> 00:18:21,560 Speaker 1: ingredients were cost prohibitive. Also, the Industrial Revolution is when 291 00:18:21,680 --> 00:18:25,080 Speaker 1: modern leviting agents like baking soda and baking powder were invented. 292 00:18:25,320 --> 00:18:28,160 Speaker 1: Prior to that, you had to physically work the fluff 293 00:18:28,200 --> 00:18:31,159 Speaker 1: into baked goods by beating air into eggs or a 294 00:18:31,200 --> 00:18:33,840 Speaker 1: butter and sugar. Many cakes prior to this would have 295 00:18:33,880 --> 00:18:35,600 Speaker 1: been a denser than what we think of today, more 296 00:18:35,640 --> 00:18:37,560 Speaker 1: like a pound cake or fruit cake kind of situation. 297 00:18:38,040 --> 00:18:40,680 Speaker 1: And also this is when home kitchens started to have 298 00:18:41,000 --> 00:18:43,840 Speaker 1: ovens and the middle class was expanding all of this. 299 00:18:44,720 --> 00:18:48,200 Speaker 1: Ovens do help they do just cooking a cake on 300 00:18:48,240 --> 00:18:52,719 Speaker 1: an open fire. It's not fun. No, I can't imagine 301 00:18:52,760 --> 00:18:54,560 Speaker 1: it would be. And you don't have to take my 302 00:18:54,640 --> 00:18:57,359 Speaker 1: word for it. I was on a lovely tour at 303 00:18:57,359 --> 00:19:00,680 Speaker 1: the Atlanta Historical Society one time, and uh, and yeah, 304 00:19:00,680 --> 00:19:03,440 Speaker 1: the nice lady in their kitchen was baking a cake 305 00:19:03,480 --> 00:19:06,840 Speaker 1: from scratch and just I was just like, oh dude, 306 00:19:06,840 --> 00:19:11,560 Speaker 1: and she was like, I know I have enough trouble. 307 00:19:12,080 --> 00:19:15,560 Speaker 1: My oven is particular, but I have enough trouble with 308 00:19:15,600 --> 00:19:20,200 Speaker 1: an oven. So if we look at um more candle 309 00:19:20,560 --> 00:19:24,000 Speaker 1: traditions or beliefs in the South, the number of candles 310 00:19:24,160 --> 00:19:26,600 Speaker 1: left lit after you attempt to blow them out with 311 00:19:26,680 --> 00:19:29,960 Speaker 1: your first breath represents the number of years till you marry. 312 00:19:30,560 --> 00:19:39,640 Speaker 1: I assume if you're single. Oh twist or oh, you're right. Uh. 313 00:19:39,680 --> 00:19:42,879 Speaker 1: There's a recipe supposedly from Texas from one for a 314 00:19:42,920 --> 00:19:45,919 Speaker 1: little girl's birthday cake made from corn meal dust, honey, 315 00:19:46,200 --> 00:19:51,720 Speaker 1: a wild turkey egg, buttermilk, butter, and soda. Cornmeal dust. Yeah, 316 00:19:51,920 --> 00:19:55,919 Speaker 1: I don't use that too frequently in my The recipe 317 00:19:55,920 --> 00:19:59,119 Speaker 1: specifically called for, like if you take corn meal and 318 00:19:59,200 --> 00:20:01,840 Speaker 1: you put it in a sack and then you transfer 319 00:20:01,880 --> 00:20:03,879 Speaker 1: it to another sack, you like shake out the dust 320 00:20:03,920 --> 00:20:06,720 Speaker 1: remaining and keep doing that until you have like two 321 00:20:06,760 --> 00:20:09,840 Speaker 1: cups of corneal dust. That sounds like when I don't 322 00:20:09,880 --> 00:20:12,120 Speaker 1: have any cake flower. You know, you can make cakes, 323 00:20:13,040 --> 00:20:14,920 Speaker 1: you have to like sift it five times, and I 324 00:20:15,040 --> 00:20:17,240 Speaker 1: do it once and then I'm like, no, no more 325 00:20:17,600 --> 00:20:20,680 Speaker 1: that that's enough. That's better be cake flower. That's fine. 326 00:20:20,680 --> 00:20:23,000 Speaker 1: None of my bake does turn out exactly like I 327 00:20:23,040 --> 00:20:28,120 Speaker 1: want them to, can't imagine. Yeah, So, by the late 328 00:20:28,160 --> 00:20:31,840 Speaker 1: eighteen hundred's birthday cakes were fluffy, layered, filled, and frosted, 329 00:20:32,040 --> 00:20:34,879 Speaker 1: and many were decorated with writing like a many happy 330 00:20:34,920 --> 00:20:37,960 Speaker 1: returns of the day. Along with the birthday humans name. 331 00:20:38,640 --> 00:20:42,520 Speaker 1: In eight we get a little song called good Morning 332 00:20:42,560 --> 00:20:45,640 Speaker 1: to All, written by Patty Hill and Mildred J. Hill. 333 00:20:46,119 --> 00:20:48,800 Speaker 1: Its original purpose was sort of a pre class warm 334 00:20:48,880 --> 00:20:54,240 Speaker 1: up song. It quickly spread across the States. In one 335 00:20:54,480 --> 00:20:57,399 Speaker 1: Robert Coleman published a book including the song but with 336 00:20:57,440 --> 00:21:01,960 Speaker 1: different lyrics, Happy Birthday to You. The phrase happy Birthday 337 00:21:01,960 --> 00:21:04,800 Speaker 1: didn't start appearing written on cakes until after that song 338 00:21:04,840 --> 00:21:10,360 Speaker 1: became popular. Huh, and it's finally in the public domain, 339 00:21:10,480 --> 00:21:12,679 Speaker 1: it is. Yeah, we could sing it right now if 340 00:21:12,720 --> 00:21:16,560 Speaker 1: that wouldn't be super obnoxious. I was getting I was up. 341 00:21:17,320 --> 00:21:20,560 Speaker 1: Lauren shut me down. You can thank Lauren for that, listeners. 342 00:21:21,480 --> 00:21:24,680 Speaker 1: In nineteen o six, the science journal Nature published a 343 00:21:24,800 --> 00:21:28,760 Speaker 1: letter suggesting a superior way to cut round cakes, assuming 344 00:21:28,760 --> 00:21:31,080 Speaker 1: that there's going to be leftovers. He was talking about 345 00:21:31,119 --> 00:21:35,000 Speaker 1: Christmas cakes in particular, but I had to include this, okay. 346 00:21:35,200 --> 00:21:38,760 Speaker 1: So rather than taking wedges out, which leaves a large 347 00:21:38,800 --> 00:21:41,840 Speaker 1: surface area of the interior exposed to the elements to 348 00:21:41,920 --> 00:21:46,200 Speaker 1: drying out, the writer recommended essentially having the cake into 349 00:21:46,240 --> 00:21:49,119 Speaker 1: two semicircles and then taking a slice right from the center, 350 00:21:49,480 --> 00:21:50,920 Speaker 1: like all the way across the cake, like a big 351 00:21:50,960 --> 00:21:54,680 Speaker 1: rectangle right out of the center, like a cross section. Yeah, 352 00:21:54,760 --> 00:21:57,600 Speaker 1: and then to store it, you just push the semicircles 353 00:21:57,640 --> 00:22:02,240 Speaker 1: together and then you don't leave an edges to dry out. 354 00:22:03,840 --> 00:22:08,760 Speaker 1: That's cool, right, Wow, I'm gonna show that off. Next 355 00:22:08,800 --> 00:22:13,800 Speaker 1: time I have a cake for somebody, we have even 356 00:22:14,000 --> 00:22:16,679 Speaker 1: more cake history for you. But first we've got one 357 00:22:16,680 --> 00:22:27,159 Speaker 1: more quick break for a word from our sponsor, and 358 00:22:27,240 --> 00:22:30,520 Speaker 1: we're back. Thank you sponsor, Yes, thank you. But what 359 00:22:30,640 --> 00:22:35,840 Speaker 1: about bucks cake must cake mix? Yes, yes, well in 360 00:22:35,880 --> 00:22:39,160 Speaker 1: the United States, it really took off post World War Two, 361 00:22:39,640 --> 00:22:41,840 Speaker 1: but it was around in the nineteen thirties, thanks in 362 00:22:41,880 --> 00:22:46,640 Speaker 1: particular to a surplus of molassus. In December of nineteen thirty, 363 00:22:46,720 --> 00:22:49,439 Speaker 1: the company P. Duffin Sons applied for a patent for 364 00:22:49,680 --> 00:22:53,240 Speaker 1: an quote invention that relates to a dehydrated flower for 365 00:22:53,359 --> 00:22:56,040 Speaker 1: use in making pastry products and to a process of 366 00:22:56,080 --> 00:22:58,920 Speaker 1: making the same. They were really trying to make use 367 00:22:58,960 --> 00:23:01,159 Speaker 1: of molasses, and the was a way to dry it 368 00:23:01,200 --> 00:23:04,840 Speaker 1: out and add it to flour mix. The recipe called 369 00:23:04,880 --> 00:23:08,320 Speaker 1: for one hundred pounds of flour and one d pounds 370 00:23:08,320 --> 00:23:11,000 Speaker 1: of molasses for this this thing that they were patenting. 371 00:23:11,359 --> 00:23:12,840 Speaker 1: Um so it did not skip on any of this, 372 00:23:13,240 --> 00:23:15,920 Speaker 1: and from this the company got the idea to patent 373 00:23:16,119 --> 00:23:19,680 Speaker 1: this method when it came to cake and cake mixes. 374 00:23:20,320 --> 00:23:24,320 Speaker 1: From the patent quote in the ordinary preparation of pastry products, 375 00:23:24,440 --> 00:23:26,640 Speaker 1: there are a large and very number of ingredients which 376 00:23:26,720 --> 00:23:29,240 Speaker 1: must be used, which means keeping a complete stock of 377 00:23:29,280 --> 00:23:33,080 Speaker 1: materials on hand. This is not only expensive and inconvenient, 378 00:23:33,440 --> 00:23:37,720 Speaker 1: but necessitates careful measurements and mixing, and therefore the provision 379 00:23:37,840 --> 00:23:42,119 Speaker 1: of suitable apparatus. Therefore, in addition to the above, m 380 00:23:42,200 --> 00:23:46,840 Speaker 1: satisfactory results or failure occurred to frequently, which represents a 381 00:23:46,920 --> 00:23:51,119 Speaker 1: serious loss of time, of money, of materials, and of energy. 382 00:23:52,000 --> 00:23:55,840 Speaker 1: The plight of the cake maker. It's true, it is true, 383 00:23:56,119 --> 00:23:58,720 Speaker 1: no personal experience. I don't like it. M m m 384 00:23:58,840 --> 00:24:03,080 Speaker 1: m mmm. Deaf and Sons offered several flavors of boxed 385 00:24:03,200 --> 00:24:07,199 Speaker 1: baked mixes like fruitcake, nutbread, and brand muffin, along with 386 00:24:07,280 --> 00:24:10,520 Speaker 1: Devil's Food and Spice Cake. I set boxes, but you 387 00:24:10,520 --> 00:24:13,560 Speaker 1: actually bought these in a can one cents for fourteen 388 00:24:13,600 --> 00:24:17,840 Speaker 1: ounces in three They submitted another patent for a cake 389 00:24:17,920 --> 00:24:22,159 Speaker 1: mix that required the baker to add eggs. From Deaf quote, 390 00:24:22,440 --> 00:24:25,440 Speaker 1: the housewife and the purchasing public in general seemed to 391 00:24:25,480 --> 00:24:28,199 Speaker 1: prefer fresh eggs, and hence the use of dried or 392 00:24:28,200 --> 00:24:32,639 Speaker 1: powdered eggs is somewhat of a handicap from a psychological standpoint, 393 00:24:33,400 --> 00:24:35,479 Speaker 1: and the date here is important because it contradicts one 394 00:24:35,480 --> 00:24:39,639 Speaker 1: of the most important boxed cake myths that the fresh 395 00:24:39,680 --> 00:24:42,320 Speaker 1: eggs bit was in response to a focus group by 396 00:24:42,359 --> 00:24:46,520 Speaker 1: the man who coined the term Earnest Dictor, who found 397 00:24:46,640 --> 00:24:49,640 Speaker 1: through his survey that women wanted to feel more involved 398 00:24:49,680 --> 00:24:52,639 Speaker 1: in baking and thus wanted to add fresh eggs to 399 00:24:52,720 --> 00:24:55,879 Speaker 1: the mix, as opposed to using the powdered kind already 400 00:24:55,920 --> 00:24:59,760 Speaker 1: incorporated in the nineteen fifties. Dicter did consult with Betty Crocker, 401 00:25:00,040 --> 00:25:05,239 Speaker 1: but that was decades after the patent. Huh, maybe just 402 00:25:05,440 --> 00:25:09,479 Speaker 1: reinforced it. Yeah. While World War Two was going on, 403 00:25:09,560 --> 00:25:12,880 Speaker 1: flower companies were preparing for the wars end and preparing 404 00:25:12,920 --> 00:25:16,879 Speaker 1: to sell convenience, and by the end of the nineteen forties, 405 00:25:16,960 --> 00:25:20,560 Speaker 1: over companies had a box cake mix they were selling. 406 00:25:21,160 --> 00:25:25,000 Speaker 1: Of note, at first, Pillsbury used the just add water 407 00:25:25,160 --> 00:25:28,680 Speaker 1: method as opposed to competitors Duncan Hines and Betty Crocker. 408 00:25:29,040 --> 00:25:34,360 Speaker 1: Pillsbury eventually became a convert, though, to the fresh eggs yes. However, 409 00:25:34,520 --> 00:25:36,719 Speaker 1: in a funny look at human psychology, it turns out 410 00:25:36,760 --> 00:25:39,040 Speaker 1: people were more likely to say they'd buy mixes that 411 00:25:39,119 --> 00:25:41,600 Speaker 1: required you to buy eggs, but that they were actually 412 00:25:41,640 --> 00:25:44,480 Speaker 1: more likely to buy mixes that didn't require them to 413 00:25:44,520 --> 00:25:51,080 Speaker 1: do that. I find that very interesting humans. Either way, 414 00:25:51,119 --> 00:25:54,640 Speaker 1: Boxed cake sales saw a massive slump in the nineteen fifties, 415 00:25:54,920 --> 00:25:57,320 Speaker 1: putting many companies out of business, or at least they 416 00:25:57,359 --> 00:26:00,679 Speaker 1: got rid of that particular product. And this this is 417 00:26:00,720 --> 00:26:02,920 Speaker 1: one dictor, and a survey about women needing to feel 418 00:26:02,960 --> 00:26:05,600 Speaker 1: more important to the process by buying fresh eggs came 419 00:26:05,640 --> 00:26:11,040 Speaker 1: into play. But that might have helped. It's really the icing, 420 00:26:11,320 --> 00:26:13,680 Speaker 1: which is my least favorite part of cake, by the way, 421 00:26:14,000 --> 00:26:17,679 Speaker 1: that came to save cakes stay. This allowed for a 422 00:26:17,720 --> 00:26:22,959 Speaker 1: lot of creativity in cake decoration, prepackaged icing. Yes, yes, yes. 423 00:26:23,400 --> 00:26:25,920 Speaker 1: A survey conducted in the nineteen nineties um that found 424 00:26:25,920 --> 00:26:28,679 Speaker 1: while a majority of women that responded that they almost 425 00:26:28,720 --> 00:26:30,800 Speaker 1: always make a cake from scratch, what they actually meant 426 00:26:30,880 --> 00:26:35,320 Speaker 1: is that they make it using the box man. Yeah, fascinating. 427 00:26:35,440 --> 00:26:37,880 Speaker 1: I know, I know, I know. For a while, my 428 00:26:37,960 --> 00:26:41,159 Speaker 1: famous brownie recipe in high school was totally a Duncan 429 00:26:41,280 --> 00:26:44,679 Speaker 1: Hines boxed mixed and people would ask me for the 430 00:26:44,680 --> 00:26:46,919 Speaker 1: restaurant I'll be like, oh, you know, it's you know, 431 00:26:47,080 --> 00:26:48,359 Speaker 1: just a little bit of this, a little bit of that, 432 00:26:49,080 --> 00:26:53,879 Speaker 1: which wasn't a lie. But I think that kind of 433 00:26:53,960 --> 00:26:59,040 Speaker 1: reminds me of aspects and how like frosting comes in 434 00:26:59,280 --> 00:27:03,720 Speaker 1: and it gives you this thing where you can personalize it, 435 00:27:04,280 --> 00:27:10,120 Speaker 1: put more work into it. Yeah. Yeah. By Pillsbury had 436 00:27:10,160 --> 00:27:13,960 Speaker 1: ads for fun Betty flavored cake, So hello, Katie, that's 437 00:27:13,960 --> 00:27:16,879 Speaker 1: one of your favorite flavors. Twelve was the beginning of 438 00:27:16,880 --> 00:27:20,879 Speaker 1: the birthday flavor cake trend. And then in a study 439 00:27:20,880 --> 00:27:25,040 Speaker 1: published in Psychological Sciences found that when people perform rituals 440 00:27:25,119 --> 00:27:29,439 Speaker 1: before eating, it heightens anticipation and people report the food 441 00:27:29,520 --> 00:27:33,640 Speaker 1: than tasting better, like lighting candles and singing Happy Birthday 442 00:27:33,680 --> 00:27:38,359 Speaker 1: before eating cake. Yeah, I can totally see that. I 443 00:27:38,440 --> 00:27:41,280 Speaker 1: like a good a good ritual. Yeah yeah, it gets 444 00:27:41,280 --> 00:27:44,760 Speaker 1: you all excited. We sort of talked about that in 445 00:27:44,800 --> 00:27:51,000 Speaker 1: our Forever ago episode of Sugar Um. How it's you're 446 00:27:51,000 --> 00:27:55,199 Speaker 1: probably seeing excitement as opposed to like hyper hyperness caused 447 00:27:55,200 --> 00:27:58,120 Speaker 1: by sugar. Yeah, it's it's a little bit of both. 448 00:27:58,280 --> 00:28:02,800 Speaker 1: Yeah yeah, yeah, but you're excited. There's cakes, there's there's 449 00:28:02,840 --> 00:28:11,640 Speaker 1: probably favors. Well, back to that listener mail that we read, right, 450 00:28:12,400 --> 00:28:14,879 Speaker 1: I did look into it a little bit, um and 451 00:28:15,320 --> 00:28:18,360 Speaker 1: we have a couple more traditions from around the world. Briefly, 452 00:28:18,920 --> 00:28:21,440 Speaker 1: Um so yeah, we read this listener male about the 453 00:28:21,480 --> 00:28:26,320 Speaker 1: Danish tradition of kagaman humanoid shaped cake and after the 454 00:28:26,359 --> 00:28:29,520 Speaker 1: birthday song is sung, the birthday human then slits the 455 00:28:29,520 --> 00:28:32,760 Speaker 1: throat of the cake man with a knife while everyone 456 00:28:32,960 --> 00:28:37,680 Speaker 1: screams rat. You can look at pictures these cakes can 457 00:28:37,760 --> 00:28:42,800 Speaker 1: get pretty unsettling. I gotta say, um, And I was 458 00:28:42,800 --> 00:28:45,040 Speaker 1: saying off Mike that for me, a lot of these 459 00:28:45,200 --> 00:28:48,280 Speaker 1: birthday traditions have taken a turn for the horror because 460 00:28:48,320 --> 00:28:51,440 Speaker 1: I watched so many horror movies. Um, but please if 461 00:28:51,440 --> 00:28:56,600 Speaker 1: someone has like theo of this and please yes, Um yeah. 462 00:28:56,640 --> 00:28:58,760 Speaker 1: I was looking around and there's a lot of birthday 463 00:28:58,760 --> 00:29:02,520 Speaker 1: traditions that don't necessarily involved food. I tried to limit 464 00:29:02,560 --> 00:29:05,440 Speaker 1: it to the food ones. In Russia, the birthday kid 465 00:29:05,480 --> 00:29:08,800 Speaker 1: brings candy for their classmates for all their classmates on 466 00:29:08,840 --> 00:29:13,160 Speaker 1: the day of their birth. Chocolate cake is apparently traditional 467 00:29:13,160 --> 00:29:17,880 Speaker 1: in Norway. In Australia, I've seen buttered bread topped with 468 00:29:17,920 --> 00:29:25,440 Speaker 1: sprinkles called fairy bread, and that's a birthday thing, I believe. Yeah, okay, 469 00:29:26,080 --> 00:29:29,760 Speaker 1: and my favorite and I promise it will involve food 470 00:29:29,800 --> 00:29:33,120 Speaker 1: by the end um I read that in Switzerland, parents 471 00:29:33,120 --> 00:29:36,920 Speaker 1: will hire a clown to tease and torment the birthday 472 00:29:36,960 --> 00:29:40,080 Speaker 1: child for hours or even days leading up to the party, 473 00:29:40,520 --> 00:29:43,400 Speaker 1: culminating in the clown putting a pie in the kid's face. 474 00:29:44,640 --> 00:29:46,640 Speaker 1: They get an actual pie in the face, get an 475 00:29:46,680 --> 00:29:50,479 Speaker 1: actual pie in the face from a tormenting clown. And 476 00:29:50,600 --> 00:29:53,000 Speaker 1: yet is it Switzerland one of the happiest countries in 477 00:29:53,040 --> 00:29:57,720 Speaker 1: the world. That would mess me up. My my older 478 00:29:57,760 --> 00:30:03,360 Speaker 1: brother when I was four, he had a Batman themed party. 479 00:30:03,440 --> 00:30:05,600 Speaker 1: There's somebody there addressed as a joker, like a professional, 480 00:30:06,320 --> 00:30:08,080 Speaker 1: and I wasn't allowed to go to his birthday party 481 00:30:08,120 --> 00:30:10,040 Speaker 1: because you know, young sister, and he doesn't want to. 482 00:30:10,680 --> 00:30:15,960 Speaker 1: Of course, I went anyway, and there's I believe video 483 00:30:16,040 --> 00:30:19,320 Speaker 1: exists of the joker clown getting in my face and 484 00:30:19,400 --> 00:30:22,840 Speaker 1: laughing and say like, oh little girl, and I pushed 485 00:30:22,880 --> 00:30:31,239 Speaker 1: him into the pool. I was grounded. The laugh at 486 00:30:31,240 --> 00:30:37,160 Speaker 1: my face cloud. Yeah, that's amazing, he said, you were four, 487 00:30:38,160 --> 00:30:43,400 Speaker 1: that's so amazing. Oh my goodness. It's really funny too, 488 00:30:43,440 --> 00:30:48,000 Speaker 1: because in the video it looks as though I'm just 489 00:30:48,280 --> 00:30:51,040 Speaker 1: like not even listening because he was kind of to 490 00:30:51,120 --> 00:30:59,560 Speaker 1: the side, and I just suddenly struck out pushed him. Okay, Um, 491 00:30:59,600 --> 00:31:02,560 Speaker 1: I'm so glad that there's a video of this. Yeah, 492 00:31:02,800 --> 00:31:05,880 Speaker 1: but we need to find like a VHS player. Okay, 493 00:31:06,640 --> 00:31:09,840 Speaker 1: I'm working on it. Sorry, older brother. If you happen 494 00:31:09,920 --> 00:31:18,400 Speaker 1: to be listening, you were right. Not all of these 495 00:31:18,440 --> 00:31:21,080 Speaker 1: traditions are great. We would love to hear from any 496 00:31:21,200 --> 00:31:24,280 Speaker 1: listeners around the world if you have these kind of 497 00:31:24,280 --> 00:31:29,720 Speaker 1: birthday traditions. Yeah, yeah, anything involving clowns for sure, Cake, 498 00:31:29,760 --> 00:31:32,960 Speaker 1: the Evil or the better. Um, any particular traditions to 499 00:31:33,160 --> 00:31:36,200 Speaker 1: you and your family or yeah, just from your global 500 00:31:36,240 --> 00:31:39,920 Speaker 1: neck of the woods. Yes, and this about brings us 501 00:31:39,920 --> 00:31:48,880 Speaker 1: to the end of this episode and to listen. Yeah, yeah, 502 00:31:49,240 --> 00:31:51,960 Speaker 1: Chelsea wrote, while listening to you speak on the evolution 503 00:31:51,960 --> 00:31:54,120 Speaker 1: of the refrigerator, it reminded me of a food my 504 00:31:54,160 --> 00:31:57,200 Speaker 1: grandmother used to make when I was growing up, Tomato aspect. 505 00:31:57,480 --> 00:32:01,080 Speaker 1: I still remember my horrifying first taste this red jello. 506 00:32:01,200 --> 00:32:04,080 Speaker 1: Imposture was beyond my ability to comprehend in my mother later, 507 00:32:04,080 --> 00:32:06,840 Speaker 1: I do explain to me that my grandmother's day having 508 00:32:06,880 --> 00:32:10,520 Speaker 1: a dish like tomato aspect at parties demonstrated your financial status. 509 00:32:10,920 --> 00:32:12,960 Speaker 1: Of course, I've listened to your episode on aspects but 510 00:32:13,080 --> 00:32:15,840 Speaker 1: founded fun tie into the ice box and the eventual 511 00:32:15,920 --> 00:32:20,560 Speaker 1: refrigerator tomato aspect. Oh yeah, if you're not expecting it. 512 00:32:20,720 --> 00:32:24,720 Speaker 1: Who huh. That's got to be shocking. It does. Now 513 00:32:24,760 --> 00:32:30,080 Speaker 1: that would be a birthday pray. Oh oh man, you 514 00:32:30,080 --> 00:32:31,720 Speaker 1: could do that with like a red velvet cake. You 515 00:32:31,720 --> 00:32:34,760 Speaker 1: can make like a tomato cake. Oh my god, oh jeez. 516 00:32:34,960 --> 00:32:38,520 Speaker 1: Okay um Genevieve wrote, I was just catching up on 517 00:32:38,520 --> 00:32:41,200 Speaker 1: your Thanksgiving episode and I heard your call for input 518 00:32:41,240 --> 00:32:44,200 Speaker 1: on big holiday meals. In our house, it's Christmas rather 519 00:32:44,240 --> 00:32:46,760 Speaker 1: than Thanksgiving, for which we go all in. It ends 520 00:32:46,840 --> 00:32:50,120 Speaker 1: up being a multi day exercise in gastronomic revelry. We 521 00:32:50,200 --> 00:32:52,960 Speaker 1: begin by having ribs on Christmas adam as in the 522 00:32:53,040 --> 00:32:55,960 Speaker 1: day before Christmas Eve. Then we get to the main event, 523 00:32:56,160 --> 00:32:59,440 Speaker 1: the Christmas Eve smorgess board. I got this idea partly 524 00:32:59,480 --> 00:33:01,920 Speaker 1: from these near the end of Signs, when mel Gibson 525 00:33:01,920 --> 00:33:04,720 Speaker 1: tells his family to each pick whatever they want for dinner, 526 00:33:04,920 --> 00:33:07,000 Speaker 1: and partly from the fact that I was very pregnant 527 00:33:07,040 --> 00:33:11,080 Speaker 1: three Christmas Eves ago and thus was craving everything. What 528 00:33:11,200 --> 00:33:13,400 Speaker 1: happens is that I gather input from everyone who will 529 00:33:13,440 --> 00:33:15,520 Speaker 1: be in our house on Christmas Eve about what they'd 530 00:33:15,560 --> 00:33:17,600 Speaker 1: like to eat for dinner that night, no matter what 531 00:33:17,680 --> 00:33:20,080 Speaker 1: it is, and then I cook all of it, no 532 00:33:20,120 --> 00:33:22,920 Speaker 1: matter how and congruous the dishes they end up on 533 00:33:22,920 --> 00:33:25,960 Speaker 1: the table together. For example, this year, we had grilled 534 00:33:26,000 --> 00:33:30,280 Speaker 1: steak and vegetable skewers, shrimp, cocktail, beef ramen, billy cheese steakes, 535 00:33:30,320 --> 00:33:34,200 Speaker 1: stuffed peppers, and garlic parmesan chicken wings. It was a 536 00:33:34,240 --> 00:33:36,720 Speaker 1: million small bites of many different things that I like, 537 00:33:36,920 --> 00:33:39,520 Speaker 1: rather than one huge dish of one delicious thing, and 538 00:33:39,600 --> 00:33:43,520 Speaker 1: it was perfect. That sounds amazing. That does sound amazing. 539 00:33:43,640 --> 00:33:46,280 Speaker 1: Oh man, what an assortment to you. I love right 540 00:33:46,720 --> 00:33:51,080 Speaker 1: kind of get a peek into someone's current state of mind. 541 00:33:52,800 --> 00:33:55,880 Speaker 1: That's beautiful. Props to whoever ordered the ramen. I love 542 00:33:55,960 --> 00:34:01,880 Speaker 1: that I like the strip. Uh well, thanks to both 543 00:34:01,920 --> 00:34:04,480 Speaker 1: of them for writing in. If you would like to 544 00:34:04,480 --> 00:34:06,720 Speaker 1: write to us, you can Our email is hello at 545 00:34:06,720 --> 00:34:09,360 Speaker 1: the savor pod dot com, or also on social media. 546 00:34:09,560 --> 00:34:12,719 Speaker 1: You can find us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook at 547 00:34:12,960 --> 00:34:15,680 Speaker 1: sabor Pod. We hope to hear from you. Thank you 548 00:34:15,800 --> 00:34:18,560 Speaker 1: so much to our super producers, Dylan Fagin and Andrew Howard, 549 00:34:18,840 --> 00:34:20,400 Speaker 1: Thank you to you for listening, and we hope that 550 00:34:20,440 --> 00:34:29,040 Speaker 1: lots more good things are coming your way.