Eat an Extra Dessert Day

Author JL Huffman
3 min readSep 4, 2023

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Dessert Plate

[Disclaimer: I am a Type II diabetic, so I hope my Primary Care doctor doesn’t see this blog post. LOL]

Desservir

The stem word for “dessert” is “desservir” [French], which means “to clear the table,” indicating that the table is cleared after the main meal and then dessert is served.

Dessert Definition

Since this holiday coincides with Labor Day this year, dessert will be an excellent culmination of your BBQ meal. If you miss your opportunity to consume more dessert today, October 14 will be National Dessert Day.

Snacking

Some people don’t limit their dessert intake to the end of a meal but like to indulge in a sweet (or salty) treat at other times of the day.

Ashure

Ashure, the oldest documented dessert in history, a sweet pudding consisting of grains, fresh/dried fruits, and nuts, is of Eastern Mediterranean origin.

Sugar Trade

Sugar trade spread from India (where usage was noted before 500 BC) over the next thousand years to China and Macedonia. Sugar arrived in Europe by the 12th century. Dessert took off after the development of food preservation and processing in the Industrial Revolution. Unfortunately, the sugar trade became entwined with the slave trade.

Sugar Rationing

World wars have had an impact on sugar availability. Rationing was imposed during WWII.

Sugar Alternatives

Today, we have broad access to sweets and even sugar alternatives for those who need to limit their glucose intake.

Dessert Choices

Do you have a favorite dessert: cake, pie, cookies, pastries, or ice cream? Will it (or all of the above) be on your plate today? And perhaps another serving later on to celebrate extra dessert day.

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Author JL Huffman

I’m a retired Trauma surgeon/ICU doctor, a world traveler and gardener. I’ve published in the surgical literature; now I’m writing poetry, memoir & fiction.