Paired with #NationalFrenchFryDay, Observance Showcases Authentic, Traditional Animal Fat for Maximum Flavor
Back for a second helping, the Healthy Fats Coalition (HFC) is marking today, July 13, as the second annual #NationalBeefTallowDay — a celebration of beef fat, an authentic, traditional ingredient that brings out the very best in food. Like pure lard, duck fat, goose fat and other animal fats, beef tallow is now enjoying a resurgence within America’s food culture, in restaurants and fast casual operations.
#NationalBeefTallowDay, which shares the calendar with #NationalFrenchFryDay, is the brainchild of the HFC, a group of like-minded organizations, companies and individuals that have developed an educational initiative dedicated to the proposition that healthy fats aren’t merely having a moment – they’re here to stay, as an essential part of the food we most enjoy. The HFC’s mission is simple: affirm that animal fats like beef tallow deserve a central place in the American diet and in the popular imagination.
#NationalFrenchFryDay, doubling up with #NationalBeefTallowDay, is a delicious opportunity for those who love French fries fried right to go back to the future. As food writer Nancy Luna has mused in Nation’s Restaurant News, “Are French fries the new fast-food battleground? Fries have long been a staple on quick-service menus. But recently, the humble fried potato is undergoing a renaissance, with chains serving fries with a fancy twist.” A certain burger chain made its name in part through its beef tallow fries. And as writer/social critic/food lover Malcolm Gladwell has tweeted, https://twitter.com/gladwell/status/903273630070657024?lang=en.
“Fat is the soul of flavor,” wrote Nina Teicholz in her groundbreaking book, Big Fat Surprise (Simon & Schuster, 2014). “Food is tasteless and cooking nearly impossible without fat. Fat is essential in the kitchen to produce crispness and to thicken sauces. It is crucial in conveying flavors. It makes baked goods flaky, moist, and light. And fat has many other essential functions in cooking and baking.”
“We wholeheartedly agree with Nina — healthy animal fats are on trend for flavor, wellness and sustainability,” said Eric R. Gustafson, CEO, Coast Packing Company, a founding member of the HFC. “Artificial trans fats are out, and minimally processed animal fats like beef tallow — for superior frying and a host of other cooking applications – are making a comeback. The color, texture and flavor that beef tallow imparts make it a vastly superior alternative to heavily processed, industrially produced substitutes. More and more consumers are seeking out food that is made with integrity and respect for culinary traditions. Trans-fat free animal fats are a big part of authenticity in cooking, which is why we’re so delighted to celebrate #NationalBeefTallowDay.”
For more information on National Healthy Fats Day, email info@healthyfatscoalition.org.