National Cold Cuts Day

Regardless of whether you call them cold cuts, lunch meat, deli meat, or sandwich meats, one thing is for certain: sliced meats have been around for thousands of years. Thanks to the Earl of Sandwich, sliced meats for sandwiches have been enjoyed by millions of people all over the world. No wonder there’s now a holiday that honors cold cuts. This holiday is known as National Cold Cuts Day, and it’s observed annually on March 3rd. To us, it sounds like a good reason for everyone to make themselves a Dagwood sandwich.

The History of Cold Cuts

National Cold Cuts Day is a complete mystery to us, but during the course of our research, we learned a great deal about the history of cold cuts. Even though sliced meats have been enjoyed for thousands of years, it wasn’t until about 2,000 years ago that the first cold cut was invented. This cold cut was Mortadella, and it was a popular meat that fed Roman soldiers. During the Middle Ages, thousands of people were involved in its production at almost 300 salumerie (food stores) across Bologna, Italy.

Even though Mortadella and other meats were eaten, they weren’t necessarily made into sandwiches. During the Middle Ages, most bread was served crusty and was used as plates for holding food. It wouldn’t be until the 17th century that the Earl of Sandwich would take two pieces of bread and stuff meat between them. At least, the Earl of Sandwich is the one who has received credit for it. In reality, people placing meats in some sort of wrap actually predates the 18th century.

Facts About Cold Cuts

Have you always wanted to know more about cold cuts but were afraid to ask or didn’t know where to look for the information? If that’s happened to you, then allow us to entertain and educate you with some of the interesting cold-cut facts that we’ve come up with during the course of our research.

  • Americans eat more than $2 billion worth of cold cuts every single year.
  • Pre-sliced cold cuts are usually less healthy than those sliced to order.
  • Bologna is a version of Mortadella that’s enjoyed in the United States.
  • Butterball processes approximately 15 million turkeys every year into cold cuts.
  • Carnegie Deli in New York City serves up 10,000 pounds of pastrami to customers every single week.
  • Bierwurst is a German Brühwurst sausage that originated from Bavaria and is sold as sandwich meat.
  • Most cold cuts are high in sodium and fat.

Observing National Cold Cuts Day

Head on over to your local deli or the deli counter at your local grocery store and pick up your favorite type of cold cuts. It doesn’t matter if you like ham, bologna, salami, turkey, chicken, or some other type of sliced lunch meat; just grab what suits your fancy. While you’re observing this holiday, be sure to use the hashtag #NationalColdCutsDay to tell other people to make their favorite sandwiches using the best lunch meat they have available.

When is it?
This year (2024)
March 3 Sunday
Next year (2025)
March 3 Monday
Last year (2023)
March 3 Friday
Topic
Food & Drinks