National Lobster Newburg Day is a holiday observed on March 25th that honors a dish first prepared over 145 years ago. For those of you who aren’t familiar with this dish, it’s made from a combination of lobster, egg yolks, heavy cream, butter, dry Madeira or sherry, cayenne pepper, and nutmeg.

It’s a luxurious, rich, and delicious dish that most people will enjoy on this holiday. So, get ready to celebrate by buying the ingredients needed to make it and then learning the recipe. This is a dish that people can make their own and still delight their friends and family members with it.

The History of Lobster Newburg

According to the most popular legend about this dish, it was first invented when Ben Wenburg—a sea captain in the fruit trade—introduced this dish to Delmonico’s Restaurant in New York City. It was supposedly a popular food among sailors. It’s said that the chef of Delmonico’s at the time, Charles Ranhofer, then made a few refinements to the recipe and added it to the menu as Lobster à la Wenberg in 1876. It became an immediate hit.

The legend continues to say that there was eventually a fallout between Wenburg and Delmonico, which resulted in the dish being removed from the menu. However, patrons still wanted the dish, so the restaurant had to add it back to the menu. They just renamed it Lobster Newburg—an anagram of Wenburg.

Of course, as is usually the case with most legends, historians have debunked this legend. Culinary historians say that it was simply lobster added to a French-inspired sauce that was already popular during the 1870s. And that early mentions of this dish say nothing about it being invented by Wenburg or that it was even named Lobster Wenburg in the first place.

Observing National Lobster Newburg Day

Gather up your cooking utensils, make sure that your pantry is stocked with lobster and sherry, and then take the time to observe this holiday by making some Lobster Newburg.