Anyone who loves macaroni in all its forms is probably going to want to observe National Macaroni Day. This holiday falls on July 7th every year and celebrates not only the most popular incarnation of this pasta, macaroni and cheese, but also all its forms.

That includes Chili Mac, Macaroni Salad, and Macaroni with Hamburger. So, serve up this dish any way you want and sit back and enjoy this tasty holiday. No matter whether you celebrate this holiday or not, there is one undisputed fact: mac and cheese is a comfort food that millions of people enjoy regularly.

The History of Macaroni

We searched high and low to find the origins of National Macaroni Day and we couldn’t find out when it was created or who created it. That’s when we decided to turn our attention to finding out when macaroni was invented.

And while the history of macaroni isn’t as clear as we would have liked, scientists at least have a basic idea of when it was invented and where it originated. It’s believed that the word macaroni goes back to the ancient Greeks—although the word wasn’t used to describe an elbow-shaped pasta.

It was instead the name for pasta made out of barley flour and made into a soup-like dish. This word originated from Macaria—a goddess who was the daughter of Hades and whose name literally translates to “blessed.” By the way, Macaria was also the name of the daughter of Heracles, but these two mythological figures aren’t related.

During the 14th century, an anonymous cook from Naples recorded a recipe for “De Lasanis” in the cookbook Liber de Coquina. This dish features pasta cut into 5cm squares and then sprinkled with grated cheese. It is believed that this is the first time that cheese and pasta appeared together in print.

In 1861, a recipe appeared in Mrs. Beeton’s Book of Household Management that was for cheese macaroni. This recipe used pipe-shaped noodles, toasted breadcrumbs, and Cheshire cheese to make something that the book calls a favorite food of Italy.

The real advancement in macaroni and cheese, however, would happen 76 years after Mrs. Beeton’s book when Kraft invented the boxed version of their now-famous mac and cheese. Since it was the height of the Great Depression, this product was widely sold and eventually became known around the world.

Observing National Macaroni Day

Observing this holiday is as easy as making up your favorite macaroni and cheese recipe. Consumers can literally find hundreds of different mac and cheese recipes online, so it’s just a matter of trying out the recipes that you think you’ll enjoy and then making them.

While you’re serving up some of the best macaroni and cheese recipes out there, take a few moments and use the hashtag #NationalMacaroniDay on your social media accounts.