National Mousse Day is a holiday observed on the 30th of November annually. The purpose of this holiday is to celebrate and enjoy one of mankind’s greatest desserts: mousse. Mousse is a dessert made from whipped egg whites and/or cream, and its name means “foam” in French.

It’s a light and airy dessert that can be made into a thousand different flavors, from lemon to chocolate and everything in between. That makes this day one of the sweetest holidays of the year and one that many people are going to want to celebrate.

The Rich History of Chocolate Mousse

During the mid-18th century, a variety of desserts were invented that consisted of whipped cream being added to chocolate, fruits, coffee, and liqueurs. These were often given names such as crème mousseuse or crème en mousse in France.

However, it wouldn’t be until the 19th century that these ideas were put together to create the modern chocolate mousse. Bohemian artist Toulouse-Lautrec was not only a talented Art Nouveau illustrator, lithographer, and Post-Impressionist painter, but he was also a very talented cook.

He created several signature dishes—some of which were adapted from previous dishes and others that were original creations by him. And one of the dishes that he invented was the modern chocolate mousse, or so the story goes. He called it mayonnaise de chocolat.

Of course, the fact that Toulouse-Lautrec invented chocolate mousse has been disputed over the last few years. That’s because his mayonnaise de chocolat appears to be a variation of recipes that were already in French cookbooks at the time. That means that he didn’t invent chocolate mousse but merely made a few changes to it.

Sweet Facts About Mousse

Now that we’ve cleared up the history of chocolate mousse a little bit, let’s address some other common misconceptions about this dessert. We feel strongly that the best way to do that is to list some of the facts that we’ve learned about this dessert during our research.

• Air bubbles are what give mousse its soft, light, and airy texture.
• Mousse can be very light, or it can be very thick. It all depends on the preparation.
• Mousse can also be either sweet or savory.
• Mousse can be chilled before serving to make it a bit denser.
• One of the first mousse recipes printed in the U.S. was in 1892.

Observing National Mousse Day

Anyone wishing to observe National Mousse Day can do so by enjoying the mousse of their choice. And when it comes to these desserts, you have a lot of options available. There are chocolate, raspberry, white chocolate, frozen margarita, pumpkin, orange chocolate, mint chocolate, and butterscotch mousses being made nowadays.

There are also vegan mousses available for those who want them. While you’re enjoying your favorite mousse, be sure to use the hashtag #NationalMousseDay on your social media accounts to spread the word about this sweet, rich holiday.