MDBCs 29 Dec 2023

December 29 is Pepper Pot Day, an unofficial holiday that honors the stew famously associated with George Washington's army during the American Revolution.

Made of tripe, vegetables and pepper, pepper pot soup, also sometimes known as Philadelphia pepper pot, has for long been the subject of many American revolution legends. Rumor has it that the soup was responsible for helping George Washington's army win the American Revolution. During the war, many farmers chose to sell food to the British. This created a shortage of food for the Continental Army. The cooks in the army cooked whatever they could find their hand on in a stew and saved the day by feeding soldiers pepper pot.

Different Versions

Versions of the stew can be found in Guyana and other Caribbean countries, where it is reserved for special ocassions like weddings and holidays. The Caribbean version of the stew does not use tripe, and has hot peppers as one its main ingredients.

It is thought that the Philadelphia pepper pot may have been inspired in many ways by the cuisine of Caribbean slaves and immigrants in America.

How to Celebrate?

Make a big pot of pepper pot stew at home and invite your friends and family to enjoy it with you.

Did You Know…

… that tripe usually comes from 3 of the 4 chambers of a cow's stomach?

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On a fishing trip to a remote lake in Northern Quebec, I asked the outfitter, “Do you stay here during the winter?”

“No,” he said. “The snow gets too deep. We can’t get supplies in. Like many Canadians, I go south for the winter.”

“Oh,” I said. “Where do you go?”

“Vermont.”

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Concerned about what will happen to cities if the polar ice caps melt? Don't be. New names have already been chosen.

Atlantis City, New Jersey

Pariscope, France

Sail 'Em, Massachusetts

Floodelphia, Pennsylvania

Helsunki, Finland

Sao Marco ... Paulo, Brazil

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According to a news story, if global warming continues, in 20 years the only chance we'll have to see a polar bear is in a zoo. So in other words, nothing is going to change.

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