Allie Wenskoski, Sophomore
Nabisco trademarked the delicious treat that is a fig roll, or a pastry that is filled with a sweet fig paste. Today, January 16, is National Fig Newton Day! The National Day is all about celebrating the sweet treat and its history.
The Fig Newton, was actually created for dietary purposes. Before the late nineteenth century, doctors believed that digestion problems could be cured by eating biscuits and fruit. Fig rolls became an easy solution, as it combined the two. The product was first produced in Philadelphia by baker Charles Roser. He also patented a machine that inserted fig paste into dough. The Kentucky Biscuit Company purchased Roser’s recipe and started to mass produce the product. The Fig Newton was then named after Newton, Massachusetts, where the company was located. Later, the Kentucky Biscuit Company joined together with the New York Biscuit Company to form Nabisco, where the fig rolls were trademarked as Fig Newtons. 📷
There are also many varieties of Fig Newtons. The original is the most popular, but there is also an apple cinnamon, strawberry, raspberry, and mixed berry. Fig Newtons are Nabisco’s third best selling product. In 2018, over 700 million bars were sold. Nabisco’s bakery in Chicago is the largest bakery in the world, that produces 320 pounds of snacks a year. Though the recipe of the Fig Newton is a secret, many believe that the snack consists of dried figs, apple sauce, orange juice, and orange zest. The product was developed even more when James Mitchell invented a machine that allowed for a whole to be carved out of dough in order for the paste to be inserted. This revolutionized production time.
So the next time you are eating a delicious Fig Newton, remember that the fun snack has a fun history as well!
Comments