What is National Fig Newton Day?
On January 16th annually honors a delectable pastry enjoyed around the country.
Newtons, A Nabisco's trademarked fig roll, are a pastry filled with fig paste. Fig Newtons have an unusual and characteristic shape that has been adopted by several competitors, including generic fig bars.
Many physicians believed most illnesses were related to digestion disorders up until the 19th century. They suggested a daily intake of biscuits and fruit as a remedy. Fig rolls, a locally made handmade product, served as the ideal answer to their advice.
In 1891, Philadelphia baker and fig-lover Charles Roser invented and patented the device, which turned fig paste into a thick pastry dough. Roser's recipe was purchased by the Cambridgeport, MA-based Kennedy Biscuit Company, who later purchased Roser's recipe. After purchasing the recipe, they began mass production. They made the first Fig Newtons baked at the F. A. Kennedy Steam Bakery in 1891. Newton, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, The company named the pastries after the town of Newton, Massachusetts.
