Tapioca Pudding Day

Tapioca pudding. Ivabalk / Pixabay.com / 2018 / CC0 1.0

The 15th of July is Tapioca Pudding Day.

Tapioca pudding is something that people love or hate.

Some people go into convulsions just thinking of the slippery texture.

And it’s true, it can be a horror when done badly. Many a person still has nightmares of school cafeteria tapioca pudding, especially when a fellow classmate put the idea in their head that it looked like the tadpole eggs they’d just been poking at in science class.

Others love the custardy taste of tapioca pudding, especially if it is nicely sweetened and spiced.

If you’re a fan, do you prefer your tapioca pudding warm or chilled, or does it depend on the time of year?

P.S. there’s also a Tapioca Day on the 28th of June, and no, we have no idea why there are two similar days so close to each other.

#TapiocaPuddingDay

Activities for today

Make some from scratch or a mix;
try using coconut milk instead of regular milk;
try some in a snack pack;
order some for dessert at a restaurant.

If you are thinking of making some tapioca pudding for today, remember that if you use regular tapioca, you must soak it overnight first. Minute tapioca and instant tapioca are better for spur of the moment cooking decisions as they don’t require that kind of life planning that so many struggle with.

History

The first print reference to a Tapioca Pudding Day in July in print media that CooksInfo is aware of dates from 2000 in Texas:

“Did you know that July is Anti Boredom Month?.. But did you know there are several other holidays that are observed in July? … there’s Tom Sawyer Fence-Painting Day, Workaholics Day, National Fried Chicken Day, National Cheer Up The Lonely Day, National Tapioca Pudding Day, and International Juggling Day… I’ve got an idea for a holiday. How about the Eliminate Dumb Holidays Day?” — DuBusk, Leland. My Turn. Granbury, Texas: Hood County News. Saturday, 8 July 2000. Page 4A, col. 1.

That 2000 reference doesn’t mention a date, though. The first reference that CooksInfo is aware of to an actual date for the day in July occurred in 2001 in the San Francisco Examiner:

“National Tapioca Pudding Day, July 12.” — Some dietary guidelines for July — Enjoy! San Francisco, California: The San Francisco Examiner. 4 July 2001. Page C6, col 1.

Sources

Jacobs, Jen. It’s National Tapioca Pudding Day. St. Cloud, Minnesota: WWJOFM 98.1 Radio. 15 July 2014. Accessed June 2021 at http://minnesotasnewcountry.com/its-national-tapioca-pudding-day/

Nongrum, Dianne. National Tapioca Pudding Day 2020: What This Day is All About And How You Can Make it at Home. India.com. 15 July 2020. Accessed June 2021 at https://www.india.com/festivals-events/national-tapioca-pudding-day-2020-what-this-day-is-all-about-and-how-you-can-make-it-at-home-4086004/

Today is National Tapioca Pudding Day. Swarthmore, PA: Delaware County News Network. 15 July 2015. Accessed June 2021 at http://www.delconewsnetwork.com/lifestyle/today-is-national-tapioca-pudding-day/article_2816d63d-0a31-5e1b-a55a-b0cbc38ffe52.html

Yeager, Jeff. Money-Saving Recipe: Tapioca Pudding. American Association of Retired Persons. 9 July 2012. Accessed June 2021 at https://blog.aarp.org/2012/07/09/money-saving-recipe-try-tapioca-pudding/