A Short History of Muffins
// October 26th, 2011 // No Comments » // Healthy Food
Muffins have become one of the most popular breakfast foods, sold in coffee shops and bakeries all over the United States and Canada and destined to go down in the history of baked goods. But when you bite into that healthy cranberry muffin, do you ever think about what muffins really are? Where they come from? What the history of muffins is?
Muffins as we think of them are a uniquely American invention. These small, round-topped baked treats first appeared in 19th century American cookbooks. Initially baked with coarse corn flour, these were much more healthy than the treats we tend to eat today, the white flour-based, sugar-heavy muffins. Even more ancient muffins, similar to what we call English muffins, were based on yeast and meal and served as healthy and hearty sources of early-morning or mid-afternoon carbohydrates. Chances are our 19th century ancestors wouldn’t recognize the muffins we eat today as their own.
As specialty coffee shops spread from coastal cities like Boston, New York, San Francisco and Seattle throughout the rest of the U.S. in the 1970s and 1980s, muffins spread with them. Compared with other options, like cream-laden Danish or thick pastries, muffins were a very healthy option for breakfast. As Americans became accustomed to the idea of stopping at a drive-thru for coffee and a quick breakfast on the way to work, the muffin became more popular. The history of muffins had come a long way from the bake-at-home recipes of nineteenth century cookbooks, and was now mass-produced and often loaded with preservatives. Sugary batters and creamy glazes made the muffin less than healthy, but better than the alternative.
In recent years, the history of the muffin has taken another step forward. Healthy muffin option are widely available today, including muffins made with corn or wheat flour, featuring dried fruits and nuts instead of chocolate, and free from heavy glazes or sugary toppings.
There have also been changes in size over the history of muffins. Initially, corn-based muffins were relatively small, more like a biscuit than the behemoths we eat today. As American appetites for sweet baked goods increased, the size of muffins did too. Although home-made muffins may be relatively small, confined to the store-bought muffin pan, commercially-baked muffins can be huge. Believing that people like the crispy top more than the stocky bottom, many bakers produce muffin tops rather than the entire muffin, resulting something like a scone.
As more people attempt to live a healthy lifestyle, many muffin makers are going back to healthier ingredients, including Marci’s Muffins in Hamilton, Ontario; muffins make with gluten free ingredients.
The next time you bite into a thick, airy and delicious muffin and take a sip of your morning coffee, think about the history of the muffin. It’s come a long way from the dry corn treats your great-great-great-grandmother might have made to the big, juicy, delicious baked good you know today. But before you put that double chocolate muffin to your lips, consider too how healthy the modern muffin is. Maybe a bran muffin, a corn muffin, or some other healthy alternative would be a better choice to start your day.
