The next time you make a box lunch and delicately place that chocolate brownie in it, just note you are doing exactly what the brownie was designed for.

It all started in 1893 at the Palmer House Hotel in Chicago, Illinois. Mrs. Palmer, the wife of the owner and proprietor of the hotel, was hosting a women’s’ luncheon for the World Columbian Exposition, and needed a dessert for a meal that was to be served in a box. She challenged her pastry team to come up with a dessert that was easier to eat than a piece of pie, and smaller than a piece of cake. The result was a small double-chocolate square filled with walnuts and glazed with apricot jam. The dessert is still available at the hotel up to this day.

It is good to see that we are keeping up a tradition that we may have not even known existed!

Questions?

If you have any questions about this article or flight crew culinary training, contact me at rpeterson@airculinaire.com. For questions about in-flight catering, contact weborders@airculinaire.com.