National Food Faces Day 2024: National Food Faces Day is celebrated annually on April 6. The day was created to honour Chef Rudi Sodamin’s work as a food-face artist, as well as his birthday, which occurs on the same date. Chef Sodamin, the Master Chef of the Holland America cruise line, came up with the idea of making food faces as a way to entertain his team. A number of years later, he published his coffee table book entitled “Food Faces,” in which he compiled the photographs he had taken of them. It featured over 150 illustrations of his edible characters, each of which was created from foods such as vegetables, fruit, meats, fish, grains, and sweets.
HISTORY OF NATIONAL FOOD FACES DAY
The Holland America Line was founded in 1873. It was founded in the Netherlands and operated as a Dutch shipping line from 1873 to 1989, transporting passengers, cargo, and cruise passengers between the Netherlands and North America. In 1895, Holland America Line offered its first vacation cruise, and in 1910, it offered its second vacation cruise, from New York to Palestine.
Holland America Line ceased transatlantic service in the late 1970s, following the expansion of transatlantic jet air travel, and was acquired by Carnival Corporation & plc in 1989, becoming an American-owned cruise line. Today, they have a fleet of ships that visit over 470 ports in 98 different countries.
Chef Sodamin has 35 years of experience in the food industry and is the Master Chef for Holland America Line. He began creating food faces for the Holland America Line in 2005 and has done so for several years. His artwork has been published and has received numerous social media ovations. In 2018, his book “Food Faces” was published.
Rudi’s Sel de Mer, the restaurant of Chef Sodamin, is located on two Holland America Line ships. At dinner onboard the cruise ships, guests can meet the food-faces characters and enjoy the chef’s whimsical creations served on special plate chargers. For a colourful evening, each one features a different character from the book.
NATIONAL FOOD FACES DAY ACTIVITIES
Create faces on your food
Create original characters. Utilize imagination in the kitchen!
Read “Food Portraits”
Read “Food Faces” or one of Chef Sodamin’s other books. It will be a great source of inspiration.
Organize a Food Faces Dinner Party.
Gather your friends for a Food Faces dinner party. Create your own food faces for each and every meal.
Five FACTS REGARDING THE CULINARY ARTS
France was the origin of fine dining
France was the birthplace of fine dining, which eventually spread to England and the United States.
Boston was home to the nation’s first cooking school.
In 1879, the first American cooking school opened in Boston.
In 1796, the first modern cookbook appeared.
Amelia Simmons’ “American Cookery” was the first known American cookbook.
Initially, cookbooks were written on clay tablets
The earliest cookbook was written on clay tablets and dates back to 1700 B.C.
Chopsticks were originally used for cooking.
Chopsticks were originally used for cooking, not eating.
NATIONAL FOOD FACES DAY DATES
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | April 6 | Thursday |
| 2024 | April 6 | Saturday |
| 2025 | April 6 | Sunday |
| 2026 | April 6 | Monday |
| 2027 | April 6 | Tuesday |
