National Pork Rind Appreciation Day is celebrated every year on the first Thursday in February. This year, it takes place on February 5.
Did you know that there are over 300 food holidays to celebrate each year? National food holidays are special days of the year to celebrate the special delicious foods and maybe awkward and odd ones, too — every year. If you’re a big fan of pork rinds, you should never miss the ‘Big Game’ and of course, this nostalgic crunchy snack on this day!
Celebrated on the same day as the Big Game, the biggest football day of the year, National Pork Rind Appreciation Day has become an annual event to celebrate how sports and snacks go together. Rudolph Foods, the world’s largest manufacturer of pork rinds and one of the world’s largest manufacturers of private and branded label snack products, started National Pork Rind Appreciation Day in 2011 and declared the day a national day. The day is celebrated on Super Bowl Sunday each year, the first Sunday in February, which is just apt since pork rinds are known to be a quirky and nostalgic game-day snack.
The Lima, Ohio-based Rudolph Foods began the annual food holiday as a way to celebrate with pork rind fans to cherish their favorite snack and foster family togetherness, fun, and tradition. In addition to starting the national food day, the food production giant also proposed to donate to charity organizations in return for online support of the day by their fans. Since then, the food company has raised funds for the Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund, a nonprofit organization committed to providing medical and financial assistance to retired National Football League (N.F.L.) players and their families. Teeming pork rind fans and consumers across the U.S. also supported Rudolph Foods’ proposal, including Ohio Governor John Kasich, who also issued a letter of support for the day in 2012.
What are pork rinds? Pork rinds are crispy chips produced from deep-fried pieces of pigskin. Pork rinds have recently become more popular because they are useful in paleo and ketogenic diet plans and can be included in many other delicious recipes!
