When: April 14
There are two National Pecan Days — March 25 and April 14. Both celebrate the same nut with the same origins and traditions. Double the reason to toast some pecans.
The second Pecan Day of the year — because apparently once wasn't enough for America's only native tree nut.
The pecan (Carya illinoinensis) is native to the Mississippi River valley and surrounding regions of central and southern North America. It was a critical food source for multiple Indigenous nations — the Caddo, Comanche, and other groups harvested wild pecans annually. The word "pecan" comes from the Algonquin word "pacane," meaning a nut that requires a stone to crack. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson both grew pecan trees. Washington planted them at Mount Vernon (received from Jefferson), and Jefferson maintained a pecan grove at Monticello. Antoine, an enslaved man at Oak Alley Plantation in Louisiana, is credited with developing the first grafting technique for pecan trees in 1846 — creating the first improved pecan variety. He grafted 126 trees; 16 survived and became the basis of the modern commercial pecan industry. His contribution went unacknowledged for over a century. Pecans have the highest fat content of any nut (~72% fat by weight), which is why they go rancid...