Throughout our lives we often develop ties between particular events and certain foods and drinks. This could be a meal made for special days like birthdays or the holidays or it could be something you eat each time you visit a particular place. For some people, the connection between food and memories might be the smell of warm cookies as you arrived home from school or the scent of a fruit pie coming from the oven before a holiday meal. When it comes to classic food memories, one of the most iconic may be the combination of hot dogs, popcorn and Crackerjacks enjoyed at a baseball game.

Take me out to the Ballgame

Even the most casual baseball fan can get behind the idea of enjoying a game at the ballpark or in front of the TV while consuming the trifecta of baseball foods. As with most iconic things, there are more than few stories related to how these foods came to be such an integral part of the baseball experience. So with that in mind, let’s take a food-centric trip down memory lane.

Hot Dogs – At an estimated annual consumption of 20 billion, the hot dog is regularly enjoyed throughout the year. Consumption of the portable dog peaks in the summer months from Memorial Day to Labor Day at 7 billion dogs, according to History.com. Depending on who you believe, the origin of the hot dog could date back all the way to 64 A.D. during the reign of Emperor Nero Claudius Caesar. Historians credit immigrants with bringing the non-bun dog to America in the early 19th century. The later joining of the dog and bun have potential origins in St. Louis and/or Brooklyn’s Coney Island, depending on your hot dog historian source.

Crackerjacks – During the 7th inning stretch of every baseball game is a rendition of the 1908 Take Me Out to the Ballgame song. As we sway and sing to the iconic tune, we’re reminded how much Crackerjacks are an integral part of the baseball culture. Created in 1893 for the Chicago World Fair, Crackerjacks were the invention of Frederick and Louis Rueckheim. The Rueckheim’s looked to give popcorn a new twist with the addition of molasses and peanuts. In the vernacular of the day, a crackerjack was something today we might call awesome or great.

Popcorn – According to one source, we can thank the Native Americans for the tasty tradition of popping corn. Other historical perspectives show popcorn as an integral part of Aztec Indian ceremonies as a way of honoring the gods. No matter the historical truth, we can all agree that it’s a welcome addition to any night of TV snacking.

Today the traditions of baseball, food and culture remain an important part of the fun and memory making of watching a baseball game. At SeniorCare homes, we are happy to continue this important cultural phenomenon by enjoying hot dogs, popcorn and Crackerjacks among friends when we gather at the SeniorCare Memory Homes watch the Royals tackle the post-season run.

SeniorCare Homes in Overland Park and Leawood, Kansas, offer the most comfortable and stable assisted living environment to seniors with dementia, memory loss, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Phone (913) 236-0036 to learn more about neighborhood living for the memory impaired.