One of the earliest recipes for familiar ‘English muffins’ is in De Witt’s Connecticut Cook Book (1871).
Muffins were part of English culinary traditions brought to America by English immigrants one of whom was Samuel Bath Thomas (1855-1919), who in 1880 opened a bakery called the Muffin House in New York.
Thomas came to New York from Plymouth, England and his bakery located at 163 Ninth Avenue.
English muffins were sold at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893, and this created some interest in the product. To capitalize on this interest, Thomas formed the S.B Thomas Company which began manufacturing English muffins. Thomas’s English Muffins and similar products are commonly sold in grocery stores and delicatessens.
In 1970s, Thomas’s trademark that its English muffins have ‘nooks and crannies’ to hold melted butter.
Three states in the United States of America have adopted official muffins. Minnesota has adopted the blueberry muffin as the official state muffin.
Massachusetts in 1986 adopted the Corn Muffin as the official state muffin. Then in 1987 New York took on the Apple Muffin as its official muffin of choice.
In 1973, McDonald launched the Egg McMuffin. Other fast food chains were soon to add their own muffin products. Subway offered its Western Egg White & Cheese Muffin Melt to the Menu.
History of muffin in America
