TEXAS TASTE
Not everyone is fortunate enough to have been born in Texas, but many who arrive in the state quickly learn, and refuse to live without the wonderful and famous tastes that originated here.
BLUE BELL ICE CREAM
Blue Bell ice cream started on a hot summer day in 1907.
Local businessmen in Brenham, Texas, founded the Brenham Creamery Company to make butter from excess cream brought in by area farmers. A few years later, they began making ice cream and delivering it to neighbors by horse and wagon. In 1930, the company changed its name to Blue Bell Creameries after the native Texas bluebell wildflower. They continued to make butter until 1958 when Blue Bell began to focus full time on making ice cream.
Texans got to keep Blue Bell to themselves until the 1980s, when they company began selling outside the state for the first time. It is now sold in 22 states and is well-known for being some of the best ice cream in the country.
WHATABURGER
It’s not just any restaurant that can be lawfully declared a “Texas Treasure.” But, in 2001, during the 77th Texas Legislative Session, a bill was passed proclaiming Whataburger just that. Never to be confused with the What-A-Burger chain in Virginia, the Texas company was founded in 1950 by Harmon Dobson and Paul Burton, who wished to “make a better burger when you took a bite you would say, ‘What a burger!’” Dobson’s goal was to make a burger so big it needed two hands, so he commissioned a bakery in Corpus Christi to custom make five-inch hamburger buns. When the bakery reported their pans were too small, he commissioned a manufacturer to create new pans to get it done.
Dobson certainly had success in his DNA; when he wasn’t busy drilling for oil or working as a diamond courier, he was relaxing as an airplane pilot. It was his idea to paint the restaurants orange and white, so he would be able to identify them from the air.
A 2015 poll from Fastcompany determined Whataburger is not only the best burger in Texas; it’s also the best in America. No Texans were surprised by this fact. You’re welcome, America.
DR PEPPER
Dr Pepper was created in 1885 by Charles Alderton, a pharmacist worked in a drugstore in Waco. He liked mixing flavors at the fountain and wasn’t satisfied with the standard fruity mixes. The drink was originally called “The Waco” but legend has it that Charles named it “Dr. Pepper” after the father of a young girl he was once in love with. Although the original “Pepper” may have been a physician, the company dropped the period from the Dr in the 1950s as part of a redesign of the corporate logo; some say it was easier to read.
Like Coca-Cola, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and Bush’s Baked Beans, the formula for Dr Pepper’s blend of 23 flavors is a closely guarded secret, although the company has admitted “prunes” are not one of those flavors.
The drink was only available regionally for many years, mostly due to so many bottlers having been locked into agreements with Coke and Pepsi. But, in 1963, a federal court decided the unique flavor was not a “cola”, so companies all over the nation were able to produce and sell one or more of the big three drinks together.
It is also one of few soft drinks that have a “hot” recipe for winter enjoyment… Heat Dr Pepper in a saucepan to 180°, place a thin slice of lemon in the bottom of a coffee mug or insulated cup, and pour the heated Dr Pepper over the lemon.
SHIPLEY DO-NUTS
In 1936, Lawrence Shipley, Sr. created a recipe for gourmet Do-nuts. He cut the dough by hand and served his donuts hot all day out of his bakery in Houston. At first, his treats were sold wholesale for 5¢ a dozen, but within ten years, he was personally delivering his 60 varieties to retail markets. Shipley’s evolved into a solid family business; his wife and son managed the bakery and continued to serve up hot donuts while he was on the road. Today they have more than 300 stores in ten states. So, while Krispy Kreme (1937) may think they have the market cornered on hot-in-store donuts, our Texas pioneers beat them to it by a year.