National Parchment Day Date in the current year: June 26, 2024

The term “parchment” originally referred to a writing material made from untanned animal skins. However, it has gained more meanings over time. For example, parchment paper, also known as vegetable parchment, baking paper, bakery paper or culinary parchment, is a cellulose-based material used in cooking and baking.

Parchment paper is made from cellulose that has been processed to give it non-stick properties and make it grease-, water- and heat-resistant. The most common method of making vegetable parchment is running sheets of paper pulp through sulfuric acid or zinc chloride. This process partially dissolves cellulose fibers and results in the final product having higher density and stability than regular paper.

Some brands of parchment paper are coated in silicone, which makes them even more heat-resistant and non-stick. The main benefit of silicone-coated parchment paper is that it is more durable than regular baking parchment and can be reused several times.

It should be noted that parchment paper is heat-resistant but not fireproof. You can use it for baking in the oven, but not in a toaster oven or broiler. You also shouldn’t expose parchment paper to direct flames or exceed the cooking temperature range recommended by the manufacturer.

Parchment paper should not be confused with waxed paper, which is made by coating paper in wax. Parchment paper can be used in most situations that call for waxed paper, but the reverse is not true. Waxed paper is less heat-resistant than parchment paper, so it is not recommended to use it for baking in the oven as it will smoke.

Due to its non-stickiness and resistance to heat, grease and humidity, parchment paper is widely used in baking and cooking. Probably the most common use for parchment paper is lining cookie sheets, baking dishes, cake pans and the like. It allows to use less grease and makes clean-up much easier. You also can use parchment paper to make a pastry bag, wrap sandwiches, cookies or individual candies, and line bread baskets.

Parchment paper is also used to cook dishes en papillote. En papillote is a cooking method that combines baking and steaming. The food is baked in a folded parcel or pouch made from parchment paper (or sometimes aluminum foil). The heat- and water-resistant parchment keeps moisture in, steaming the food and helping to make the dish juicier and more flavorful. This method is most often used to cook vegetables, fish, and some types of meat such as poultry and lamb.

National Parchment Day was launched in 2016 by PaperChef, an American manufacturer of parchment paper products. The main goal of the holiday is to educate the general audience on the benefits of culinary parchment and encourage people to use parchment in their kitchens. Of course, the best way to celebrate it is to cook something using parchment paper, be it a batch of chocolate chip cookies or chicken en papillote.