Everyone has used 3×5 cards at some point. Unless you’re from Mars, you’ve likely used these familiar cards for a variety of purposes over the years.
Many people use them to create flashcards in school, to write notes at work, or simply as recipe cards at home. There’s literally no limit to what you can do with them.
Believe it or not, 3×5 recipe cards actually have a rather interesting history. This article takes a look where they came from and why they became so popular. Keep reading to learn the fascinating details.
The Romans
You might be surprised to learn that the history of recipe cards can be traced all the way back to Roman times.
Long ago, women began passing down recipes and cooking instructions to their daughters, granddaughters, and servant. This tradition increased in popularity as literacy began to spread over a period of hundreds of years.
The earliest recorded recipes were terse and simple and were intended to merely jog the memory rather than providing precise instructions.
The 20th Century
It wasn’t until the 20th century that women began to write down recipes as a way of building a library for themselves and others. This was mainly due to advances in scientific progress. The scientific revolution trickled down into the daily lives of American women, and they suddenly had a desire for greater precision in the kitchen.
As magazines became popular, they played a critical role in the proliferation of the recipe card. The publishers of these magazines were smart enough to recognize a great idea when they saw one and began printing recipes on the subscription cards they mailed to homes every six to eight weeks.
Women began collecting these cards, leading to the trend of storing them in wooden boxes.
As women collected the recipe cards, they would also write the recipes on their own cards as a way to share them with friends and family. This inspired paper companies to produce cards made from heavier stock, the ideal size and weight for them to last for years.
Modern Recipe Cards
The simple truth is that the art of cooking has become more popular than ever. After all, everyone has to eat. With the rise of the internet, people have greater access to amazing recipes and professional cooking instruction than women generations ago could have imagined possible.
And yet, even with all the technology that has become common to everyday life, recipe cards are still the preferred method for collecting recipes for most women. Some love to use blank cards, while others use recipe card template software to customize their recipe cards.
The Continued Popularity of 3×5 Recipe Cards
3×5 recipe cards have served women well for many decades. After all, they don’t require batteries and never expire.
They function just as well today as they did a hundred years ago. Some recipe cards might look a little fancier, and yet they still get the job done.
If you found this article informative, please be sure to check our website for plenty more great cooking tips and advice.