Dedicated to the Parisian dessert of ice cream or frozen custard layered with strawberries and whipped cream in a tall stemmed glass, this food holiday is observed July 25.

In French, parfait means “perfect.”

The use of strawberries in elegant French desserts was well established by the 1700s and the strawberry's association with luxury, refinement, and French culinary arts grew throughout the 18th century, but the modern French parfait — a frozen dessert made from sugar syrup, egg, and cream — did not appear in any known recipes until the late 19th century, around 1894.

This food holiday is observed in late June at a time when strawberries are plentiful and frozen desserts most popular.

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