The 2025 Kentucky Derby will be held Saturday, May 3 at Churchill Downs in Louisville Kentucky. The Kentucky Derby is known not only for its horse race, but also for its traditional food offerings. The annual event draws people from all over the world who come to watch the horses and indulge in some Southern cuisine over the weekend.
The Kentucky Derby is a rain or shine event with a large number of seats outdoors and uncovered. Reserved seating for the 2025 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs started at $705, while general admission and standing-room-only tickets started at $160.
The Kentucky Derby is an event rooted in tradition. From the roses to the mint juleps, every tradition has a story to it. The derby holds history dating back to 1875 when the first Kentucky Derby took place. The Kentucky Derby is also known as the “Run for the Roses.”
“The Run for the Roses” originates from the garland of roses that is presented to the winner of the Kentucky Derby. The first instance of this was in 1896, when the derby winner, Ben Brush, was presented a beautiful arrangement of pink and white roses. In 1904, the red rose became the official flower of the derby. In 1932, the garland, as it is known today, made its first appearance to derby winner Burgoo King. Since then, the beautiful garland of 400 roses has been presented to the derby winner.
The tradition of Kentucky Derby hats dates back to the very first Kentucky Derby in 1875. The derby’s founder knew the race track had a reputation as an immoral place. He wanted to shift this reputation to more of the high-class status that European race tracks held. He spread the word to the wealthy to add a bit of elegant flair to the event.
Back then, southern belles and the wealthy wore hats to proper events like church, day parties, and more. Sure enough, the wealthy came to the derby and transformed the track’s reputation, making it an elegant event. In the 1960s, as fashion norms loosened, women began to wear more extravagant hats in order to stand out. As for men, they often wore formal hats that were in style at the time. For example, in the early 20th century, many men chose to sport a straw boater hat. Another common look for men was the Panama fedora, which was popularized in the mid-19th century.
Mint juleps are synonymous with the Derby and have been the traditional drink at the track since the 1930s. A Mint Julep cocktail is a beverage made using sugar, bourbon, and mint leaves.
The Hot Brown is another traditional food offering at the Kentucky Derby. Created in 1920 at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, this open-faced sandwich is comfort food is considered one of the favorite foods of the Kentucky Derby. Hot Browns are served warm. Two slices of toasted bread layered with turkey and bacon are topped with Mornay sauce and tomato. Mornay is a sinfully savory cheese sauce that has an elevated cheddar flavor. In many cases, it’s made with onion, a bay leaf, Gruyère, and parmesan cheese.
One of the most iconic traditional foods associated with the Kentucky Derby is the Derby Pie. This delicious dessert was created in 1950 by Walter and Leaudra Kern, the owners of the Melrose Inn in Prospect, Kentucky. Initially, it was called “Kern’s Derby Pie,” but after several legal battles, the name was officially changed to “Derby-Pie” in 1968. The official recipe for Derby Pie is a closely guarded secret, but it is known to contain a mixture of chocolate chips, walnuts, and a filling made of eggs, butter, and sugar. The pie is baked in a traditional pie crust and typically served warm, with a dollop of whipped cream.
If a rich hearty stew of meat and vegetables is on your dinner menu to serve guests for the Kentucky Derby, then you are most likely making Burgoo. It may sound like a funny name for a meal. However, historians believe it began being called Burgoo as an accident. Made from chicken or other inexpensive bird meat, it’s thought the dish went from being called ‘Bird Stew’ to Burgoo over the years. The stew dates back to the 19th century. It was initially meant to be a mixture of leftover ingredients in the pantry or refrigerator. Think meat proteins and vegetables like carrots, onions, and peppers.
This week’s recipe is for another Kentucky favorite, Benedictine Spread. Benedictine Spread gets its name from the creator of the recipe, Jennie Carter Benedict, a cookbook author and restaurateur from Louisville. This Kentucky Derby classic is a cool, creamy spread used for tea sandwiches or served with pumpernickel toasts. It can also be thinned out with extra some sour cream or mayo to form a dipping consistency for crudités, chips, or crackers. I like it on a bagel with a slice of avocado!
Benedictine Spread Ingredients
- 1 large English cucumber peeled, halved, seeded and grated
- ¼ cup medium white onion grated
- 1 8 ounce package of cream cheese
- ¼ cup sour cream {or Greek yogurt}
- 1 tablespoon Tabasco Green Jalapeño Pepper Sauce or regular hot sauce
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon kosher salt Instructions Place grated cucumber and onion in a fine mesh strainer over a bowl. Press down to drain of excess water. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and let sit for 15 minutes or overnight in the refrigerator, pressing every so often to drain. {Alternatively, you can place the grated mixture in the center of a clean kitchen towel and twist to wring out as much water as possible.} Discard liquid. In the bowl of a mixer {or in a regular bowl with a wooden spoon}, combine drained cucumber, onion, cream cheese, sour cream and Tabasco. Beat until well combined. Taste and add salt to your liking. {Start with less & work your way up.} Scoop into a bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight if desired. Serve with pumpernickel toasts, veggies, or crackers.
