The tradition of eating turkey is a BRITISH tradition.
The first person to start eating turkey at Christmas was King Henry VIII.
The first person to start eating turkey at Christmas was King Henry VIII.
Frosting or Icing
"And there is no meat in mince meat!! "
There IS mince in minced meat - although I'm not sure if Americans have it. Mince meat is just like crushed beef. It looks a bit like coffee granules.
British Christmas mince pies used to have minced meat inside them along with herbs, spices and sweet stuff. Then the minced meat was taken out, leaving the minced pies that we have now.
There IS mince in minced meat - although I'm not sure if Americans have it. Mince meat is just like crushed beef. It looks a bit like coffee granules.
British Christmas mince pies used to have minced meat inside them along with herbs, spices and sweet stuff. Then the minced meat was taken out, leaving the minced pies that we have now.
<<Christmas Cake = large fruit cake covered in marzipan and "icing".
British Christmas meals are heavily influenced by N America for main courses (Turkey, Cranberry sauce, chestnuts etc) but have more traditional desserts- Christmas puddings and mince pies etc. Strangely, even though the recipes are 400 years old, most of the ingredients are not found natively in Britain.
........And there is no meat in mince meat!! >>
We have fruit cake, too, but we don't ice it or put marzipan in it. If possible, we also don't usually EAT it -- it's a much-maligned dessert that is the butt of many a joke.
We also have mince(meat) pies, and like yours, they have lost the original meat component, and now just contain fruit.
One thing I noticed in England is that you have an actual word for raisins that are not the usual dark color -- "sultanas". We don't have a special word for them. We just call them golden raisins.
British Christmas meals are heavily influenced by N America for main courses (Turkey, Cranberry sauce, chestnuts etc) but have more traditional desserts- Christmas puddings and mince pies etc. Strangely, even though the recipes are 400 years old, most of the ingredients are not found natively in Britain.
........And there is no meat in mince meat!! >>
We have fruit cake, too, but we don't ice it or put marzipan in it. If possible, we also don't usually EAT it -- it's a much-maligned dessert that is the butt of many a joke.
We also have mince(meat) pies, and like yours, they have lost the original meat component, and now just contain fruit.
One thing I noticed in England is that you have an actual word for raisins that are not the usual dark color -- "sultanas". We don't have a special word for them. We just call them golden raisins.
<<"British Christmas meals are heavily influenced by N America for main courses (Turkey, Cranberry sauce, chestnuts etc)">>
<<Don't talk rubbish.>>
Both turkey and cranberries are native to North America. It's only over the last hundred years that turkeys have gradually become a more popular Christmas choice than goose.
<<The first person to start eating turkey at Christmas was King Henry VIII.>>
He was one of the first people to eat turkey, but I'm not sure whether that was actually at Christmas. He tended to eat just about anything though.
<<Don't talk rubbish.>>
Both turkey and cranberries are native to North America. It's only over the last hundred years that turkeys have gradually become a more popular Christmas choice than goose.
<<The first person to start eating turkey at Christmas was King Henry VIII.>>
He was one of the first people to eat turkey, but I'm not sure whether that was actually at Christmas. He tended to eat just about anything though.
Yes, turkeys are definitely an American bird.
As Uriel said, we have mince meat pies but the meat is almost always left out. I prefer mine with meat because they're much better that way. But then you have to make them yourself because you can't buy them with meat anymore.
A lot of people don't like fruitcakes but I'm one who loves them... some other people must buy them, too, because I always see them in the grocery stores this time of year.
As Uriel said, we have mince meat pies but the meat is almost always left out. I prefer mine with meat because they're much better that way. But then you have to make them yourself because you can't buy them with meat anymore.
A lot of people don't like fruitcakes but I'm one who loves them... some other people must buy them, too, because I always see them in the grocery stores this time of year.
Ugh. Hate fruit cake. It's always there at Christmas and I refuse to touch it! Weird thing is my Mom says I used to love it when I was a child. Can't remember that. It's just too sweet now. I suspect my family DOES use marzipan AND frosting/icing, which would explain it because overall I like fruit and adore fruit tarts.
Anyone ever heard of rum cake? Maybe it's a Jamaican tradition but that's always round at Christmas too. Won't touch it either. Apparently it is another type of fruit cake, but as you guessed it, soaked in rum.
My family also has this Christmas bun with is like Panettone, but in bread form, not cake. Ok, I seem picky cause I will not eat Panettone OR Christmas bun, but I think I just hate any kind of cake or bread with candied fruit...
Any of you tried Pandoro though? YUMMMMMM...
Anyone ever heard of rum cake? Maybe it's a Jamaican tradition but that's always round at Christmas too. Won't touch it either. Apparently it is another type of fruit cake, but as you guessed it, soaked in rum.
My family also has this Christmas bun with is like Panettone, but in bread form, not cake. Ok, I seem picky cause I will not eat Panettone OR Christmas bun, but I think I just hate any kind of cake or bread with candied fruit...
Any of you tried Pandoro though? YUMMMMMM...
One of my coworkers had it for Thanksgiving. I had never heard of it before that. She said it was good though.
Love rum cake! Never had one with anything but pecans in it, though ... no fruit. Love marzipan, too -- found a commercial brand of stollen (a german sweet bread with candied fruit in it that is to die for!) that has marzipan in it ... so good! In my opinion, Americans don't do enough with marzipan, although you can buy it in grocery stores (oops, sorry, supermarkets).
Never heard of a turducken before last week, Rick, and I think just that one place makes them. I've certainly never seen one.
As for goose -- not a fan. Ate wild Canada goose once as a kid, didn't go back for seconds. Our almost-national bird is much tastier, in my opinion.
Never heard of a turducken before last week, Rick, and I think just that one place makes them. I've certainly never seen one.
As for goose -- not a fan. Ate wild Canada goose once as a kid, didn't go back for seconds. Our almost-national bird is much tastier, in my opinion.
>>Our almost-national bird is much tastier, in my opinion. <<
The bald eagle?
The bald eagle?
Uriel should be reported to the authority for eating an endangered animal.
And I always wondered why her turkey was dry, now I know!
And I always wondered why her turkey was dry, now I know!
Dear, dear, a history lesson is in order ... The wild turkey, a majestic bird with a huge fanned tail, was once proposed by Benjamin Franklin to be our national symbol, as opposed to the bald eagle, which he derided as a scavenging carrion-eater. So the turkey is our almost-national bird.* ;)
*and that just opened us up to all kinds of snide comments, didn't it? Oh, well....
*and that just opened us up to all kinds of snide comments, didn't it? Oh, well....