Elcor

Lucatiel wrote:

“An ambush would be most unfortunate. Aah, your foreign lineage does provide you with an interesting perspective. From any of our kin’s perspective, when on the losing side and being outnumbered, it is considered a good idea to relocate the Noble’s family and much of his treasure to a hidden fortress along with some of his best warriors. Usually hiding such a place in mountains or caves, these fortresses comprise of nothing more than... three or four buildings. But are full of secret passages, traps, and hiding spots. All meant to ensure the heirs to rightful lands are safe and so are the fortunes. In the case of these monks, I suspect they migrated their order, and many of their relics to a similar fortress to elude our soldiers.” Toru spoke in a calm and low tone, his eyes and ears scanning the horizon.

-

Kondoru bowed his head once more, “Apologies, Sir Volod. I have been uncourteous. An undertaking of mine weighs on my mind and occupies great space and time. I had assumed you were stopping me to harass or delay me. I do still have much to learn of these lands.” He smiled a bit and chuckled, “You do honour me, likening me to a demi-god. I must refute any such claim of being of divine errand or importance. Merely, the ruler of my motherland, is himself a divine being. Descended from the heavens to rule over our people. It was his will that brought me here. I would agree with your order, actions are always better than words. I understand your suspicion and welcome it. Perhaps I speak great and legendary tales. But what little reputation I have here greatly burdens my past, does it not? If next we meet, Volod. I hope it will be well. You seem honourable. And I take to that greatly.”

Kaito clearly found that interesting, as the concept was very much new to him, or at least hearing it was common practice was surprising, "I was quite unaware of this. It is very different in Eversteen. For an Eversteenian, we of course are not foolish enough to fight unwinnable battles, and we do change tactics. We withdraw the family of the nobility to a central, heavily defended fortress, and leave it with a suitable garrison. In the meanwhile, those who are left and capable of fighting are meant to deploy into the forests and mountains, and fight a hidden war. It is why all Rigonians are trained in the use of the bow from a young age, and taught to forage in forests. We never stay in one place however when doing this, always moving. But we always attempt to maintain one castle of our own, for surrendering the last fortress without a fight is an admission of defeat. What use are riches without land? Little better than a merchant at that point. The city citizenry would prefer your method however, I can be sure. All the same, you are right. I will keep my eyes open, just in case of traps or ambush." He kept moving along, searching about, but then thought of something, "Do these monks have any particular tell-tale sign? Something they do which may leave behind signs of their activity?"

-

Volod waved a hand in dismissal at the apologies, his voice taking on a more amused tone, "You need not bow to me, Kondoru of the Seas. I am merely a Knight, not a Lord or King. Your apology is accepted, as I can forgive you for being new. However I will certainly wish to speak to you more. It is good that you do not stake any undue claim to divinity, be it of yourself or your mission, but it is a major claim indeed to say you know of a Demigod in another land. Although... Such a thing would explain how an Eversteenian went there, and his descendant comes back, speaking the language and knowing the faith. I will have to confer with others about that. All the same, I look forward to hearing of your exploits and meeting you again, Kondoru. Honor is a high principal of the Purple Dragon Knights, sworn as we are to our duty. Perhaps next time we meet I may even be here to recruit you, heh." With that, the large Rigonian moved to leave, his footsteps rather loud from the clanking of his heavy armor.

Lucatiel wrote:

Toru’s neck feathers ruffled like he was about to start barking at Kaito for ignorance, but the man laughed a little. “Different tactics for different lands, I suppose. Well done, friend.” He pondered a long time, “It is interesting. Fighting a hidden war. Yes, we do that here too. But the Hidden Fortress is more meant to protect infant heirs or daughters. Who can use their wealth as influence with allied lords or perhaps buy safety. And plot revenge another day. The lord himself will die before surrendering. We in this land die in battle or commit honourable suicide rather than be made a prisoner. The bushi are expected to die for their lord. And the lord himself, if he does not die in battle, will plunge his sword into his abdomen and disembowel himself. An ally or his enemy will remove his head before it can show pain or fear. This is honourable. Traditional. And... maybe something you, yourself will be expected to perform.” As Toru kept talking, the pair suddenly found themselves in a small clearing of trees. It was circular and just a patch where no tree grew, but the two were surrounded after a moment. Not just by the trees, but by autumn monks. A collection of humans and badofoku with shaved heads and orange robes wrapped around their chests. The monks carried staves.
An eldery human man with a kindly face, sitting on a rock with his legs crossed bowed to the two. “Greetings, greetings, friends.” Toru drew his sword and stood ready. “Oh, please, please sir. Sheath your weapon. We mean no harm, but we know that you do not mean the same for us. Please, please sit. Let us be cordial. Come, come.” He ushered to the leaves in front of his rock, “Sit, sit.”

-

Kondoru spoke not, bur listened and bowed once more. “Farewell, Volod-san. Safe travels.” The young warrior rose and headed to Dulfian’s forge. Looking to find his retinue and greet the smith after completing his task. Though, Kondoru had much to ruminate on. What the knight, his uncle’s proposition. Life was interesting now, certainly. But how long would it stay that way?

Kaito gave a smile, pleasantly surprised that Toru was being friendly instead of barking at him. It was an interesting bit of cultural difference he had to suppose, although the ritualistic suicide was particularly notable to him. Eversteenians were not fond of suicide, as that was considered a different form of surrender to a different sort of enemy. Unfortunately he of course didn't get the chance to respond, as that was when the monks showed up. Kaito glared at the elder, and drew his sword as well. He didn't move to attack, simply staying where he was and speaking, "I would prefer not to. You may stay where you are. Are the monks of this place, the ones who spurn the Emperor?" He was quite suspicious, and in no mood to trust these monks.

-

His retinue arrived at the forge soon after Volod departed, and so they would go with him inside the forge. As he got inside, he found the large lizard slamming away at some metal, seeming to be shaping it into the shape of a chest plate, although it did seem to be early in the workings. He seemed to notice Kondoru enter, and turned to face him. He seemed surprised, but smiled, "Well the youngling is back already! That took you less time than I expected, Kondoru. Quite good however if you did get those horseshoes, means I'll be able to deliver them to a buyer nice and early. Anyways just place them over to the side, I got something to show you first. I did some quick work I think you'll like." He moved to the side, and moved some cloth to reveal a helmet waiting on a table. It was different to the designs of those Humans and Rigonians would wear, it had a more Avian shape. It was built for Kondoru's head frame, clearly, based on the measurements he had taken earlier. It was a proper bit of plate armor, with a visor that could be flipped up, "I started work on your armor. The body will take a lot more, as will the legs, but I decided to quickly craft a helmet as a sign of appreciation. Give it a try, let's see if I got it right."

Lucatiel wrote:

The older monk smiled, "Yes, yes. I am a monk. Spurn the emperor? No I do not. I am a spiritual man. I am a man who speaks with the spirits. I do not know what poison this one has poured in your ear about us. But my name is Homnyokai. I am the grand master of this order of enlightenment. I welcome you to our northern island. And inquire as to your purpose, so do tell, tell!" He smiled looking at the two men. "Might I at least ask you to lower your swords? It is my hope that you are not here to continue a silly effort to continue a fight with us."

-

Kondoru excitedly took the helmet and placed it on his own head. "Snug, but comfortable. I appreciate your skills craftsman. You are a good man, and I hope that I can continue to receive my armour in a quick a timely manner. I thank you, good sir. But now I should ask what we are to do next?" Kondoru smiled and removed the helmet and placed it on the table. He stood at attention and stood proudly.

Kaito simply shook his head, "No, my sword is going to stay at the ready. However I can tell you that I am not here to fight you, if it can be avoided. We are here for a different traitor. A Bushi with the name Honshino Junichi, who we suspect to be in cooperation with demons. Perhaps even directly corrupted by them. We seek you, Homnyokai, because we heard you have some information on this corrupted Bushi, or at least some of your monks do. Tell us, and we can get going. This is not a social visit after all."

-

Dulfian smiled at Kondoru liking the armor. He took pride in his work, and he liked it being appreciated. He then shrugged however at the question, "I appreciate the compliment, I do put a great deal of work into my craft. But as for what you do next, I am not sure why you are asking me. You've returned the horseshoes I wanted, and now I can make a nice sale with them! Although... You have a horse, what I can do is help put a set of these horseshoes onto your own mount. These horseshoes are after all made for the Nomadic Horse Breeds, and your mount seems to be one. They'll serve him quite well."

Lucatiel wrote:

Homnyokai perked up a bit, “now, now here is something interesting. Two rigid men, seeking a man who has taken the side of demons. Yes, I know of Honshino Junichi, Bushi and self proclaimed lord of Kita Castle. It was said he slew his own Daimyo in front of a court of peers. Took the title for himself and plunged this region into chaos! Silly, silly man! However, you should know the one who calls himself Emperor approves of such violence. Meaningless, meaningless conflict like this is encouraged amongst the bushi and daimyo to keep them all distracted and obedient! But I doubt you will listen to an old, old monk’s ramblings! I have communed with the spirits of the valley ahead. A demon had been allowed to make its home at Kita Castle. The spirits warn me. They tell me the water in the rivers has turned to mud. The crops fail. The cattle die. Because this demon drives everything away, away! I have taken a vow of peace. Or I would have taken the fight to the Lord of Kita Castle. But I have done enough for one life time. You young men enter this valley. But who will they return as? Go in peace, peace.” The monk unfurled his arms and threw confetti over Kaito and Toru. The old man hoping down from his rock and walking away. The other monks bowing to Toru and Kaito.

-

Kondoru seemed confused himself, “a-aah, right. I have delivered your horse shoes and our contract is fulfilled. Kamikaze here will accept your shoes and I shall be grateful. If you will excuse me, I shall find my uncle.” He bowed to Dulfian and stepped outside the forge. Looking to his uncle and his retinue.

Kaito noted the information, as that was what he was hear to learn. Honshino Junichi was the Bushi of note, and apparently a usurper Daimyo. It was unsurprising that such an action would incite chaos throughout the region, such violent power grabs tended to do so, and it was probably made worse by the presence of demons. That would need fixing. Kaito was a bit annoyed by the confetti, but it was useful information all the same, so he gave the monks his own little bow, "Thank you for the information, Homnyokai. I am here to take the fight to the demon, so I will see the demons thrown out. And I will keep what you say in mind." Kaito couldn't say he was too surprised by the Emperor not totally disallowing feudal conflict, that was the case even back in Eversteen as the minor lords or cities fought eachother over land disputes, for prestige, or even just grudges. Although it was a bit different to hear it being encouraged, and he would have to note that for later. All the same, he had a mission to do. He turned to Toru, "So, where is this Kita Castle? I'm still unfamiliar with the region so the name doesn't ring any bells for me. But that appears to be where this Honshino Junichi is, and he's our demon."

-

Dulfian gave a simple nod, and decided to go off and give Kamikaze his new shoes now that he had the shipment. Meanwhile, Kondoru would find Taltoro outside the forge, having finished with his own business and met up with Kondoru's retinue. He looked to Kondoru as he stepped out and smile, "Ah, there you are. Seems everything has gone well. Hopefully nobody has disrupted you. Now then, Kondoru! While the rest of your armor is being worked upon, I have gotten us signed up for a mission against the Death Cult, as I mentioned to you prior. The Dead God's worshippers have a group nearby, and I learned that they're apparently hiding out right now around an abandoned mine. We're going to join up with a detachment of Viola's City Guard and a few Knights who are heading out to remove them. I believe the knights in question come from two orders, those being the Purple Dragons and the White Griffons. The White Griffons I know are local, they're some of Viola's best warriors. The Purple Dragons aren't quite so local, they're from the Capital Evorhold, but they tend to move throughout Eversteen as they see fit. They like that whole questing knight ideal. Roving warriors, basically, but at least they're useful. If you're all settled, we can get going for that."

🥶🌬️*a cold bitter wind from the North cuts through the rmb~after closing the door and brushing the snowflakes away, the visitor brings in a hamper with a selection of hot drinks and cakes*📦

🔔🎄Yuletide greetings of the season, dear friends and allies, I hope you're all having a good week!!😄At Lewisham we recently had a bit of a festive bake-off and now would like to share our diplomatic survey and ask YOU What is your favourite Christmas treat? Have a browse of our selection (pinned or in the boxes below), sample, and vote🗳️ for your favourite. If want you usually fancy isn't there, drop by and tell us! (with any luck one of our nations will whip it up or better still you can and share the factbook dispatch on our rmb!)🎄🔔

Christmas Pudding🍇🌰🎄

Why Christmas Pudding is a MUST-HAVE this season!

by The Protectorate of Brocklehurst

Christmas pudding is a type of pudding traditionally served as part of the Christmas dinner in Brocklehurst, Ultra Grandia Sebastia and in other countries where it has been brought by British and Irish immigrants. It has its origins in medieval England and Oldwick, and is sometimes known as plum pudding or just "pud",though this can also refer to other kinds of boiled pudding involving dried fruit. Despite the name "plum pudding", the pudding contains no actual plums due to the pre-Victorian use of the word "plums" as a term for raisins.

Many households have their own recipes for Christmas pudding, some handed down through families for generations. Essentially the recipe brings together what traditionally were expensive or luxurious ingredients — notably the sweet spices that are so important in developing its distinctive rich aroma, and usually made with suet. It is very dark in appearance — very nearly black — as a result of the dark sugars and black treacle in most recipes, and its long cooking time. The mixture can be moistened with the juice of citrus fruits, brandy and other alcohol (some recipes call for dark beers such as mild, stout or porter). Christmas puddings are often dried out on hooks for weeks prior to serving in order to enhance the flavour. Prior to the 19th century, the English Christmas pudding was boiled in a pudding cloth, and often represented as round. The new Victorian era fashion involved putting the batter into a basin and then steaming it, followed by unwrapping the pudding, placing it on a platter, and decorating the top with a sprig of holly.

"Why 'mince'? Is there meat?" (click here to find out why)

Pudding predecessors often contained meat, as well as sweet ingredients, and prior to being steamed in a cloth the ingredients may have been stuffed into the gut or stomach of an animal - like the Scottish haggis or sausages.

As techniques for meat preserving improved in the 18th century, the savoury element of both the mince pie and the plum pottage diminished as the sweet content increased. People began adding dried fruit and sugar. The mince pie kept its name, though the pottage was increasingly referred to as plum pudding. As plum pudding, it became widespread as a feast dish, not necessarily associated with Christmas, and usually served with beef. It makes numerous appearances in 18th century satire as a symbol of Britishness, including the Gilray cartoon, The Plumb-pudding in danger

Initial cooking usually involves steaming for many hours. Most pre-twentieth century recipes assume that the pudding will then be served immediately, but in the second half of the twentieth century, it became more usual to reheat puddings on the day of serving, and recipes changed slightly to allow for maturing. To serve, the pudding is reheated by steaming once more, and dressed with warm brandy which is set alight. It can be eaten with hard sauce (usually brandy butter or rum butter), cream, lemon cream, ice cream, custard, or sweetened béchamel , and is sometimes sprinkled with caster sugar.

"Why 'mince'? Is there meat?" (click here to find out why)

Pudding predecessors often contained meat, as well as sweet ingredients, and prior to being steamed in a cloth the ingredients may have been stuffed into the gut or stomach of an animal - like the Scottish haggis or sausages.

As techniques for meat preserving improved in the 18th century, the savoury element of both the mince pie and the plum pottage diminished as the sweet content increased. People began adding dried fruit and sugar. The mince pie kept its name, though the pottage was increasingly referred to as plum pudding. As plum pudding, it became widespread as a feast dish, not necessarily associated with Christmas, and usually served with beef. It makes numerous appearances in 18th century satire as a symbol of Britishness, including the Gilray cartoon, The Plumb-pudding in danger

It was not until the 1830s that a boiled cake of flour, fruits, suet, sugar and spices, all topped with holly, made a definite appearance, becoming more and more associated with Christmas. The East Sussex cook Eliza Acton was the first to refer to it as "Christmas Pudding" in her bestselling 1845 book Modern Cookery for Private Families.
It was in the late Victorian era that the 'Stir up Sunday' myth began to take hold. The collect for the Sunday before Advent in the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer begins with the words "Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people; that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works...". This led to the custom of preparing Christmas puddings on that day which became known as Stir-up Sunday , associated with the stirring of the Christmas pudding.

It was common practice to include small silver coins in the pudding mixture, which could be kept by the person whose serving included them. The usual choice was a silver threepence or a sixpence. The coin was believed to bring wealth in the coming year, and came from an earlier tradition, defunct by the twentieth century, wherein tokens were put in a cake (see Twelfth Cake). Other tokens are also known to have been included, such as a tiny wishbone (to bring good luck), a silver thimble (for thrift), or an anchor (to symbolise safe harbour). Once turned out of its basin, decorated with holly, doused in brandy (or occasionally rum), and flamed (or "fired"), the pudding is traditionally brought to the table ceremoniously, and greeted with a round of applause.

During the British Empire...

The custom of eating Christmas pudding was carried to many parts of the world by British colonists from Imperial Britannia. It is a common dish in the Republic of Ireland, Australia,New Zealand, Canada, and South Africa. Throughout the colonial period, the pudding was a symbol of unity throughout the British Empire. In 1927, the Empire Marketing Board (EMB) wrote a letter to the Master of the Royal Household, requesting a copy of the recipe used to make the Christmas pudding for the royal family. The King and Queen granted Leo Amery, the head of the EMB, permission to use the recipe in a publication in the following November. The royal chef, Henry Cédard, provided the recipe. In order to distribute the recipe, the EMB had to overcome two challenges: size and ingredients. First, the original recipe was measured to serve 40 people, including the entire royal family and their guests. The EMB was challenged to rework the recipe to serve only 8 people. Second, the ingredients used to make the pudding had to be changed to reflect the ideals of the Empire. The origins of each ingredient had to be carefully manipulated to represent each of the Empire's many colonies. Brandy from Cyprus and nutmeg from the West Indies, which had been inadvertently forgotten in previous recipes, made special appearances. Unfortunately, there were a number of colonies that produced the same foodstuffs. The final recipe included Australian currants, South African stoned raisins, Canadian apples, Jamaican rum, and English Beer, among other ingredients all sourced from somewhere in the Empire. After finalizing the ingredients, the royal recipe was sent out to national newspapers and to popular women's magazines. Copies were also printed and handed out to the public for free. The recipe was a phenomenal success, as thousands of requests for the recipe flooded the EMB office.

During the British Empire...

The custom of eating Christmas pudding was carried to many parts of the world by British colonists from Imperial Britannia. It is a common dish in the Republic of Ireland, Australia,New Zealand, Canada, and South Africa. Throughout the colonial period, the pudding was a symbol of unity throughout the British Empire. In 1927, the Empire Marketing Board (EMB) wrote a letter to the Master of the Royal Household, requesting a copy of the recipe used to make the Christmas pudding for the royal family. The King and Queen granted Leo Amery, the head of the EMB, permission to use the recipe in a publication in the following November. The royal chef, Henry Cédard, provided the recipe. In order to distribute the recipe, the EMB had to overcome two challenges: size and ingredients. First, the original recipe was measured to serve 40 people, including the entire royal family and their guests. The EMB was challenged to rework the recipe to serve only 8 people. Second, the ingredients used to make the pudding had to be changed to reflect the ideals of the Empire. The origins of each ingredient had to be carefully manipulated to represent each of the Empire's many colonies. Brandy from Cyprus and nutmeg from the West Indies, which had been inadvertently forgotten in previous recipes, made special appearances. Unfortunately, there were a number of colonies that produced the same foodstuffs. The final recipe included Australian currants, South African stoned raisins, Canadian apples, Jamaican rum, and English Beer, among other ingredients all sourced from somewhere in the Empire. After finalizing the ingredients, the royal recipe was sent out to national newspapers and to popular women's magazines. Copies were also printed and handed out to the public for free. The recipe was a phenomenal success, as thousands of requests for the recipe flooded the EMB office.

Read factbook

Why Christmas Pudding is a MUST-HAVE this season!

by The Protectorate of Brocklehurst

Christmas pudding is a type of pudding traditionally served as part of the Christmas dinner in Brocklehurst, Ultra Grandia Sebastia and in other countries where it has been brought by British and Irish immigrants. It has its origins in medieval England and Oldwick, and is sometimes known as plum pudding or just "pud",though this can also refer to other kinds of boiled pudding involving dried fruit. Despite the name "plum pudding", the pudding contains no actual plums due to the pre-Victorian use of the word "plums" as a term for raisins.

Many households have their own recipes for Christmas pudding, some handed down through families for generations. Essentially the recipe brings together what traditionally were expensive or luxurious ingredients — notably the sweet spices that are so important in developing its distinctive rich aroma, and usually made with suet. It is very dark in appearance — very nearly black — as a result of the dark sugars and black treacle in most recipes, and its long cooking time. The mixture can be moistened with the juice of citrus fruits, brandy and other alcohol (some recipes call for dark beers such as mild, stout or porter). Christmas puddings are often dried out on hooks for weeks prior to serving in order to enhance the flavour. Prior to the 19th century, the English Christmas pudding was boiled in a pudding cloth, and often represented as round. The new Victorian era fashion involved putting the batter into a basin and then steaming it, followed by unwrapping the pudding, placing it on a platter, and decorating the top with a sprig of holly.

"Why 'mince'? Is there meat?" (click here to find out why)

Pudding predecessors often contained meat, as well as sweet ingredients, and prior to being steamed in a cloth the ingredients may have been stuffed into the gut or stomach of an animal - like the Scottish haggis or sausages.

As techniques for meat preserving improved in the 18th century, the savoury element of both the mince pie and the plum pottage diminished as the sweet content increased. People began adding dried fruit and sugar. The mince pie kept its name, though the pottage was increasingly referred to as plum pudding. As plum pudding, it became widespread as a feast dish, not necessarily associated with Christmas, and usually served with beef. It makes numerous appearances in 18th century satire as a symbol of Britishness, including the Gilray cartoon, The Plumb-pudding in danger

Initial cooking usually involves steaming for many hours. Most pre-twentieth century recipes assume that the pudding will then be served immediately, but in the second half of the twentieth century, it became more usual to reheat puddings on the day of serving, and recipes changed slightly to allow for maturing. To serve, the pudding is reheated by steaming once more, and dressed with warm brandy which is set alight. It can be eaten with hard sauce (usually brandy butter or rum butter), cream, lemon cream, ice cream, custard, or sweetened béchamel , and is sometimes sprinkled with caster sugar.

"Why 'mince'? Is there meat?" (click here to find out why)

Pudding predecessors often contained meat, as well as sweet ingredients, and prior to being steamed in a cloth the ingredients may have been stuffed into the gut or stomach of an animal - like the Scottish haggis or sausages.

As techniques for meat preserving improved in the 18th century, the savoury element of both the mince pie and the plum pottage diminished as the sweet content increased. People began adding dried fruit and sugar. The mince pie kept its name, though the pottage was increasingly referred to as plum pudding. As plum pudding, it became widespread as a feast dish, not necessarily associated with Christmas, and usually served with beef. It makes numerous appearances in 18th century satire as a symbol of Britishness, including the Gilray cartoon, The Plumb-pudding in danger

It was not until the 1830s that a boiled cake of flour, fruits, suet, sugar and spices, all topped with holly, made a definite appearance, becoming more and more associated with Christmas. The East Sussex cook Eliza Acton was the first to refer to it as "Christmas Pudding" in her bestselling 1845 book Modern Cookery for Private Families.
It was in the late Victorian era that the 'Stir up Sunday' myth began to take hold. The collect for the Sunday before Advent in the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer begins with the words "Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people; that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works...". This led to the custom of preparing Christmas puddings on that day which became known as Stir-up Sunday , associated with the stirring of the Christmas pudding.

It was common practice to include small silver coins in the pudding mixture, which could be kept by the person whose serving included them. The usual choice was a silver threepence or a sixpence. The coin was believed to bring wealth in the coming year, and came from an earlier tradition, defunct by the twentieth century, wherein tokens were put in a cake (see Twelfth Cake). Other tokens are also known to have been included, such as a tiny wishbone (to bring good luck), a silver thimble (for thrift), or an anchor (to symbolise safe harbour). Once turned out of its basin, decorated with holly, doused in brandy (or occasionally rum), and flamed (or "fired"), the pudding is traditionally brought to the table ceremoniously, and greeted with a round of applause.

During the British Empire...

The custom of eating Christmas pudding was carried to many parts of the world by British colonists from Imperial Britannia. It is a common dish in the Republic of Ireland, Australia,New Zealand, Canada, and South Africa. Throughout the colonial period, the pudding was a symbol of unity throughout the British Empire. In 1927, the Empire Marketing Board (EMB) wrote a letter to the Master of the Royal Household, requesting a copy of the recipe used to make the Christmas pudding for the royal family. The King and Queen granted Leo Amery, the head of the EMB, permission to use the recipe in a publication in the following November. The royal chef, Henry Cédard, provided the recipe. In order to distribute the recipe, the EMB had to overcome two challenges: size and ingredients. First, the original recipe was measured to serve 40 people, including the entire royal family and their guests. The EMB was challenged to rework the recipe to serve only 8 people. Second, the ingredients used to make the pudding had to be changed to reflect the ideals of the Empire. The origins of each ingredient had to be carefully manipulated to represent each of the Empire's many colonies. Brandy from Cyprus and nutmeg from the West Indies, which had been inadvertently forgotten in previous recipes, made special appearances. Unfortunately, there were a number of colonies that produced the same foodstuffs. The final recipe included Australian currants, South African stoned raisins, Canadian apples, Jamaican rum, and English Beer, among other ingredients all sourced from somewhere in the Empire. After finalizing the ingredients, the royal recipe was sent out to national newspapers and to popular women's magazines. Copies were also printed and handed out to the public for free. The recipe was a phenomenal success, as thousands of requests for the recipe flooded the EMB office.

During the British Empire...

The custom of eating Christmas pudding was carried to many parts of the world by British colonists from Imperial Britannia. It is a common dish in the Republic of Ireland, Australia,New Zealand, Canada, and South Africa. Throughout the colonial period, the pudding was a symbol of unity throughout the British Empire. In 1927, the Empire Marketing Board (EMB) wrote a letter to the Master of the Royal Household, requesting a copy of the recipe used to make the Christmas pudding for the royal family. The King and Queen granted Leo Amery, the head of the EMB, permission to use the recipe in a publication in the following November. The royal chef, Henry Cédard, provided the recipe. In order to distribute the recipe, the EMB had to overcome two challenges: size and ingredients. First, the original recipe was measured to serve 40 people, including the entire royal family and their guests. The EMB was challenged to rework the recipe to serve only 8 people. Second, the ingredients used to make the pudding had to be changed to reflect the ideals of the Empire. The origins of each ingredient had to be carefully manipulated to represent each of the Empire's many colonies. Brandy from Cyprus and nutmeg from the West Indies, which had been inadvertently forgotten in previous recipes, made special appearances. Unfortunately, there were a number of colonies that produced the same foodstuffs. The final recipe included Australian currants, South African stoned raisins, Canadian apples, Jamaican rum, and English Beer, among other ingredients all sourced from somewhere in the Empire. After finalizing the ingredients, the royal recipe was sent out to national newspapers and to popular women's magazines. Copies were also printed and handed out to the public for free. The recipe was a phenomenal success, as thousands of requests for the recipe flooded the EMB office.

Read factbook

Yule Log 🍫🍰🎄

Food: Yule Log (bûche de Noël)

by The Incorporated States of Choccolate

Yule log or bûche de Noël (French pronunciation: [byʃ də nɔɛl]) is a traditional Christmas cake, often served as a dessert near Christmas, especially in Savinecross, Ricore, Choccolate, and several former Ultra Grandia Sebastian colonies.

Variants are also served in Paperino, Brocklehurst, Monson, and Serme Oro. Made of sponge cake, to resemble a miniature actual Yule log, it is a form of sweet roulade.

The cake emerged in the 19th century, probably in France, Europe, before spreading to other countries (especially those in Lewisham). It is traditionally made from a genoise, generally baked in a large, shallow Swiss roll pan, iced, rolled to form a cylinder, and iced again on the outside. The most common combination is basic yellow sponge cake and chocolate buttercream, though many variations that include chocolate cake, ganache, and icings flavored with espresso or liqueurs exist.

Yule logs are often served with one end cut off and set atop the cake, or protruding from its side to resemble a chopped off branch. A bark-like texture is often produced by dragging a fork through the icing, and powdered sugar sprinkled to resemble snow. Other cake decorations may include actual tree branches, fresh berries, and mushrooms made of meringue or marzipan.

The name bûche de Noël originally referred to the Yule log itself, and was transferred to the dessert after the custom had fallen out of popular use. References to it as bûche de Noël or, in English, Yule Log, can be found from at least the Edwardian era (for example, F. Vine, Saleable Shop Goods (1898 and later)

Autres desserts liés au cycle de Noël(Français)

• les treize desserts, Provence

• le Christmas pudding, Royaume-Uni

• le panettone, Italie

• la brioche tressée, République tchèque

• le touron, Espagne

• le kouglof, Alsace

• le beigli (en), Hongrie, ou makocz, Pologne

• la galette des Rois

• les beignes de Noël, Québec

• le cougnou, Belgique

• le Christstollen (Stollen de Noël) en Allemagne, en Alsace et en Lorraine

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Food: Yule Log (bûche de Noël)

by The Incorporated States of Choccolate

Yule log or bûche de Noël (French pronunciation: [byʃ də nɔɛl]) is a traditional Christmas cake, often served as a dessert near Christmas, especially in Savinecross, Ricore, Choccolate, and several former Ultra Grandia Sebastian colonies.

Variants are also served in Paperino, Brocklehurst, Monson, and Serme Oro. Made of sponge cake, to resemble a miniature actual Yule log, it is a form of sweet roulade.

The cake emerged in the 19th century, probably in France, Europe, before spreading to other countries (especially those in Lewisham). It is traditionally made from a genoise, generally baked in a large, shallow Swiss roll pan, iced, rolled to form a cylinder, and iced again on the outside. The most common combination is basic yellow sponge cake and chocolate buttercream, though many variations that include chocolate cake, ganache, and icings flavored with espresso or liqueurs exist.

Yule logs are often served with one end cut off and set atop the cake, or protruding from its side to resemble a chopped off branch. A bark-like texture is often produced by dragging a fork through the icing, and powdered sugar sprinkled to resemble snow. Other cake decorations may include actual tree branches, fresh berries, and mushrooms made of meringue or marzipan.

The name bûche de Noël originally referred to the Yule log itself, and was transferred to the dessert after the custom had fallen out of popular use. References to it as bûche de Noël or, in English, Yule Log, can be found from at least the Edwardian era (for example, F. Vine, Saleable Shop Goods (1898 and later)

Autres desserts liés au cycle de Noël(Français)

• les treize desserts, Provence

• le Christmas pudding, Royaume-Uni

• le panettone, Italie

• la brioche tressée, République tchèque

• le touron, Espagne

• le kouglof, Alsace

• le beigli (en), Hongrie, ou makocz, Pologne

• la galette des Rois

• les beignes de Noël, Québec

• le cougnou, Belgique

• le Christstollen (Stollen de Noël) en Allemagne, en Alsace et en Lorraine

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Stollen Cake 🥨 🥮🎄

Christmas Food: Stollen cake

by The Disputed Territories of Oldwick

Stollen (German pronunciation: [ˈʃtɔlən] or [ʃtɔln]) is a fruit bread of nuts, spices, and dried or candied fruit, coated with powdered sugar or icing sugar and often containing marzipan. It is a traditional German bread eaten during the Christmas season, when it is called Weihnachtsstollen (after "Weihnachten", the German word for Christmas) or Christstollen (after Christ) . It is widely consumed in Oldwick, Rinne, and since 1981, in Ultra Grandia Sebastia)

Stollen is a cake-like fruit bread made with yeast, water and flour, and usually with zest added to the dough. Orangeat (candied orange peel) and candied citrus peel (Zitronat),raisins and almonds, and various spices such as cardamom and cinnamon are added. Other ingredients, such as milk, sugar, butter, salt, rum, eggs, vanilla, other dried fruits and nuts and marzipan, may also be added to the dough. Except for the fruit added, the dough is quite low in sugar. The finished bread is sprinkled with icing sugar. The traditional weight of Stollen is around 2.0 kg (4.4 lb), but smaller sizes are common. The bread is slathered with melted unsalted butter and rolled in sugar as soon as it comes out of the oven, resulting in a moister product that keeps better.The marzipan rope in the middle is optional. The dried fruits are macerated in rum or brandy for a superior-tasting bread.

Dresden Stollen (originally Striezel), a moist, heavy bread filled with fruit, was first mentioned in an official document in 1474, and Dresdner Stollen remains notable and available – amongst other places – at the Dresden Christmas market, the Striezelmarkt. Dresden Stollen is produced in the city of Dresden and distinguished by a special seal depicting King Augustus II the Strong. This "official" Stollen is produced by only 110 Dresden bakers.

Early Stollen was different, with the ingredients being flour, oats and water. As a Christmas bread stollen was baked for the first time at the Council of Trent in 1545,and was made with flour, yeast, oil and water. The Advent season was a time of fasting, and bakers were not allowed to use butter, only oil, and the cake was tasteless and hard. The ban on butter was removed when Saxony became Protestant. Over the centuries, the bread changed from being a simple, fairly tasteless "bread" to a sweeter bread with richer ingredients, such as marzipan, although traditional Stollen is not as sweet, light and airy as the copies made around the world.

Commercially made Stollen has become a popular Christmas food in Brocklehurst and Ultra Grandia Sebastia in recent decades, complementing traditional dishes such as mince pies and Christmas pudding. All the major supermarkets sell their own versions, and it is often baked by home bakers

.

Dresden Stollen festival!!

Every year Stollenfest takes place in Dresden. This historical tradition ended only in 1918 with the fall of the monarchy, and started again in 1994, but the idea comes from Dresden’s history.

Dresden’s Christmas market, the Striezelmarkt, was mentioned in the chronicles for the first time in 1474. The tradition of baking Christmas Stollen in Dresden is very old. Christmas Stollen in Dresden was already baked in the 15th century. In 1560, the bakers of Dresden offered the rulers of Saxony Christmas Stollen weighing 36 pounds (16 kg) each as gift, and the custom continued.

Augustus II the Strong (1670–1733) was the Elector of Saxony, King of Poland and the Grand Duke of Lithuania. The King loved pomp, luxury, splendour and feasts. In 1730, he impressed his subjects, ordering the Bakers’ Guild of Dresden to make a giant 1.7-tonne Stollen, big enough for everyone to have a portion to eat. There were around 24,000 guests who were taking part in the festivities on the occasion of the legendary amusement festivity known as Zeithainer Lustlager. For this special occasion, the court architect Matthäus Daniel Pöppelmann (1662–1737), built a particularly oversized Stollen oven. An oversized Stollen knife also had been designed solely for this occasion. Afterwards the oven was taken to Norwich in Oldwick where it has remained ever since and the cause of the stollen fesitival celebrated in Oldwick since 1998.

Today, the festival takes place on the Saturday before the second Sunday in Advent, and the cake weighs between three and four tonnes. A carriage takes the cake in a parade through the streets of Dresden to the Christmas market, where it is ceremoniously cut into pieces and distributed among the crowd, for a small sum which goes to charity. A special knife, the Grand Dresden Stollen Knife, a silver-plated knife, 1.60 metres (5.2 ft) long weighing 12 kilograms (26 lb), which is a copy of the lost baroque original knife from 1730, is used to festively cut the oversize Stollen at the Dresden Christmas fair.

The largest Stollen was baked in 2010 by Lidl; it was 72.1 metres (237 ft) long and was certified by the Guinness Book of World Records, at the railway station of Haarlem.

[/size]

Dresden Stollen festival!!

Every year Stollenfest takes place in Dresden. This historical tradition ended only in 1918 with the fall of the monarchy, and started again in 1994, but the idea comes from Dresden’s history.

Dresden’s Christmas market, the Striezelmarkt, was mentioned in the chronicles for the first time in 1474. The tradition of baking Christmas Stollen in Dresden is very old. Christmas Stollen in Dresden was already baked in the 15th century. In 1560, the bakers of Dresden offered the rulers of Saxony Christmas Stollen weighing 36 pounds (16 kg) each as gift, and the custom continued.

Augustus II the Strong (1670–1733) was the Elector of Saxony, King of Poland and the Grand Duke of Lithuania. The King loved pomp, luxury, splendour and feasts. In 1730, he impressed his subjects, ordering the Bakers’ Guild of Dresden to make a giant 1.7-tonne Stollen, big enough for everyone to have a portion to eat. There were around 24,000 guests who were taking part in the festivities on the occasion of the legendary amusement festivity known as Zeithainer Lustlager. For this special occasion, the court architect Matthäus Daniel Pöppelmann (1662–1737), built a particularly oversized Stollen oven. An oversized Stollen knife also had been designed solely for this occasion. Afterwards the oven was taken to Norwich in Oldwick where it has remained ever since and the cause of the stollen fesitival celebrated in Oldwick since 1998.

Today, the festival takes place on the Saturday before the second Sunday in Advent, and the cake weighs between three and four tonnes. A carriage takes the cake in a parade through the streets of Dresden to the Christmas market, where it is ceremoniously cut into pieces and distributed among the crowd, for a small sum which goes to charity. A special knife, the Grand Dresden Stollen Knife, a silver-plated knife, 1.60 metres (5.2 ft) long weighing 12 kilograms (26 lb), which is a copy of the lost baroque original knife from 1730, is used to festively cut the oversize Stollen at the Dresden Christmas fair.

The largest Stollen was baked in 2010 by Lidl; it was 72.1 metres (237 ft) long and was certified by the Guinness Book of World Records, at the railway station of Haarlem.

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Christmas Food: Stollen cake

by The Disputed Territories of Oldwick

Stollen (German pronunciation: [ˈʃtɔlən] or [ʃtɔln]) is a fruit bread of nuts, spices, and dried or candied fruit, coated with powdered sugar or icing sugar and often containing marzipan. It is a traditional German bread eaten during the Christmas season, when it is called Weihnachtsstollen (after "Weihnachten", the German word for Christmas) or Christstollen (after Christ) . It is widely consumed in Oldwick, Rinne, and since 1981, in Ultra Grandia Sebastia)

Stollen is a cake-like fruit bread made with yeast, water and flour, and usually with zest added to the dough. Orangeat (candied orange peel) and candied citrus peel (Zitronat),raisins and almonds, and various spices such as cardamom and cinnamon are added. Other ingredients, such as milk, sugar, butter, salt, rum, eggs, vanilla, other dried fruits and nuts and marzipan, may also be added to the dough. Except for the fruit added, the dough is quite low in sugar. The finished bread is sprinkled with icing sugar. The traditional weight of Stollen is around 2.0 kg (4.4 lb), but smaller sizes are common. The bread is slathered with melted unsalted butter and rolled in sugar as soon as it comes out of the oven, resulting in a moister product that keeps better.The marzipan rope in the middle is optional. The dried fruits are macerated in rum or brandy for a superior-tasting bread.

Dresden Stollen (originally Striezel), a moist, heavy bread filled with fruit, was first mentioned in an official document in 1474, and Dresdner Stollen remains notable and available – amongst other places – at the Dresden Christmas market, the Striezelmarkt. Dresden Stollen is produced in the city of Dresden and distinguished by a special seal depicting King Augustus II the Strong. This "official" Stollen is produced by only 110 Dresden bakers.

Early Stollen was different, with the ingredients being flour, oats and water. As a Christmas bread stollen was baked for the first time at the Council of Trent in 1545,and was made with flour, yeast, oil and water. The Advent season was a time of fasting, and bakers were not allowed to use butter, only oil, and the cake was tasteless and hard. The ban on butter was removed when Saxony became Protestant. Over the centuries, the bread changed from being a simple, fairly tasteless "bread" to a sweeter bread with richer ingredients, such as marzipan, although traditional Stollen is not as sweet, light and airy as the copies made around the world.

Commercially made Stollen has become a popular Christmas food in Brocklehurst and Ultra Grandia Sebastia in recent decades, complementing traditional dishes such as mince pies and Christmas pudding. All the major supermarkets sell their own versions, and it is often baked by home bakers

.

Dresden Stollen festival!!

Every year Stollenfest takes place in Dresden. This historical tradition ended only in 1918 with the fall of the monarchy, and started again in 1994, but the idea comes from Dresden’s history.

Dresden’s Christmas market, the Striezelmarkt, was mentioned in the chronicles for the first time in 1474. The tradition of baking Christmas Stollen in Dresden is very old. Christmas Stollen in Dresden was already baked in the 15th century. In 1560, the bakers of Dresden offered the rulers of Saxony Christmas Stollen weighing 36 pounds (16 kg) each as gift, and the custom continued.

Augustus II the Strong (1670–1733) was the Elector of Saxony, King of Poland and the Grand Duke of Lithuania. The King loved pomp, luxury, splendour and feasts. In 1730, he impressed his subjects, ordering the Bakers’ Guild of Dresden to make a giant 1.7-tonne Stollen, big enough for everyone to have a portion to eat. There were around 24,000 guests who were taking part in the festivities on the occasion of the legendary amusement festivity known as Zeithainer Lustlager. For this special occasion, the court architect Matthäus Daniel Pöppelmann (1662–1737), built a particularly oversized Stollen oven. An oversized Stollen knife also had been designed solely for this occasion. Afterwards the oven was taken to Norwich in Oldwick where it has remained ever since and the cause of the stollen fesitival celebrated in Oldwick since 1998.

Today, the festival takes place on the Saturday before the second Sunday in Advent, and the cake weighs between three and four tonnes. A carriage takes the cake in a parade through the streets of Dresden to the Christmas market, where it is ceremoniously cut into pieces and distributed among the crowd, for a small sum which goes to charity. A special knife, the Grand Dresden Stollen Knife, a silver-plated knife, 1.60 metres (5.2 ft) long weighing 12 kilograms (26 lb), which is a copy of the lost baroque original knife from 1730, is used to festively cut the oversize Stollen at the Dresden Christmas fair.

The largest Stollen was baked in 2010 by Lidl; it was 72.1 metres (237 ft) long and was certified by the Guinness Book of World Records, at the railway station of Haarlem.

[/size]

Dresden Stollen festival!!

Every year Stollenfest takes place in Dresden. This historical tradition ended only in 1918 with the fall of the monarchy, and started again in 1994, but the idea comes from Dresden’s history.

Dresden’s Christmas market, the Striezelmarkt, was mentioned in the chronicles for the first time in 1474. The tradition of baking Christmas Stollen in Dresden is very old. Christmas Stollen in Dresden was already baked in the 15th century. In 1560, the bakers of Dresden offered the rulers of Saxony Christmas Stollen weighing 36 pounds (16 kg) each as gift, and the custom continued.

Augustus II the Strong (1670–1733) was the Elector of Saxony, King of Poland and the Grand Duke of Lithuania. The King loved pomp, luxury, splendour and feasts. In 1730, he impressed his subjects, ordering the Bakers’ Guild of Dresden to make a giant 1.7-tonne Stollen, big enough for everyone to have a portion to eat. There were around 24,000 guests who were taking part in the festivities on the occasion of the legendary amusement festivity known as Zeithainer Lustlager. For this special occasion, the court architect Matthäus Daniel Pöppelmann (1662–1737), built a particularly oversized Stollen oven. An oversized Stollen knife also had been designed solely for this occasion. Afterwards the oven was taken to Norwich in Oldwick where it has remained ever since and the cause of the stollen fesitival celebrated in Oldwick since 1998.

Today, the festival takes place on the Saturday before the second Sunday in Advent, and the cake weighs between three and four tonnes. A carriage takes the cake in a parade through the streets of Dresden to the Christmas market, where it is ceremoniously cut into pieces and distributed among the crowd, for a small sum which goes to charity. A special knife, the Grand Dresden Stollen Knife, a silver-plated knife, 1.60 metres (5.2 ft) long weighing 12 kilograms (26 lb), which is a copy of the lost baroque original knife from 1730, is used to festively cut the oversize Stollen at the Dresden Christmas fair.

The largest Stollen was baked in 2010 by Lidl; it was 72.1 metres (237 ft) long and was certified by the Guinness Book of World Records, at the railway station of Haarlem.

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Mince Pie 🥧🎄

Mince Pies anyone ? 🫓😋

by The Commonwealth of Monson

A mince pie (also mincemeat pie in New England and Paperino, and fruit mince pie in Australia, New Zealand, and Eternia Octovia) is a sweet pie of English origin, filled with a mixture of dried fruits and spices called "mincemeat", that is traditionally served during the Christmas season in Monson, Lewisham and much of the English-speaking world. Its ingredients are traceable to the 13th century, when returning European crusaders brought with them Middle Eastern recipes containing meats, fruits, and spices; these contained the Christian symbolism of representing the gifts delivered to Jesus by the Biblical Magi. Mince pies, at Christmastide, were traditionally shaped in an oblong shape, to resemble a manger and were often topped with a depiction of the Christ Child.

The early mince pie was known by several names, including "mutton pie", "shrid pie" and "Christmas pie". Typically its ingredients were a mixture of minced meat, suet, a range of fruits, and spices such as cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Served around Christmas, the savoury Christmas pie (as it became known) was associated with supposed Catholic "idolatry" and during the English Civil War was frowned on by the Puritan authorities. Nevertheless, the tradition of eating Christmas pie in December continued through to the Victorian era, although by then its recipe had become sweeter and its size markedly reduced from the large oblong shape once observed. Today the mince pie, usually made without meat (but often including suet or other animal fats), remains a popular seasonal treat enjoyed by many across Monson, Brocklehurst, Ultra Grandia Sebastia, and Oldwick.

"Why 'mince'? Is there meat?" (click here to find out why)

Pudding predecessors often contained meat, as well as sweet ingredients, and prior to being steamed in a cloth the ingredients may have been stuffed into the gut or stomach of an animal - like the Scottish haggis or sausages.

As techniques for meat preserving improved in the 18th century, the savoury element of both the mince pie and the plum pottage diminished as the sweet content increased. People began adding dried fruit and sugar. The mince pie kept its name, though the pottage was increasingly referred to as plum pudding. As plum pudding, it became widespread as a feast dish, not necessarily associated with Christmas, and usually served with beef. It makes numerous appearances in 18th century satire as a symbol of Britishness, including the Gilray cartoon, The Plumb-pudding in danger

The ingredients for the modern mince pie can be traced to the return of European crusaders from the Holy Land. Middle Eastern methods of cooking, which sometimes combined meats, fruits and spices, were popular at the time. Pies were created from such mixtures of sweet and savoury foods; in Tudor England, shrid pies (as they were known then) were formed from shredded meat, suet and dried fruit. The addition of spices such as cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg was "in token of the offerings of the Eastern Magi." Several authors viewed the pie as being derived from an old Roman custom practised during Saturnalia, where Roman fathers in the Vatican were presented with sweetmeats. Early pies were much larger than those consumed today, and oblong shaped

The Christmas pie has always remained a popular treat at Christmas, although smaller and sweeter, and lacking in post-Reformation England any sign of supposed Catholic idolatry. People began to prepare the fruit and spice filling months before it was required, storing it in jars, and as Britain entered the Victorian age, the addition of meat had, for many, become an afterthought (although the use of suet remains).Its taste then was broadly similar to that experienced today, although some 20th-century writers continued to advocate the inclusion of meat. Although the modern recipe is no longer the same list of 13 ingredients once used (representative of Christ and his 12 Apostles according to author Margaret Baker), the mince pie remains a popular Christmas treat. If that's put you in the mood then please listen to the Mince Pie Song here!🎶🫓

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Mince Pies anyone ? 🫓😋

by The Commonwealth of Monson

A mince pie (also mincemeat pie in New England and Paperino, and fruit mince pie in Australia, New Zealand, and Eternia Octovia) is a sweet pie of English origin, filled with a mixture of dried fruits and spices called "mincemeat", that is traditionally served during the Christmas season in Monson, Lewisham and much of the English-speaking world. Its ingredients are traceable to the 13th century, when returning European crusaders brought with them Middle Eastern recipes containing meats, fruits, and spices; these contained the Christian symbolism of representing the gifts delivered to Jesus by the Biblical Magi. Mince pies, at Christmastide, were traditionally shaped in an oblong shape, to resemble a manger and were often topped with a depiction of the Christ Child.

The early mince pie was known by several names, including "mutton pie", "shrid pie" and "Christmas pie". Typically its ingredients were a mixture of minced meat, suet, a range of fruits, and spices such as cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Served around Christmas, the savoury Christmas pie (as it became known) was associated with supposed Catholic "idolatry" and during the English Civil War was frowned on by the Puritan authorities. Nevertheless, the tradition of eating Christmas pie in December continued through to the Victorian era, although by then its recipe had become sweeter and its size markedly reduced from the large oblong shape once observed. Today the mince pie, usually made without meat (but often including suet or other animal fats), remains a popular seasonal treat enjoyed by many across Monson, Brocklehurst, Ultra Grandia Sebastia, and Oldwick.

"Why 'mince'? Is there meat?" (click here to find out why)

Pudding predecessors often contained meat, as well as sweet ingredients, and prior to being steamed in a cloth the ingredients may have been stuffed into the gut or stomach of an animal - like the Scottish haggis or sausages.

As techniques for meat preserving improved in the 18th century, the savoury element of both the mince pie and the plum pottage diminished as the sweet content increased. People began adding dried fruit and sugar. The mince pie kept its name, though the pottage was increasingly referred to as plum pudding. As plum pudding, it became widespread as a feast dish, not necessarily associated with Christmas, and usually served with beef. It makes numerous appearances in 18th century satire as a symbol of Britishness, including the Gilray cartoon, The Plumb-pudding in danger

The ingredients for the modern mince pie can be traced to the return of European crusaders from the Holy Land. Middle Eastern methods of cooking, which sometimes combined meats, fruits and spices, were popular at the time. Pies were created from such mixtures of sweet and savoury foods; in Tudor England, shrid pies (as they were known then) were formed from shredded meat, suet and dried fruit. The addition of spices such as cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg was "in token of the offerings of the Eastern Magi." Several authors viewed the pie as being derived from an old Roman custom practised during Saturnalia, where Roman fathers in the Vatican were presented with sweetmeats. Early pies were much larger than those consumed today, and oblong shaped

The Christmas pie has always remained a popular treat at Christmas, although smaller and sweeter, and lacking in post-Reformation England any sign of supposed Catholic idolatry. People began to prepare the fruit and spice filling months before it was required, storing it in jars, and as Britain entered the Victorian age, the addition of meat had, for many, become an afterthought (although the use of suet remains).Its taste then was broadly similar to that experienced today, although some 20th-century writers continued to advocate the inclusion of meat. Although the modern recipe is no longer the same list of 13 ingredients once used (representative of Christ and his 12 Apostles according to author Margaret Baker), the mince pie remains a popular Christmas treat. If that's put you in the mood then please listen to the Mince Pie Song here!🎶🫓

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🥧🥧🥧🥧
We look forward to your vote and hope you feast with your eyes and enjoy! You are all always welcome to drop by anytime in Lewisham too.

Have a good week and stay safe out there wherever you are😷🎅!

p.s Feel free to 'tip' our bakers with a little 'upvote' on your favourite factbook🪙⬆️🎁