Mince pies, English tarts, a mix of sweet and spicy fruits covered in a crumbly dough. Let’s discover the history of these sweets.
Small fruity and alcoholic bites Mince pies They appear on every English table during the Christmas holidays. These little treats have a long history.
In fact, mince pies are small, usually round pies that are very popular in the United Kingdom and other countries such as Australia and New Zealand. How Christmas puddingOriginally they were filled with minced meat.
They were filled mainly with lamb as well as dried fruits and spices, which gave them their name. Although they are still called mince pies and their filling is called “mincemeat,” there is no longer any meat in these treats.
Mince pies, English tarts made from spiced fruits
In 1390, a pie filled with spices and meat appeared A form of Cury an English cookbook originally written on a scroll called “Meat tarts“.
To prepare these morsels, cooks had to grind pork, hard-boiled eggs, and cheese, then mix them with spices, saffron, and sugar.
Mince Pies – Wineandfoodtour.it
Until the middle of the 17th century there was some connection with the Christmasalthough people have certainly eaten mince pies on other occasions too.
An important change occurred when the cakes were filled with sweet fruit rather than minced meat.
In fact, we started mixing currants, raisins, apples, sugar and suet and covering everything with a shortcrust pastry base with lemon zest, orange zest and red wine before cooking.
A medieval custom associated with the English dessert
During the Victorian periodThe cakes became small and round, as they are made today, and, as we have already told you, were no longer filled with meat but with fruit.
Some Victorian “historians” also claim that there were the first mince pies oval shape represent the nativity scene in which Jesus I slept as a child. The upper part represented the ribbons.
English Christmas Tarts – Wineandfoodtour.it
However, the first cakes were not described this way in historical sources. It may be that some Victorians wanted mince pies to have a story.”religious” behind us to adapt to Christmas.
A medieval custom It is said that if you eat a cupcake every day from Christmas until Twelfth Night (the evening of January 5th), you will be happy for the following 12 months.
In addition, on Christmas Eve, i.e Children In Britain, fruit cakes are often left outside the house, with brandy or a similar drink for Santa Claus and a carrot for the reindeer.
Nowadays these sweets are eaten both hot and cold.