This house has enough nooks and crannies for an English muffin. ~Kathy Bryson
Yes, I’m well aware I write about food quite often. There’s the one on coffee and the one on grits, and on ice cream. I could go on, but this blog is all about thought, and I do think about food with some degree of frequency. I’ll probably milk the topic for all it’s worth. 😉 Back to the quote, though.
My husband and I watch more British crime dramas than we watch anything else, and someone mentioned crumpets on a show a few nights ago. This brought up a discussion about English muffins and the differences between those two bread options. There are similarities, but they are not identical. I remember the texture of crumpets as a bit spongier than English muffins. However, that was 20 years ago and my memory isn’t that good even for recent events. Let’s move to a subjective source.
Better Homes & Gardens tells us that the ingredients used for English muffins are not identical to those used for crumpets, so the product can’t be identical, either.
- The batter for English muffins contains yeast, but no milk. Crumpets contain milk, but no yeast.
- Crumpets are served whole; English muffins are split.
- English muffins are griddled on both sides; crumpets only one.
Another fun fact is that you are more likely to find English muffins in U.S. grocery stores than those in England, where crumpets are king, euphemistically. That is, crumpets are more English than English muffins which were created by a British gentleman. But. He was a Brit who had immigrated to New York. That is probably the reason we call them English muffins (to distinguish them from the kind which are shaped like cupcakes) and why the British call them American muffins. Just speculation on my part, but it makes sense. Yes?
Here are a few more foods with intriguing histories.
- French fries were not, in fact, the product of a French chef. Per the Tasting Table, Belgium wins again. The name is taken from the preparation of the potatoes; the way they’re cut for frying is called Frenching. This is official. What could be deemed myth is the impetus. So the story goes, the rivers of Namur were frozen over in 1680 and prevented the residents from frying fish. Purportedly, they looked for something else to fry. True? I know not, but I’m ever so glad it came about somehow.
- Brussel Sprouts did, in fact, gain their popularity (such as it is) in Belgium, but their precursor came from Rome. Nothing is ever simple, folks.
- French toast and another win for the Romans. According to Kulick’s, a recipe for this dish was found in a 4th century Roman cookbook. It sounds remarkably like what I make today, except I use maple syrup instead of honey.
- Champagne did indeed come to us from the Champagne region of France, but the Romans (again with the Romans) were cultivating vines there in the 1st century.
- Long Island iced tea is another consumable that raises questions. Many say it was first created in New York, but some sources say it’s a Tennessee beverage, born during prohibition. While Vodka wasn’t [supposedly] in the U.S. until later, the speculation is that the Tennessee recipe used white lightning. All this from Southern Living. I don’t doubt them, but as a Tennesseean, I will tell you that there’s no way we would have named any drink using the phrase New York.
- Hamburgers also have a complex history. The meat itself evolved from smoked and salted beef served on the German Hamburg-Amerika lines for immigrants coming across the pond in the late 18th century. The meat was tough, so it was chopped up and made into patties. After grilling, it was served between two pieces of bread. America added condiments, so many condiments, and began calling the sandwich a hamburger. A number of other countries had dishes with ground beef a great many years ago. Back to nothing is ever simple, but at least the Romans don’t get credit for this one.
- Belgian waffles bring us logic at last. These delicious alternatives to pancakes were introduced in Belgium* in the mid-1950s and arrived in Seattle in 1962. *Source: https://tinyurl.com/Belgianwafflesorigin
I find all this quite entertaining, but frankly, it won’t change what I eat by one jot. My food’s journey to my mouth is way more significant than my food’s journey from Europe or Asia. I’ll just keep my fork handy and enjoy it all. Except for the Brussel sprouts. I can live without those. You?
And, no. German Chocolate isn’t German. This video will make you hungry for it, though, no matter where it came from.
I’m thinking about just eating the dang frosting!!
I had a lengthy conversation with my British friends about English muffins and crumpets once. But from a Food Network show, I thought Belgian waffles were called Brussels waffles in Belgium. As for Brussel sprouts, I’ll pass, but they are having their 15 minutes of fame now. Every trendy restaurant in town has a version of them on the menu these days.
I hadn’t considered what ‘they’ call them, but the source I just checked indicated they serve two kinds. One is a Brussels, as you mentioned, and the other is a Liege waffle. They don’t put any toppings on it. Not sure I’d be a fan of that one.
Normally I’m about the cake and not the frosting, but I won’t lie. I do love German Chocolate cake frosting.
Quite informative and will no doubt improve my odds in trivia competitions. Also, we must compare notes because Dave and I are mad about British crime dramas. Blimey!
Yes, we have lots of notes to compare. If only you didn’t live so far away. 😉