The Katywompus Journal Observing Life's Little Quirks by Diane Moody |
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Entry #60: THE MIRACLE OF THE FRUITCAKE
Ah, Christmas. Tinsel, twinkling lights and presents under the tree. Carols and candles and the exhilarating scent of fresh-cut boughs of evergreen. But wait! Aren't we forgetting something? How dare we "do" the holidays without that infamous delectable treat of old - the fruitcake! I hear that snicker. The mere mention of the word evokes such utter disrespect. Why is that? Was there ever any food throughout the archives of history that has garnered so much ridicule and beckoned such rejection? The Knocking of the Fruitcake has become as much a tradition during the holidays as the festive confections themselves, so I decided to do a little research to find out why. A quick Google on the subject rendered plenty of information, including lengthy discussions on numerous message boards debating the inevitable likes and dislikes of the fruitcake. It seems our English friends claim a far superior version which is quite the special treat in Great Britain, served only on special occasions such as weddings, birthdays, holidays, and other celebratory events. Ironic, isn't it? Historically, the earliest references to the fruitcake dates back to Roman times. The cakes supposedly provided a way to preserve excess fruits and nuts. In the Middle Ages, these cakes were sweetened with additions of honey and spices. Dried fruits first appeared in Britain in the 13th century, arriving from the eastern Mediterranean area. These were incorporated into the celebration cakes, revered for their exceptional flavor. Gradually, the various recipes morphed into today's conglomeration of nuts and dried fruits, sweetened heavily with sugar, and in some cases, soaked with brandy or rum. The Old-World recipe traveled across the ocean with the first colonists. The first American recipe for "Great Cake" was recorded in 1753 by Eliza Smith. More than a century later in 1896, master baker Gus Wiedmann from Wiesbaden, Germany brought his family's recipe to the New World. Eventually settling in Corsicana, Texas, Wiedmann, along with his partner Tom McElwee, built a successful bakery on the top floor of an elegant hotel. Among the famous guests who visited their Collin Street Bakery was John Ringling. When his accompanying circus troupes began requesting the "mouth-watering cakes" to send home to friends and family in Europe, the Corsicana bakery found itself in the mail order business. That international tradition continues today, as the world-famous Collin Street Bakery ships over 1.5 million fruitcakes a year. That's a lot of fruitcakes, folks. Unfortunately, most of us only know the grocery store version - a tasteless blend of indistinguishable bizarre colored fruits, soaked in some nondescript sticky sweet liquid. It's no wonder the fruitcake became the butt of Christmas jokes, including Johnny Carson's quip that there's actually "only one fruitcake in the world and people keep sending it to each other." More than likely, you either love or hate fruitcake depending on your personal history with it. I can take it or leave it. With my Texas roots, we always had a generous supply of fruitcake during the holidays. As a child, I used to love nibbling on a thick, moist chunk of the stuff, washing it down with a glass of egg nog. (And I wonder why I have "weight issues" now.) On the other hand, if you grew up forced to "enjoy" Aunt Edna's homemade fruitcake, laced with a truckload of strange ingredients, chances are you're not a fan. Perhaps you've even participated in the Great Fruitcake Toss in Manitou Springs, Colorado. Or maybe you've joined the throngs of dissenters who prefer to note creative uses for fruitcake - such as doorstops for the home or wheel blocks for the airport. Some have suggested using them as filler for interstate potholes, referencing the belief that fruitcakes were the original building blocks of the Great Pyramids in Egypt. And yes, there's even a new word in our vocabulary which originates with the fruitcake - regifting. (See Johnny Carson joke above.) New word. Old Christmas tradition. Last year, a fruitcake arrived at our home just before Christmas. Opening the tin, we were shocked to find a most unusual design in the configuration of the fruits and nuts. There before our eyes was a striking resemblance to the Virgin Mary. I raced downstairs to list it on eBay - I called it The Miracle of the Fruitcake. A guaranteed fortune was mine for the reaping! Unfortunately, by the time I located new batteries and loaded them into my digital camera, Cousin Cletus had ingested half the fruitcake and all of good Mary. Doesn't that just take the cake? Wishing you and yours a very Merry Katywompus Christmas. Click HERE to send Diane an email. 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