Flummery
Encyclopedia
Flummery is a sweet soft pudding
that is made from stewed fruit and thickened with cornstarch
.
Traditional British flummeries were, like porridge
, often oatmeal-based and cooked to achieve a smooth and gelatinous texture; sugar and milk were typically added and occasionally orange flower water
. The dish is typically bland in nature.
The dish gained stature in the 17th century where it was prepared in elaborate molds
and served with applause from the dining audience. The writer Bill Bryson
described flummery as an early form of blancmange
in his book Made in America
.
The word also came to mean generally dishes made with milk, eggs and flour in the late seventeenth and during the nineteenth centuries. It later came to have more negative connotations as a bland, empty and unsatisfying food. In Australia post World War II, flummery was known as a mousse dessert made with beaten evaporated milk, sugar and gelatine. Also made using jelly crystals, mousse flummery became established as an inexpensive alternative to traditional cream-based mousse in Australia.
A pint of flummery was suggested as an alternative to 4 ounces (113.4 g) of bread and a 0.5 pint (0.2841305 l) of new milk for the supper of sick inmates in Irish Workhouses in the 1840s.
Pudding
Pudding most often refers to a dessert, but it can also be a savory dish.In the United States, pudding characteristically denotes a sweet milk-based dessert similar in consistency to egg-based custards, though it may also refer to other types such as bread and rice pudding.In the United Kingdom and...
that is made from stewed fruit and thickened with cornstarch
Cornstarch
Corn starch, cornstarch, cornflour or maize starch is the starch of the corn grain obtained from the endosperm of the corn kernel.-History:...
.
Traditional British flummeries were, like porridge
Porridge
Porridge is a dish made by boiling oats or other cereal meals in water, milk, or both. It is usually served hot in a bowl or dish...
, often oatmeal-based and cooked to achieve a smooth and gelatinous texture; sugar and milk were typically added and occasionally orange flower water
Orange flower water
Orange flower water, or orange blossom water, is a clear, perfumed distillation of fresh bitter-orange blossoms.This essential water has traditionally been used in many French and Mediterranean dessert dishes, such as the gibassier and pompe à l'huile, but has more recently found its way into...
. The dish is typically bland in nature.
The dish gained stature in the 17th century where it was prepared in elaborate molds
Mold (food)
A mold or mould is a container used in various techniques of food preparation to shape the finished dish. The term mold may also refer to a finished dish made in such a container .-Types of molds:...
and served with applause from the dining audience. The writer Bill Bryson
Bill Bryson
William McGuire "Bill" Bryson, OBE, is a best-selling American author of humorous books on travel, as well as books on the English language and on science. Born an American, he was a resident of Britain for most of his adult life before moving back to the US in 1995...
described flummery as an early form of blancmange
Blancmange
Blancmange is a sweet dessert commonly made with milk or cream and sugar thickened with gelatin, cornstarch or Irish moss, and often flavored with almonds. It is usually set in a mould and served cold. Although traditionally white, blancmanges are frequently given a pink color as well...
in his book Made in America
Made In America (book)
Made In America is a nonfiction book by Bill Bryson describing the history of the English language in the United States and the evolution of American culture....
.
The word also came to mean generally dishes made with milk, eggs and flour in the late seventeenth and during the nineteenth centuries. It later came to have more negative connotations as a bland, empty and unsatisfying food. In Australia post World War II, flummery was known as a mousse dessert made with beaten evaporated milk, sugar and gelatine. Also made using jelly crystals, mousse flummery became established as an inexpensive alternative to traditional cream-based mousse in Australia.
A pint of flummery was suggested as an alternative to 4 ounces (113.4 g) of bread and a 0.5 pint (0.2841305 l) of new milk for the supper of sick inmates in Irish Workhouses in the 1840s.