Eton mess
Eton mess is a traditional English dessert consisting of a mixture of strawberries, meringue, and whipped cream.[1] First mentioned in print in 1893, it is commonly believed to originate from Eton College and is served at the annual cricket match against the pupils of Harrow School.[2]
A plate of Eton mess | |
Course | Dessert |
---|---|
Place of origin | United Kingdom |
Created by | Eton College |
Main ingredients | Strawberries, meringue, cream |
Eton mess was served in the 1930s in the school's "sock shop" (tuck shop), and was originally made with either strawberries or bananas mixed with ice-cream or cream.[3][4] Meringue was a later addition.[5][6] An Eton mess can be made with many other types of summer fruit,[7] but strawberries are regarded as more traditional.
Lancing mess (which uses bananas) is a similar dessert which is served throughout the year at Lancing College in West Sussex, England.
The word mess may refer to the appearance of the dish,[5] or may be used in the sense of "a quantity of food", particularly "a prepared dish of soft food" or "a mixture of ingredients cooked or eaten together".[8]
In recent times, "Eton Mess" has often been used by commentators in the media to describe political infighting within the UK Conservative Party - over issues such as Brexit. Eton Mess is used due to the fact that a number of politicians within the conservative party were educated at Eton College.[9][10][11]
See also
- Cranachan
- List of strawberry dishes
- Pavlova
References
- Darra Goldstein; Sidney Mintz; Michael Krondl; Laura Mason (2015). The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets. Oxford University Press. pp. 243–. ISBN 978-0-19-931339-6.
- Arthur Henry Beavan (1896). Marlborough House and Its Occupants: Present and Past. p. 162.
- Weir, Robin; Caroline Liddell; Peter Brears (1995). Recipes from the Dairy. London: National Trust. ISBN 0-7078-0243-1.
- Blumenthal, Heston (5 February 2005). "The appliance of science : Another fine mess". The Guardian.
- Blumenthal, Heston (28 June 2003). "No messing". The Guardian.
- Smith, Michael (1973). Fine English Cookery. London: Faber and Faber. ISBN 0-571-10349-9. (Revised edition London: Serif, 1998, Foreword by Geraldene Holt; ISBN 978-1897959367.) See Dupleix, Jill (3 June 2004). "Eton mess : Strawberries and cream make a superb summer pudding for lazy, hazy days". The Times. London.
- A recipe by Heston Blumenthal, for instance, uses bananas: see Blumenthal, Heston (12 February 2006). "Eton mess : Look, no berries – this Eton mess is a crispy, creamy, zingy heap of a treat". The Sunday Times. London.
- "mess". Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Retrieved 25 November 2007. The Oxford English Dictionary defines mess as "[a] serving of food; a course; a meal; a prepared dish of a specified kind of food." or "[a] portion or serving of liquid or pulpy food such as milk, broth, porridge, boiled vegetables, etc.": Simpson, John, ed. (March 2002). "mess, n.". OED Online. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Retrieved 10 July 2007..
- Ashworth, Jon (18 March 2014). "Tories are in 'open warfare' over their 'Eton mess'". ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
- Mason, Rowena; correspondent, political (18 March 2014). "Tory minister attacks David Cameron's 'Eton mess' inner cabinet". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
- "Baroness Sayeeda Warsi: Stirring the Eton Mess". The Independent. 13 April 2014. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
Wikibooks Cookbook has a recipe/module on |
Further reading
- Leigh, Rowley (1 July 2003). "Messy pleasures". The Daily Telegraph.
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