Eternal Mysteries

[akirlu]

If you toast a slice of rye, or wheat, or sourdough bread, it's toast. If you toast an English muffin, it's a toasted English muffin. Why is that? And what is the nature of the the relationship between the English muffin and the crumpet, precisely?

Comments

[replyhazy.livejournal.com]

And what is the nature of the the relationship between the English muffin and the crumpet, precisely?

Well, they were part of the Seventh Street Slan Shack for about six years before it was condemned, but they weren't dating then. Muffin was seeing this Cruller guy, who was kind of goth, and Crumpet was in an open relationship with Scone and Hush Puppy who had moved from St. Louis. But that all fell apart when Cruller and Hush Puppy hooked up -- Muffin hadn't realized THAT relationship was open -- and Crumpet was all torn up, so they started hanging out together a lot.

So anyway, they've been living together for years now, and neither of them ever spoke to Cruller again, as far as I know.

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

But isn't it time that Knish stopped badmouthing them all in APA PIE for it, all these decades after the fact? Jealousy and mean spirit, that's what I call it.

[replyhazy.livejournal.com]

Well, and Knish's stories about the whole thing starting at that jam session are just wrong anyway.

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

When everyone knows it was Lady Marmelade.

[profundo-rosso.livejournal.com]

To fog this discussion up even more, the hard, pock-marked object which most folks in the UK call a crumpet is the same that as a child in central England I was always told was called a pikelet.

Even odder, I've found a Welsh recipe for pikelets, but Ann - who is Welsh - reckons the Welsh version of pikelet is better known as a Scots pancake.

Irish coffee, anyone?

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

You've probably seen me observe that what we might call Danish, the Danes and Swedes call Viennese bread. Dunno what the Viennese call it.

Not to mention singing hinnies. Which might be Geordie for something like a crumpet with currants in, but I can't be totally sure.

Hell, I was already confused when you started, because I wouldn't have called a crumpet 'hard'. At least not the ones I've had. They seem like a sort of middle stage between a firm pancake and a batter-based bread.

But I do like fresh warm bread-like objects with melted butter on them, almost no matter what you call them. And tea, though no one in England seems to drink it any more.

[idahoswede.livejournal.com]

ACtually, according to my husband, the Swede, at least, it's not Viennese, but Vienner after the GUY, not the place.

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

I'm skeptical. What guy, exactly? The Swedish word sure looks like it comes straight from the same word in German, Wienerbrot, and the Swedes often do garble things a bit as they come in from the German, which is how Sweden wound up with "snälltåg" from "schnellzug".

[idahoswede.livejournal.com]

I'll ask Anders when he gets up in the morning where he read that. It's just something he told me.

[jophan.livejournal.com]

I'm with akirlu here. Vienna is (and was) famous for its cafés and pastry. Nationalencyklopedin says the etymology is unknown, but point to the good reputation of Viennese cakes. If Anders is thinking of Wienerbagar'n, that baker is much later.

[profundo-rosso.livejournal.com]

Ann: "The Welsh life is punctuated with tea." When her mom received an insurance cheque for £10K recently, she sat down .. with a cuppa.

Hard? Well, a bit rubbery, then.

Now, shall I get Ann to address the topic of her mother's Welsh Cakes?

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

I allus knew I liked the Welsh. Northern Wales was the only bit of the UK that felt homelike to me. England is much too tame and overgrazed.

Yes, let's compromise on rubbery and get on to Ann's mother's Welsh Cakes, by all means. At this rate, I'm going to wind up having to bake some scones when I get home (the nice, plain, savory ones like my Swedish mama used to make, none of this currants and cranberries and suchlike).

The Precise Relationship Between a Crumpet and an English Muffin

[ladyjestocost.livejournal.com]

An English muffin is a dead crumpet.

The relationship is similar to that of bagels and donuts.

Re: The Precise Relationship Between a Crumpet and an English Muffin

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

A bagel is a dead donut?

Re: The Precise Relationship Between a Crumpet and an English Muffin

[ladyjestocost.livejournal.com]

Yes, A bagel, lifeless, tough, flavorless, resembling a donut only in form, is indeed a dead donut.

It should be remember that I first encountered bagels in Eastern Washington in the mid-70s and have never recovered. It is possible that somewhere bagels are a toothsome delight, but I have been unable to overcome my early trauma.

Re: The Precise Relationship Between a Crumpet and an English Muffin

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

Well, I have never had a bagel in Eastern Washington, but I can imagine it would be a non-canonical bagel. Especially in the mid-70s. Introduction traumas are quite understandable. I have never forgiven Mr. Pibb/Dr. Pepper for not tasting like cola, either.

[maryread.livejournal.com]

One of the Cultural Advantages of living in the east coast area during the sixties was that we could get real bagels. (There was a joke I forget about Martians stopping for spare tires..?) After we left New York State for Wisconsin, it was still some years before real bagels arrived in the Midwest, in approximately 1972, although before that there were rumors that (like tortillas) they might be available in the urban center of Milwaukee. While we were waiting, though, Nevenah's big brother Mr Alaska baked some pretty fine bagels at their house. (But not cinnamon bagels, feh!)

On the other hand, Dr Pepper was my drink of choice as a Southern tyke, not available elsewhere, and I was sad and perplexed to leave it behind when we moved east. I happen to be hoarding two cans at this moment, courtesy of [Unknown site tag].

Can't think of any food thing I really dislike at the moment, except mussels. Fortunately there are so many other things to eat.

[filkerdave.livejournal.com]

There really isn't a relationship as such. They're more FWBs.

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

Well, I wouldn't want to Put You On A Quest, or anything, but if you happen to find anything out about the origins of the English muffin, and how it relates to crumpets, or what the English refer to as muffins, which are of course different from American muffins. I think.

Say, did you ever figure out what the English or Cornish equivalent of a London broil steak or a Cornish game hen would be?

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

Well, fine then. Hie thee hence and discover stuff.