Oatcake: Difference between revisions
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Oatcakes have been a part of the [[British cuisine|cuisine of Great Britain]] for a significant period of time.<ref name="Hope">{{cite book | url=http://books.google.com/books?id=yJWnzaM_12kC&pg=PA110 | title=A Caledonian Feast | publisher=Canongate Books | author=Hope, Annette | year=2010 | pages=110 | isbn=1847674429}}</ref> The book ''A Caledonian Feast'' states that oatcakes "were long made in other parts of Britain too", in addition to their existence in Scotland.<ref name="Hope"/> |
Oatcakes have been a part of the [[British cuisine|cuisine of Great Britain]] for a significant period of time.<ref name="Hope">{{cite book | url=http://books.google.com/books?id=yJWnzaM_12kC&pg=PA110 | title=A Caledonian Feast | publisher=Canongate Books | author=Hope, Annette | year=2010 | pages=110 | isbn=1847674429}}</ref> The book ''A Caledonian Feast'' states that oatcakes "were long made in other parts of Britain too", in addition to their existence in Scotland.<ref name="Hope"/> |
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However, the ''Scottish oatcake'' is not to be confused with the [[Staffordshire oatcake]] as although both are made from oatmeal the results are very different.<ref name=p190-9781845697204>{{cite book|last=Cauvain & Young|title=More Baking Problems Solved|date=26 Aug 2009|publisher=Elsevier|isbn=9781845697204|page=190|url=https://encrypted.google.com/books?id=qrmkAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA190&dq=scottish+oatcake&hl=en&sa=X&ei=SxBiU9bNDMfgOPu9gEA&ved=0CDEQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=scottish%20oatcake&f=false}}</ref> |
However, the ''Scottish oatcake'' (biscuit) is not to be confused with the [[Staffordshire oatcake]] as although both are made from oatmeal the results are very different.<ref name=p190-9781845697204>{{cite book|last=Cauvain & Young|title=More Baking Problems Solved|date=26 Aug 2009|publisher=Elsevier|isbn=9781845697204|page=190|url=https://encrypted.google.com/books?id=qrmkAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA190&dq=scottish+oatcake&hl=en&sa=X&ei=SxBiU9bNDMfgOPu9gEA&ved=0CDEQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=scottish%20oatcake&f=false}}</ref> |
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==Ireland== |
==Ireland== |
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Revision as of 13:11, 1 May 2014
.jpg) Oatcakes | |
| Type | Cracker |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Scotland |
| Main ingredients | Oatmeal |
An oatcake is a type of flatbread, similar to a cracker, made from oatmeal, and sometimes flour as well. Oatcakes are cooked on a griddle (girdle in Scotland)[1][2] or baked in an oven. Oatcake variations exist based upon different preparations in various regions and countries.
Jean Le Bel, around 1357-60 describes the Beguine nuns making "little pancakes rather like communion wafers". This is thought to be an early description of a Scottish oatcake.[3]
Scotland
In Scotland, oatcakes are made on a girdle or by baking rounds of oatmeal on a tray. If the rounds are large, they are sliced into farls before baking. Oats are one of the few grains which grow well in the north of Scotland and were, until the 20th century, the staple grain used.
Scottish soldiers in the 14th century carried a metal plate and a sack of oatmeal. According to contemporary accounts, one would heat the plate over fire, moisten a bit of oatmeal and make a cake to "comfort his stomach. Hence it is no marvel that the Scots should be able to make longer marches than other men."[4][5]
Samuel Johnson referred, disparagingly, to this staple diet in his dictionary definition for oats:
- A grain, which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland supports the people.
Lord Elibank was said by Sir Walter Scott to have retorted
- Yes, and where else will you see such horses and such men?[6]
The texture may vary from rough to fine depending on how the oats are ground. Oatcakes may be slightly chewy or hard depending the water content and how long they are cooked. Oatcakes were traditionally eaten with every meal as a major source of carbohydrate in the diet. From the 19th century onwards they were commonly served to accompany soups, meat and fish dishes. Today they are sometimes eaten as an alternative to bread or toast at breakfast.[7][8]
Nowadays, many brands of oatcakes are commercially available, such as Nairns, Paterson's, and Walkers. Apart from those larger commercial manufacturers of oatcakes, there are many local bakers providing variations on the basic recipe.
Queen Elizabeth II typically has Scottish oatcakes for breakfast[9] and Walkers Oatcakes carry a Royal Warrant.[10] British Prime Minister David Cameron named Scottish oatcakes as his favourite cake.[11]
Great Britain
Oatcakes have been a part of the cuisine of Great Britain for a significant period of time.[12] The book A Caledonian Feast states that oatcakes "were long made in other parts of Britain too", in addition to their existence in Scotland.[12]
However, the Scottish oatcake (biscuit) is not to be confused with the Staffordshire oatcake as although both are made from oatmeal the results are very different.[13]
Ireland
Oatcakes similar to the Scottish variety are produced in Ireland, in a shared tradition with the Scots.[citation needed] Ditty's is a brand of Irish oatcake.
Canada
Scottish immigrants to the New World brought the recipe for this sustaining food to Canada. One such journey was HMS Elizabeth, which brought immigrants to Prince Edward Island in 1775. Caught in a storm just off the coast of the island, the settlers and crew all survived and made it to the island in life boats, where they waited for three days for the storm to die down. When they returned to their ship to retrieve their possessions and provisions, they discovered that several barrels of oats were among the few foodstuffs that remained. The oats were full of sand and salt water, but that didn't stop them from breaking out the frying pans and cooking oatcakes as their first meal in days. One settler wrote in his journal, "This I thought was the Sweetest morsel I ever Ate in my life though the Outside was burnt black and the middle was not half done".[14]
Oatcakes in Canada gradually moved from being a mainstay of the diet, to being a part of afternoon tea. Sweet and savoury versions were developed, to be served with jam or cheese respectively.
See also
References
- ^ Chambers English Dictionary. W. & R. Chambers and Cambridge University Press. 1987. pp. 599, 624. ISBN 1-85296-000-0.
- ^ Mairi Robinson, ed. (1987). The Concise Scots Dictionary. Aberdeen University Press. p. 233. ISBN 0-08-028492-2.
- ^ Le Bel, Jehan (1290–1360). The True Chronicles of Jean Le Bel. Scotland: Boydell & Brewer Ltd, 2011. p. 40. ISBN 9781843836940.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date format (link) - ^ McNeill, Marian (1929). "Bannocks, Scones, and Tea-bread". The Scots Kitchen (1993 ed.). Blackie & Son Ltd/Mercat Press Ltd. p. 175. ISBN 1-84183-070-4.
- ^ "Feasting with Shadows". Outremer.co.uk. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
- ^ The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D.: Including a Journal of His Tour to the Hebrides. Volume 3 by James Boswell. Edited by John Wilson Croker. Publisher: Derby & Jackson, New York, 1858. Page 11.
- ^ Elizabeth Foyster, Christopher A. Whatley (2009). A History of Everyday Life in Scotland, 1600 to 1800. Edinburgh University Press. p. 139.
- ^ Alan Davidson and Tom Jaine (2006). The Oxford companion to food. Oxford University Press. p. 185.
- ^ "Right royal requirements". BBC. 10 October 2000.
- ^ "Scottish oatcake". Walkers Shortbread Ltd.
- ^ "Let them eat oatcake". Edinburgh: The Scotsman. 17 October 2009.
- ^ a b Hope, Annette (2010). A Caledonian Feast. Canongate Books. p. 110. ISBN 1847674429.
- ^ Cauvain & Young (26 August 2009). More Baking Problems Solved. Elsevier. p. 190. ISBN 9781845697204.
- ^ Roy, Suman and Brooke Ali (2010). From Pemmican to Poutine: A Journey Through Canada's Culinary History. Toronto: The Key Publishing House, Inc. p. 16. ISBN 978-1-926780-00-9.
Further reading
- Sinclair, Molly. Scottish Heritage Cookbook. Heritage Cookbooks. Mission San Jose, California: 1990.
External links
