Pope Ladies
Pope ladies are yeast-based buns unique to the city of St. Albans, Hertfordshire, England.[1] They are thought to date from the Middle Ages.
Pope ladies are shaped to look like figures consisting of a body, head, two arms but no legs. The base of the body would be tapered to a point.[2]
An example of the bun can be found in Museum of St Albans.[3]
Traditionally they were said to have been made and handed out to the poor on Lady Day[4] or New Year's Day[5] (although there is some debate over this).[6] Nowadays they are available from most local baker shops.
Recipes are available on the internet, many of which seem to be from American sites.[7][8] Traditionally nutmeg should be added,[5] but some recent recipes don't include this.
References
[edit]- ^ "Catholic Recipe: Pope Ladies". Catholic Culture.
- ^ English Pope Ladies by Holiday.Cook | ifood.tv
- ^ St Albans Museums.
- ^ Thomas Firminger Thiselton Dyer (1891). British Popular Customs, Present and Past: Illustrating the Social and Domestic Manners of the People: Arranged According to the Calendar of the Year. G. Bell. pp. 181–.
- ^ a b Nick Groom (21 November 2013). The Seasons: An Elegy for the Passing of the Year. Atlantic Books, Limited. pp. 228–. ISBN 978-1-78239-206-4.
- ^ “Pope Ladies” Notes and Queries, 17 May 1973.
- ^ Hertfordshire Pope Lady Cakes Recipe - British & Regional Recipes
- ^ Chicken with honey and oranges, Pope ladies and Harpenden strawberry pie (From St Albans & Harpenden Review)
- ^ "Boiling Pope Ladies". Public Radio. Archived March 27, 2011, at the Wayback Machine