Eggnog

MEDIEVAL REMEDY

There are debates about how exactly eggnog came to be. However, most people who have probed its mysterious origins agree that it seems to have morphed from an English drink called “posset.”



Posset was used as a remedy in England as far back as the 15th century. One early reference to it is Russell’s “Boke of Nurture,” which dates from about 1460. Posset’s main ingredient was milk, which was heated, flavored with alcoholic drinks, and curdled before being sweetened with the same types of spices used for eggnog—namely, nutmeg and cinnamon.

MINCEMEAT

"Thrift, thrift, Horatio! The funeral baked meats / Did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables." The reference to "baked meats" in this scene from Shakespeare's "Hamlet" may sound odd to the modern ear, but the mince pie was a popular dish of his era in England. However just a few decades later, these savory treats came under the scorn of Oliver Cromwell and his religiously strict government and were reportedly banned as part of a crackdown on celebrations in general. On National Mincemeat Day, one can look back on the interesting history of this quintessentially English dish.

"FIGGY" PUDDING

In America, Christmas Pudding (also known as plum pudding or figgy pudding) is a dish as famous as it is misunderstood. It’s the flaming center of the climactic meal of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” and pops up in carols themselves: “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” has two whole verses about demanding figgy pudding. 

GINGERBREAD MAN

You’re probably familiar with the classic gingerbread man cookie. But do you know the legend behind the holiday staple? Here’s what you need to know about the folk tale and the ancient recipe that inspired it.