SC - Cracknels

[James and/or Nancy Gilly]

At 03:40 8-12-97 +0000, Sayyid Ras wrote:
>In a message dated 97-12-07 15:53:28 EST, you write:
>
><<  It seems as if the Cracknels sound like Matzoh Balls.  >>
>
>I may have missed something here but where are the interprtations of cracknels
>coming from that think them a bread type product? Since bread crumbs are
>already mentioned in the recipe this term would be , IMHO, only with a stretch
>of the imagination  related  to bread. Has anyone thought that  these may in
>fact be "cracklings" which are the bits left over when lard is rendered? It
>makes perfect since and when used in this recipe as I did today they work just
>fine.
>
>Ras


When in doubt, check the OED. 8)

     CRACKNEL, 1.  A light, crisp kind of biscuit, of a curved or hollow
                   shape.  Cf CRACKLING 4.  [various citations, dating from
                   1440 to 1884]
          2.  pl. Small pieces of fat pork fried crisp.  (local Eng. and
              U.S.)  Cf CRACKLING 3 b.  [no citations given]
          3.  = CRACKLE 3, CRACKLING 5.  rare  [one citation, dated 18xx -
              don't have a magnifying glasss handy to make out the last
              two digits]

The other definitions referred to are:

     CRACKLING, 3b.  dial and U.S.  The crisp residue of hogs' fat after
                the lard is dried out.  [two citations from the 1880s]
          4.  = CRACKNEL.  Now dial.  [three citations - can't read the
              date on the first; the other two are from the 1800s]
          5.  = CRACKLE 3, crackle-ware.  [one citation from the 1800s]

The definition for "crackle" refers to china (the sort with the finish with
cracks all over it), not to food, so I won't bother copying it here.

Since all the other definitions come from the 19th century, I'd say
definition 1 - the biscuit - is the pertinent one.

Slainte -


Alasdair mac Iain     

- -----------------------------
James and/or Nancy Gilly
katiemorag at worldnet.att.net

****  REUNITE GONDWANALAND!!

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