SC - Yellow Man

[Christine A Seelye-King]

>From: Phil & Susan Troy
>I _am_, though, aware of an Irish candy (or at least I found it in an 
>Irish cookbook) called, I believe, Yellow Man, which involves very
>lightly caramelized sugar (or maybe it's brown sugar cooked to some
>variant on the crack or candy stage) with vinegar and baking soda, so
>it fizzez to a foam as it cools and hardens. To me this sounds like
>something that might have  been sold at fairs in the late 19th century
>at the earliest.

Oh, this is sooo cool!  I just got back with all of these cookbooks from
GB, and I have not even had a chance to look through them, and here is
another recipie that is from them.  
Yellow Man is a traditional candy served at Ol' Lammas Faire, held in
Ballycastle, North Ireland.  The faire itself dates from 1606, and is one
of Ireland's oldest traditional faires.  (Held August 1st = Lammas)
Although bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) was introduced in the
nineteenth century, so this candy is not period in this form, it might
have forerunners, who knows?!

YELLOW MAN

1 oz butter
8 oz brown sugar
1 lb. golden syrup
1 dessertspoon water
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

Melt the butter in a saucepan, then add the sugar, golden syrup, water
and vinegar.  Stir until all the ingredients are melted, then boil until
the mixture reaches the 'hard crack' stage: 290 degrees F.  This can be
tested by dropping a little of the mixture into cold water, leaving for a
moment, then picking it up between the finger and thumb.  When the finger
and thumb are separated, the thread fromed between them should break
sharply.  Stir in the bicarbonate of soda, when the mixture will foam up
and then pour on to a greased, heatproof slab, turning in the edges with
a palette knife.  When cool enough to handle, pull with buttered hands
until pale in colour.  When completely hardened, break into rough pieces.
  

Traditionally sold at Lammas Faire in County Antrim, where chunks were
chipped off from a large block and sold to customers. 

From:
Favorite Irish Recipies
Traditional Fare from the Emerald Isle
J. Salmon Ltd., Sevenoaks, England.

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