Let’s talk about it. Fruitcake. You either love it or hate it, but it happens to be a Christmas tradition. The sweet, sticky cake packed with fruits and nuts, has been around for longer than you think and we don’t see it going away any time soon. So, what’s the history behind this divided dessert?
Fruitcake dates back to a food enjoyed by the ancient Romans called satura, which was a mix of barley, pomegranate seeds, nuts, and raisins held together with honey. It’s believed that the dessert was invented as a way to preserve fruit.
The fruitcake gained popularity as a dish for special occasions in the 18th and 19th centuries. During this time, the ingredients in the dish were harder to find and more expensive, which made it a special treat.
So when did the dessert become less liked? You can thank mass production for that. In the 20th century, mail-order fruitcakes were popular holiday gifts. Until then, people used family and friend’s recipes. But the mail-order order ones couldn’t compare to homemade ones and they were often dry.
In fact, fruitcake is so hated that there’s an annual fruitcake toss in Manitou Springs, Colorado, where they throw fruitcakes as far out of sight as they can.
While people love to hate fruitcake, it’s still a Christmas staple. But if you don’t want to get disapproving looks from your loved ones, you’re better off skipping the dessert all together.
