The holidays and fruitcake have long been intertwined. Fruitcakes are often mocked, detested and discarded. Few gifted foods create such strong derision. However, fruitcake is tradition. And as most people know, Christmas is all about tradition.

 

Fruitcake is an enduring tradition, most simply because the food, well, endures. Most fruitcakes will last 8 to 12 months if wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored in an airtight container. If frozen, their lifespan could be endless. Jokingly, many families have said fruitcake is the only food durable enough to become an heirloom.

 

While mocked, it may entice a few people to know just how fruitcake has become a holiday treat.

 

The oldest references to fruitcake date back to Roman times. Ancient crusaders and hunters consumed fruitcake made with preserved fruits, pomegranate seeds, pine nuts, raisins, and honey. Fruitcake was a durable commodity that could persevere on long trips. Because of its combination of ingredients, fruitcake was also a good source of energy, much the way a trail mix is good for today's hikers.

 

In the 1700s, Europeans baked a ceremonial fruitcake at the end of the nut harvest. It was saved and eaten the following year at the harvest, with the hopes it would spur another successful harvest. Fruitcake evolved to more of a delicacy in the 1800s, even being served with tea in high society. It is rumored that Queen Victoria waited a year to eat a gifted fruitcake as a show of restraint and moderation.

 

Fruitcake can be an integral part of a holiday celebration, and not because it's being used to block drafts from under a door. Instead of giving fruitcakes as gifts, they should be served as part of the holiday feast. In addition to the sugar cookies and pies on the Christmas table, celebrants can serve slices of fruitcake featuring their favorite ingredients. GG10B086

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