The Historical Evolution of Mince Pies from Medieval Recipes to Modern Christmas Treats
Mince pies, a traditional treat during Christmas in English-speaking countries, trace their origins back to medieval cooking. The earliest known English cookbook, The Forme of Cury, dating around 1390, includes recipes for tarts made with meat and fruit. These recipes can be linked to the tenth-century Arabic cookbook Kitab al-Tabikh by Ibn Sayyār al-Warrāq. During the twelfth century, European crusaders brought spices to affluent households, inspiring festive culinary creations. By the late Victorian era, sweet fruits had replaced meat in these pies. Originally shaped like a baby's cradle, this design fell out of favor in seventeenth-century Puritan England. Mentions of mince pies can be found in works by Shakespeare (1603), Dickens (1843), and Brontë (1847). Today, making them at home is encouraged.
Key facts
- Mince pies originated from medieval recipes in The Forme of Cury (c. 1390).
- Their culinary roots trace back to the tenth-century Arabic cookbook Kitab al-Tabikh by Ibn Sayyār al-Warrāq.
- Spices like cinnamon, pepper, cloves, and nutmeg were guarded by Arab traders with tales like the Cinnamologus bird.
- European crusaders introduced these ingredients to the West in the twelfth century.
- Mince pies were historically shaped oblong to represent a baby's crib, topped with a pastry Jesus.
- The practice of adding meat to mince pies ended in the late Victorian period.
- References to mince pies appear in works by Shakespeare, Dickens, and Brontë.
- The article was published in the December 2021 issue of ArtReview.
Entities
Artists
- Shakespeare
- Charles Dickens
- Charlotte Brontë
- Marchamont Nedham
- Ibn Sayyār al-Warrāq
Institutions
- ArtReview
Locations
- Baghdad
- Persia
- Fertile Crescent
- Rome
- Greece
- Southeast Asia
- England