The history pf pastry

[Binky Profile]

On another website, someone has written that pastry was never meant to be eaten, it was to serve as a container for the food therein. The pastry was inedible due to lack of shortening.

However, the eastern/Arabic people have been making filo pastry with flour and oil for countless centuries, and the Egyptian wall paintings show pastry offerings and feasts.

Was it only the West that didn't eat pastry?

Any pastry chefs here who might know?

[Amyw Profile]

I believe the crimp on a pasty was for the miners to hold it while they ate the rest of the pasty , as their hands were so grubby !!

I’ve heard the same , though can’t renember where from that pastry was originally used as a container and must have been gradually refined over the years .

[Sakkarin Profile]

In "Forme of Cury" (1390), there's a recipe for apple tart. There doesn't seem an awful lot of point in cooking the apples in a pastry case ("cofyn") if the pastry was not for eating.

XXIII. FOR TO MAKE TARTYS IN APPLIS.
Tak gode Applys and gode Spycis and Figys and reysons and Perys and wan they are wel ybrayed colourd wyth Safroun wel and do yt in a cofyn and do yt forth to bake wel.

http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/foc/FoC160small.html

[Binky Profile]

I haven't heard that good old Yorkshire word 'brayed' for ages. Must be 50 years. It was never in the context of cooking though, more like 'he needs a good braying' i.e. a good hiding.

From now on, I shan't mash my potatoes, I shall bray them.

[cherrytree Profile]

People’bray’ each other in West Cumbria too.

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

I thought olde pastry was inedible, as it was as hard as a brick.
And used as a seal/ lid (much like when you put a lid on a casserole, and sealed the edges airtight with a ring of pastry nowadays).

Nope
Never heard of bray, but Tony wanted to know what mythering was the other day. Came up on Flog-it.

[Binky Profile]

Mythering is when someone is pestering you (in a friendly way) like a child asking endless questions or a friend who rabbits on when you're trying to concentrate on something else.

[Stokey Sue Profile]

I think mythering must be variant of a word I know, which is moithering, means the same thing. The dictionary says it's Yorkshire, so not sure why I've known it all my life, though my dad's best friend when I was little was very Yorkshire so probably the dog and I were often accused of it.

[Renee Profile]

Oh dear Sue!

Yes, I had heard of the word, but it's not one that my family ever used.

[Amyw Profile]

Both my grandads were from Yorkshire , (I’m a devon girl) so heard the word mithering a lot

[Lusciouslush Profile]

Memories...…..moithered - as in, I can't be moithered - bothered - or stop (bothering) moithering me - and I grew up in Swansea.

I really like these quinky-dinky words - another I love is kerfuckled -means totally confused/tired - That I picked up from my dyed-in-the-wool Yorkshire father in-law.

There are loads more...…………….

[Pampy Profile]

Mythering has always been used by my (Lancastrian) family and friends.

[wargarden Profile]

i think inedible pastry might be British and Europe thing thing.
A History of English Food by Clarissa Dickson Wright

[Suelle Profile Website]

Surely both forms of pastry would have been used, as appropriate, as they are today. Things like fish are often baked in pastry which is not eaten, or ropes of pastry are used as a seal for a casserole lid. That doesn't mean we regard all pastry as inedible - it depends on the context in which it is used.

[Renee Profile]

My mother was from the south and lived in Devon until she was 10, before they moved up north, so that's why she never used the word.

[Alexandria Profile]

This link from Wikipedia is quite well written and begins with the Egyptians, Phoenicians, Greeks and Romans who prepared a "phyllo" from flour and olive oil.


Http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/pastry

[Meganthemog Profile]

Memories...…..moithered - as in, I can't be moithered - bothered - or stop (bothering) moithering me - and I grew up in Swansea.

I really like these quinky-dinky words - another I love is kerfuckled -means totally confused/tired - That I picked up from my dyed-in-the-wool Yorkshire father in-law.

There are loads more...…………….

Where in Swansea Luscious? I'm a Swansea girl - left for 30+ years but returned about 10 years ago. Back in Sketty where I was brought up and loving being 'home'. I love the word mitching for someone who is bunking off school. Give something a swill when you give it a quick wash.

[cherrytree Profile]

As this is a food board, ‘ top scran’ is a word used in West Cumbria meaning absolutely delicious food.
We pick blackites at the end of August to make bramble Jam and the core of an apple is a scrunt.

[Lusciouslush Profile]

Small world Megan! I grew up in Cockett & was a Mynnyddbach girl! I still have family there & visit, but not as often as I'd like ( Hiraeth) I have lived away for 35+ yrs, but it is always home - you can take the girl out of Swansea, but you can't take S'sea out of the girl!
Diolch yn fawr for that Swansea.

I still use mitching now & then - but use swill a lot...………….!