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Marmalade Week
Apr 19
Other Scottish Country Dances for this Day
Today's Musings, History & Folklore
"A choice pot of marmalade and a slice of cold ham ... essentials of English comfort."
~ Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888)
Yum! It's not only the English who love marmalade! This week marks the competitions for marmalade makers is the Dalemain Marmalade Awards! This annual event is held at Dalemain Mansion & Historic Gardens near Penrith in Cumbria, England, but it attracts entries from all over Scotland and worldwide! The Scots make a special claim to this bittersweet concoction. Orange marmalade, with its vibrant, bittersweet zing, has graced breakfast tables for centuries. Originating in the 15th century, legend suggest it was the Scots, who refined the marmalade process in the 18th century. According to lore, the cargo of a Spanish ship, carrying Seville oranges, was salvaged by a storm-struck Dundee harbormaster. His resourceful wife, aiming to not waste the bitter fruit, added sugar and transformed them into the marmalade we cherish today. This concoction was not only a way to preserve the tangy goodness of Seville oranges—renowned for their uniquely tart, aromatic zest—but also became a symbol of resourcefulness and warmth. English and Scottish migrants took marmalade with them to Canada with them, where it remains popular to this day. Americans, on the other hand, have been generally less enthused perhaps because sweet oranges, rather than the more bitter Sevilles, have been more readily available. This square set strathspey contains enough complex figures and meanwhiles to take the marmalade prize for dancing! Spread it on thick! 🍊 🍊 🍊
The Marmalade Maker
This week marks the announcement of the winners of this year's Marmalade competition held at Dalemain Mansions & Gardens at Penrith, Cumbria.
Originally, marmalade was a quince preserve "consisting of a sweet, solid, quince jelly but with the spices replaced by flavourings of rose water and musk or ambergris, and cut into squares for eating .”
By the 16th century, the candied flesh of oranges imported from Spain and Portugal began to be more popularly used to make pastes alongside the preserving of the peel. Preserved candied peels became favorite additions to cake recipes, leading to the increased association of Seville orange flavour with other preserves, such as marmalades.
In 1797, James Keiller and his wife Janet, who ran a small sweet and preserves shop in the Seagate section of Dundee, opened a factory to produce the famous "Dundee Marmalade", a preserve distinguished by thick chunks of bitter Seville orange rind.
And for more on this year's marmalade festival and winners, click the jars of marmalade at the competition.
Click the dance cribs or description below to link to a printable version of the dance!
