Antiquated Slop for the 21st Century

Sometimes, in fact most of the time, I get sidetracked when coming across a new word or subject whether it be when reading a book or catching a reference in a radio or television broadcast.

That was the case recently when during an audio dramatisation of "The Mayor of Casterbridge" by Thomas Hardy there was mention in passing, although (spoiler alert) actually contributing to the main storyline of a foodstuff as follows; "Grains of wheat, swollen as large as lemon pips floated on the surface" and ...it was .. "as nourishing and proper a food as could be obtained within the four seas". 

The first description is far from appetising as is anything bobbing about on top of a meal served in a bowl or a cup. That can be quite off-putting at best.

However, the testament to being a great sustaining and miraculous substance was a matter of intrigue to me.

Thomas Hardy, in his Wessex colloquialisms called it "furmity" and it was enjoyed by the principal characters in the opening chapter of the novel first published in two parts in 1886 and set in the earlier part of the Victorian Era.

His ingredients are the classic ones for the dish, more commonly  called "Furmenty", being corn in the grain, flour, milk, raisins and currants.


The "antiquated slop" according to Hardy was a staple of a good proportion of the rural population of the time. Unfortunately for the principal male in the story the provider of the furmity boosts the demand for her porridge type mix by liberally lacing it with strong liquor and the rest, well, is literary gold.


Its use by Hardy as a dramatic catalyst in writing is quite late in the history of furmity.



As early as 1390 it is mentioned in a book on cooking and customs and this qualifies it as perhaps England's oldest national dish.

As well as day to day consumption it was brought out to be eaten on main religious occasions and could be dressed up from its basic gruel form so as to appeal to the better off in contemporary society.

An enhanced combination of eggs, almonds, sugar, saffron and orange water elevated furmity to an exotic level particularly as these ingredients were only accessible to those of status and wealth.

Throughout Medieval Europe it was a popular dish and versions of it can be traced farther afield to Persia and countries bordering the Mediterranean.

In those times of uncertainty over the availability of a steady supply of food as a consequence of war, crop failures and the periodic decimation of the population through plaque you can appreciate that a single dish covering main food groups, being relatively cheap and accessible would prove essential for sustenance and survival in bleak times.

Regional variations even within the relatively small land mass of England are recorded with slightly different methods of preparation and flavouring dependant upon what was available at the time across the nation.

As Thomas Hardy describes it was most common amongst rural folk.

In the setting of Casterbridge it is served from a large tent at a country fair, usually where agricultural workers and their families went to be hired for a season on the land. There are long trestle tables and benches in the enclosure and a large black-iron cooking pot churns out the mix to a paying public.

I am sure that I have tasted something very similar and what springs to mind is a curd tart from a local bakery store or just plain porridge jazzed up a bit and certainly more appetising than Hardy's promotion of something floating on a congealed mass of grains and fruits.