Eton mess is a traditional
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
dessert consisting of a mixture of strawberries or other berries,
meringue
Meringue (, ; ) is a type of dessert or candy, often associated with Swiss, French, Polish and Italian cuisines, traditionally made from whipped egg whites and sugar, and occasionally an acidic ingredient such as lemon, vinegar, or cream o ...
, and whipped cream.
First mentioned in print in 1893, it is commonly believed to originate from
Eton College
Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, ...
and is served at the
annual cricket match against the pupils of
Harrow School. Eton mess is occasionally served at
Harrow School, where it is referred to as Harrow mess.
Lancing mess (which uses bananas) is a similar dessert that is served throughout the year at
Lancing College
Lancing College is a public school (English independent day and boarding school for pupils aged 13–18) in southern England, UK. The school is located in West Sussex, east of Worthing near the village of Lancing, on the south coast of England. ...
in
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in South East England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the shire districts of Adur, Arun, Chichester, Horsham, and Mid Sussex, and the boroughs of Crawley and Worthing. Covering an ...
.
History
Eton mess was served in the 1930s in the school's "sock shop" (
tuck shop
A tuck shop is a small retailer located either within or close-to the grounds of a school, hospital, apartment complex, or other similar facility. In traditional British usage, tuck shops are associated chiefly with the sale of confectionery, sw ...
), and was originally made with either strawberries or bananas mixed with ice-cream or cream. Meringue was a later addition.
An Eton mess can be made with many other types of summer fruit, but strawberries are regarded as more traditional.
The word ''mess'' may refer to the appearance of the dish,
or may be used in the sense of "a quantity of food", particularly "a prepared dish of soft food" or "a mixture of ingredients cooked or eaten together".
"Eton mess" in popular parlance
In recent times, "Eton mess" has often been used by commentators in the media to describe political infighting within the UK
Conservative Party over issues such as
Brexit
Brexit (; a portmanteau of "British exit") was the withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU) at 23:00 GMT on 31 January 2020 (00:00 1 February 2020 CET).The UK also left the European Atomic Energy Community (EAEC ...
. Eton mess is used because a number of Conservative politicians were educated at Eton College.
See also
*
Cranachan
Cranachan ( gla, Crannachan ) is a traditional Scottish dessert. It was originally a celebration of harvest, made following the raspberry harvest in June. The dessert of cream and fresh seasonal raspberries is bolstered by Scottish oats and whis ...
*
Fruit fool
A fool is an English dessert. Traditionally, fruit fool is made by folding puréed stewed fruit (classically gooseberries) into sweet custard. Modern fool recipes often skip the traditional custard and use whipped cream. Additionally, a flavo ...
*
List of strawberry dishes
This is a list of strawberry dishes, foods and beverages, which use strawberry as a primary ingredient. Several desserts use strawberries as a main ingredient, and strawberries are also used as a topping on some foods, such as French toast, waffle ...
*
Pavlova
References
Further reading
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Eton Mess
British desserts
English cuisine
Eton College
Fruit dishes
Strawberry dishes
Banana dishes
Victorian cuisine
Meringue desserts
Desserts
British cuisine