Flies' graveyard and flies' cemetery are nicknames used in various parts of the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
for sweet pastries filled with
currants or
raisin
A raisin is a dried grape. Raisins are produced in many regions of the world and may be eaten raw or used in cooking, baking, and brewing. In the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia, the word ''raisin'' is reserved for the ...
s, which are jokingly said to resemble dead
flies
Flies are insects of the order Diptera, the name being derived from the Greek δι- ''di-'' "two", and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hindwings having evolved into advanced m ...
. In
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
, they are known as ''fly cakes'', ''fruit slice'' or ''fruit squares'' and in
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
as ''currant squares''. In the North East of England, the pastries are ''fly cakes'' or ''fly pie''.
In Wales it is called ''Cacen Pwdin'' ("dessert cake"); and in New Zealand they are known as ''fruit slice'' or ''fly cemetery''.
The mixture is similar to sweet
mince pie
A mince pie (also mincemeat pie in the United States, and fruit mince pie in Australia and New Zealand) is a sweet pie of English origin filled with mincemeat, being a mixture of fruit, spices and suet. The pies are traditionally served during ...
s, which are traditionally eaten at
Christmas
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...
time in the United Kingdom.
The
Garibaldi biscuit
The Garibaldi biscuit consists of currants squashed and baked between two thin oblongs of biscuit dough—technically called a currant sandwich. The biscuits are similar to Eccles cake as well as the Golden Raisin Biscuits once made by Sunshine ...
, which contains a layer of squashed currants is commonly known as a "squashed fly" or "dead fly" biscuit in the UK.
See also
*
Eccles cake
An Eccles cake is a small, round pie, similar to a turnover, filled with currants and made from flaky pastry with butter, sometimes topped with demerara sugar. The word cake has generally since narrowed in meaning to sweet, leavened baked good ...
*
Garibaldi biscuit
The Garibaldi biscuit consists of currants squashed and baked between two thin oblongs of biscuit dough—technically called a currant sandwich. The biscuits are similar to Eccles cake as well as the Golden Raisin Biscuits once made by Sunshine ...
*
Gur cake
*
Pastry
Pastry is baked food made with a dough of flour, water and shortening (solid fats, including butter or lard) that may be savoury or sweetened. Sweetened pastries are often described as '' bakers' confectionery''. The word "pastries" sugges ...
References
External links
Fruit slice recipe
British desserts
British pastries
Fruit dishes
Scottish cuisine
New Zealand desserts
Winter traditions
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