Frumenty

Porridge of boiled grain in medieval Europe FrumentyDiners eating frumenty, Bartholomeus AnglicusAlternative namesFrumentee, furmity, fromity, fermentyTypePuddingMain ingredientsWheat, milk, eggs or broth Frumenty (sometimes frumentee, furmity, fromity, or fermenty) was a popular dish in Western European medieval cuisine. It is a porridge, a thick boiled grain dish—hence its name, which derives from the Latin word frumentum, "grain". It was usually made with creed wheat boiled with either milk or broth and was a peasant staple. More luxurious recipes included eggs, almonds, currants, sugar, saffron, and orange flower water. Frumenty was served with meat as a pottage, traditionally with venison or even porpoise (considered a "fish" and therefore appropriate for Lent). It was also frequently used as a subtlety, a dish between courses at a banquet.

[edit] History[edit] Florence White, founder of the English Folk Cookery Association, wrote in Good Things in England (1932) that frumenty is England's "oldest national dish". For several centuries, frumenty was part of the traditional Celtic Christmas meal. According to an 1822 Time's Telescope, in Yorkshire, on Christmas Eve:

Supper is served, of which one dish, from the lordly mansion to the humblest shed, is, invariably, furmety; yule cake, one of which is always made for each individual in the family, and other more substantial viands are also added. Poor Robin, in his Almanack for the year 1676, (speaking of the winter quarter,) says, "and lastly, who would but praise it, because of Christmas, when good cheer doth so abound, as if all the world were made of minced pies, plum-pudding, and furmety [sic]." It was often eaten on Mothering Sunday, the fourth Sunday of Lent, in late spring. On that day many servants were allowed to visit their mothers and were often served frumenty to celebrate and give them a wholesome meal to prepare them for their return journey. The use of eggs would have been a brief respite from the Lenten fast. In Lincolnshire, frumenty was associated with sheep-shearing in June. A diarist recalled of his youth in the 1820s that "almost every farmer in the village made a large quantity of frumenty on the morning they began to clip; and every child in the village was invited to partake of it". A second batch, of better quality, was produced later and taken round in buckets to every house in the village. Food historian Polly Russell describes one of the first English recipes for it in the 1390 manuscript The Forme of Cury, and how this served as the inspiration for the 2013 Christmas menu at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, transforming Victorian workhouse food for paupers into modern luxurious dining.

Literary references[edit] Frumentee is served with venison at a banquet in the mid-14th century North Midlands poem Wynnere and Wastoure: "Venyson with the frumentee, and fesanttes full riche / Baken mete therby one the burde sett", i.e. in modern English, "Venison with the frumenty and pheasants full rich; baked meat by it on the table set". The dish also appears, likewise paired with venison, at the New Year feast in the Middle English poem known as The Alliterative Morte Arthure (c. 1400): "Flesh flourisht of fermison, with frumentee noble." The dish, described as 'furmity' and served with fruit and a slug of rum added under the counter, plays a role in the plot of Thomas Hardy's novel The Mayor of Casterbridge. It is also mentioned in Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking-Glass as a food that snap-dragon-flies live on. Snap-dragon was a popular game at Christmas, and Carroll's mention of frumenty shows it was known to him as a holiday food.[citation needed] It also appears in a girl's recitation of holiday traditions, in My Lady Ludlow, published 1858, by Elizabeth Gaskell: "furmenty on Mothering Sunday, Violet cakes in Passion Week" (Chapter 2).

[edit] A dish made with boiled cracked wheat and soured milk was made in Ancient Persia and is still used, often as the basis for a soup, in Greece and Cyprus (as trahanas), and in Turkey (tarhana). Kutia is an Eastern European dish with a similar recipe. In Bangladesh, Pakistan and some other South-Asian countries, a dish called kheer is a common milk-based dessert similar to frumenty.

Frumenty may sound medieval, but its creamy, subtly sweet texture makes it a natural fit for a cold December table. The wheat base offers a hearty, neutral palate that can carry festive flavours – think cinnamon, nutmeg, or a splash of orange blossom water. Historically served alongside roast venison, today it pairs beautifully with turkey, ham or even a vegetarian nut roast. Its soft, porridge‑like consistency also works well as a base for a seasonal cheese board, letting smoked cheddar or brie melt gently into the grain. Because it’s a gentle, filling dish, frumenty can stretch a modest holiday spread without feeling like a side dish, echoing its original role as a peasant staple turned banquet grace.

Look for high‑quality hard or soft wheat berries at your local greengrocer or specialist bulk store; these retain a pleasant bite after cooking. If you prefer a quicker version, pearl barley or even rolled oats can stand in, though they will alter the texture slightly. Rinse the grain well before boiling to remove any dust, then simmer in milk for a richer taste or in a low‑sodium veg broth for a savoury twist. A splash of cream added at the end creates that signature silkiness. Seasoning is the fun part – a pinch of saffron for colour, a handful of toasted almonds for crunch, or dried currants for a hint of sweetness. Remember to stir frequently to avoid a skin forming on the surface.

Many assume frumenty belongs solely to the dessert realm because of historic sweet additions like sugar and orange flower water. In reality, the medieval dish was highly versatile: the basic wheat‑and‑liquid porridge could be served as a savoury pottage, especially with meat or fish during Lenten feasts. Modern cooks often overlook this dual nature, defaulting to a sugary version that masks its subtle grain flavour. To honour its original flexibility, try a savoury batch seasoned with thyme, a dash of white wine, and finished with a poached egg. This approach showcases frumenty’s capacity to bridge courses, just as it did in banquet halls centuries ago.