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| http://www.flickr.com/photos/secretlondon/2906556775/ |
Perhaps when people recommend you to try something new, they're thinking of the exotic - mexican, sushi... etc.
I heartily disagree.
If there's one thing I learnt from religiously watching "The Supersizers Go" is that the bizarrest foods can be in your own backyard. For example, five minutes in deepest East Ham and I ventured to try some of the local cuisine; courtesy of one "Greggs" - apparently a traditional British baker, where everything is made fresh!
At a centralised bakery, whereafter it mass delivers to all the franchises in the region.
How quaint.
Eager to try something new, I espied the above 'London Cheesecake' in the glossy counter of the establishment and I couldn't resist. (Follow flickr link to give credit to person who took picture BEFORE eating. How could you wait?)
This rather hairy looking dessert look slightly different to its American counterpart, the New York Cheesecake. It looks more like an albino, Welsh cousin who is generally given a ball to play with outside at family reunions. Y'know what I mean. At pastry family reunions.
It did cross my mind that Greggs was trying to offload a pastry that no one wants to eat by making it patriotic, from 'Lahn-dahn', and therefore maybe more appetising. but it's an actual dessert!!
Follow links to find truth of what I say:
http://www.yellowswordfish.com/735/how-to-make-a-london-cheesecake/
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=627418
Apparently it's a pastry dish with almond paste, jam, icing sugar and grated coconut on the top that is known by about 5 people, it's also known as 'Old Men's Beards', or simply 'Cheesecake' to many people.
And how did it taste? Very, very, very sweet. No jam unfortunately, or almond paste. But never mind, I'm quite tempted to make it from the recipe above now.
I don't entirely trust Greggs to have made the authentic thing.
To quote a friend, 'all the pastries from Greggs look like they've been punched in the face'.
Why not expand your cultural borders like I have!?!
Just a quick addendum (I like words that sounds like dramatic percussion... even if they're not warranted). After showing my brother the picture of the London cheesecake, he thought it looked more like an albino Rastafarian. I bow to his much superior pastry similes.
ReplyDeleteI mean, that is spot on.