The Twelve Ingredients of a Christmas Dinner - Raisins

The Twelve Ingredients of a Christmas Dinner - Raisins

The raisin is part of the dried fruit mixture that is used to create both Christmas pudding and mince pies are literally dried grapes. So much so that the word 'raisin' comes from the Old French, which comes from the Latin 'racemus' meaning a bunch of grapes.

The varieties of raisin depend on the colour and size of the grape that is either flame or sun dried. The dried fruit contains 67%-72% sugar by weight (30% fructose and 28% glucose). When the sugars crystallise within the fruit, it forms a gritty texture. The raisin also contains 3% protein 3.5% fibre, but it is not all good news - the raisin has less Vitamin C than undried grapes. Don't feed the raisins to dogs, it can lead to renal failure. (Source http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raisin)

Raisins tend to swell in the stomach by absorbing water, they also contain the amino acid Arginine that stimulates libido and is beneficial to erectile dysfunction and the Oleanolic Acid that raisins contain protect teeth from brittleness, cavities and decay. (Source http://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/fruit/health-benefits-of-raisins.html)

But what if you have waned of the raisin within baked or boiled goods; you can always add loose raisins to a shallow dish, pour brandy over the fruit (preferably warmed brandy) and then light the liquid. The game of Snapdragon was a popular parlour game played from the 16th to 19th centuries, where raisins were plucked from the burning brandy in a light dimmed room and eaten whilst avoiding being burnt. A chant could be recited whilst the game was played and this game was first recorded in Shakespeare's Love Labour's Lost (1594). Although there are several health and safety implications linked to the game. (Source http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snap-dragon_(game))