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Culinary traditions and folklore are deeply intertwined. Whether it's convincing kids that eating bread crusts will give them curly hair or believing that carrots improve night vision, countless myths surround the foods we consume. While some tales are lighthearted, others delve into the peculiar and ancient stories tied to our most cherished—or reviled—dishes.
While British cuisine often faces criticism on the global stage, the folklore surrounding the UK’s culinary heritage is as vibrant and fascinating as any in the world.
10. Fairy Food
Who doesn’t enjoy free food? Yet, folklore offers a contradictory warning—never accept offerings from fairies, but also beware the consequences of refusing their gifts. As with many legends, the rules are far from clear or consistent.
Accepting food from fairies carries the peril of being ensnared in their mystical realm, with no hope of return. In the tale “Childe Rowland,” Merlin cautions those entering fairy-land to avoid consuming even a morsel or sip, no matter how famished or parched they may feel. He warns, “Should you eat or drink while in Elfland, you will never return to the mortal world.”
However, if you stumble upon fairy food in the real world, it’s best to accept it. A story from the Isle of Arran recounts two farmers who jokingly wished for a fairy feast. When the meal materialized, fear kept them from partaking. Their refusal cursed the land, rendering it barren and infertile forever.
9. Cockle Bread
Bread has long been a fundamental part of the human diet. The process of gathering ingredients, mixing, kneading, and baking was time-consuming and often intertwined with superstition. A hole in the center of a loaf, known as a “coffin,” was believed to foretell a death. If the dough failed to rise, it was thought to be the work of a witch, though marking the bread with a cross could ward off such curses.
One unique type of bread had an unusual preparation method. Cockle bread was crafted by young women as a charm to attract a lover. As they prepared the dough, they would recite a specific rhyme:
My granny is sick, and now is dead, And we’ll go mold some cockle bread. Up with my heels and down with my head, And this is the way to mold cockle bread.
To infuse the bread with their affection, the dough was kneaded using their buttocks. Feeding a piece of this bread to the desired suitor was believed to make him fall deeply in love.
8. Hot Cross Buns
Hot cross buns are a beloved treat during British Easter celebrations. Filled with dried fruits and spices, these buns are distinguished by a cross on top, which has sparked numerous folklore tales.
Legend has it that hot cross buns never spoil. Many preserved buns from centuries ago still exist, often displayed in London pubs where they are hung annually and remain in surprisingly good condition. Their longevity is attributed to their sacred nature, believed to protect them from decay and imbue them with magical qualities.
In the past, grated hot cross buns were added to food and drinks as a remedy for various illnesses. They were also hung in homes to ward off fires and placed in barns to protect livestock from evil spirits. Sailors carried them on ships to ensure safe voyages and prevent sinking.
7. Wedding Cake Predictions
Wedding cakes hold immense significance in many lives, symbolizing the first shared act of a married couple. It was common for couples to save a tier of their cake to serve at their first child’s christening, believing it would bring good fortune. Beyond this, wedding cakes were thought to possess other magical properties.
If you can resist eating your slice of wedding cake, it can be used to foresee your future spouse. Place a piece of cake under your pillow before sleeping—be cautious of crumbs to avoid attracting ants. That night, your destined partner is said to appear in your dreams. Some believe even a small piece of cake passed through the bride’s wedding ring is sufficient for this divination.
Another tradition suggests that a young woman should carry a piece of wedding cake in her pocket throughout the newlyweds’ honeymoon. Doing so is believed to ensure her own marriage within the year.
6. Dumb Cakes
One of the most popular methods for predicting a future lover involves baking a dumb cake. This ritual, performed in complete silence, has several variations but always requires the bakers to remain mute throughout the process.
In one version, three girls combine flour, salt, and water to create a dough, marking it with their initials before baking. At midnight, a ghost is said to appear and point to the initials of the girl destined to marry next.
In one variation of the tradition, two girls work together in complete silence while reciting a chant:
Two to make it, Two to bake it, Two to break it.
The cake is then placed under their pillows that night, promising a vision of their future spouse. Most dumb cakes were not meant to be eaten, likely for good reason, as some recipes included unusual ingredients like fingernail clippings, hair, dust, and excessive amounts of salt.
5. Vegetable Cures
Growing vegetables feels almost magical—planting seeds and watching them transform into edible produce. However, some people take this a step further, using their crops in actual magical practices.
Small potatoes were occasionally worn as necklaces to ward off rheumatism. Even today, some people place potato slices on feverish individuals, claiming the slices draw out the fever and turn black in the process. While this is actually due to starch oxidation, many still favor the folklore explanation.
Onions have been used similarly. During a smallpox outbreak in Sheffield in 1927, many households hung onions in their homes, believing they could absorb the disease. Onions were also used to protect livestock from plagues.
For earaches, a folk remedy involved warming an onion in a fire until soft, removing its core, and placing it in the ear to alleviate pain. However, it’s probably best not to attempt this at home.
4. Salt Lore
A widely practiced superstition involves spilling salt at the dinner table. To avoid misfortune, one must toss a pinch of the spilled salt over their left shoulder. This act is believed to blind the Devil, who is thought to be drawn to spilled salt, preventing him from causing harm.
Salt was also believed to repel witches. In certain regions, people would toss a pinch of salt into a fire while reciting a charm: “Salt! Salt! I cast thee into the flames. May the one who has cursed me neither eat, drink, nor rest until the enchantment is lifted.”
Salt was thought to protect the dead as well. Excavated graves sometimes reveal plates placed with skeletons, filled with salt to safeguard the soul from the Devil, as it was said, “the devil loveth no salt with his meat.” This contrasts with the superstition of spilling salt, showing that folklore often embraces contradictions.
3. Devil’s Blackberries
The Devil is a recurring figure in folklore, often depicted as a mischievous character. Given his origins, one might even sympathize with his rebellious nature.
Michaelmas, celebrated on September 29th (or October 11th in the old calendar), honors the archangel Michael. It also commemorates the day Michael expelled the Devil from heaven. British folklore claims that during his fall, the Devil landed in a blackberry bush, suffering from its thorns. This incident left him with an enduring aversion to blackberries.
According to folklore, blackberries should never be picked after Michaelmas, as this is when the Devil seeks revenge on the fruit. Some versions claim he poisons the berries by touching them, while others suggest more extreme actions like spitting, urinating, or defecating on them. Regardless of the tale, it’s best to avoid the risk.
2. Turnips
Turnips, though not the most attractive vegetables, were once carved into eerie lanterns called punkies. Children carried these while begging door-to-door, creating a far spookier effect than the now-popular pumpkin lanterns.
Turnips were also used as a remedy for whooping cough. Sliced into half-inch strips and layered with brown sugar, the resulting syrup was fed to the sick child as a cure.
In Wales, turnips played a role in love divination. A girl would steal a turnip from a neighbor’s field at night, peel it in one continuous strip, and bury the peel in the garden. The turnip was then hung behind her bedroom door, promising a dream of her future husband.
1. Wedding Shortbread
In the past, grand wedding cakes weren’t always the highlight of the celebration. In Scotland, the Infar-cake, a decorated shortbread, held a central role in wedding traditions and was steeped in folklore.
The bride’s mother traditionally baked the wedding shortbread. During the ceremony, it was held above the couple’s heads and broken. The number of pieces it shattered into was believed to predict how many children the couple would have. Sometimes, the shortbread was thrown over the couple before they entered their new home, though this seemed a bit wasteful.
The leftover crumbs weren’t discarded. Guests, particularly unmarried ones, would collect the pieces and take them home. Placing the crumbs under their pillows was thought to inspire dreams of future love.
