Check out those buns!!

These aren’t any old ordinary buns. These buns are hot. And they’re cross. And, with an added

hint of spice and fruit, they are also just a little bit naughty.

Traditionally taken on Good Friday, the hot cross bun marks the end of the Christian season of

Lent, and different parts of the bun have a different meaning. The cross represents the

crucifixion of Jesus, the spices represent the spices used in embalming him, and the orange

peel represents the bitterness of his time on the cross. Toasted and oozing with butter

represents an acceptance that the diet starts tomorrow.

The first definite record of hot cross buns comes from a London street cry ‘Good Friday comes

this month, the old woman runs. With one or two a penny, hot cross buns’, which was first

recorded in the Poor Robins Almanac in 1733. In 1767 the English Nursery Rhyme, Hot Cross

Buns was published in the London Chronicle. It goes something like this….

Hot Cross buns, Hot cross buns,

One a penny, two a penny

Hot cross buns

If you have no daughters, Give them to your sons,

One a penny, two a penny

Hot cross buns.

Mariah Carey did a Christmas version at some point (probably), and Bruno Mars will do a remix

featuring an unnecessarily facially tattooed rapper in the future.

Back to the past. Life was a bit simpler in the 18th century and those crazy Georgians (as in the

era of the reign of the Hanoverian Kings George I to IV, not Bulldog fans) were full of weird

superstitions and stuff. They said that buns baked and served on Good Friday will not spoil or

grow moldy during the subsequent year. I think incompetent chefs came up with that one to

throw off the Food Inspectors. Another tale encouraged people to keep one for medicinal

purposes. A piece given to someone ill ,especially those without medical insurance, is said to

help them recover. Those with medicare were given 2 paracetamol and told to rest. Here’s

another whopper. If taken on a sea voyage, the buns are said to protect against shipwreck.

Critical thinking wasn’t that popular at the time. If you had suggested building stronger boats

and not driving into icebergs you’d be burnt on the cross as a witch. And then they’d probably

name a bun after you.

In the United Kingdom, the major supermarkets produce a variety of hot cross buns, based on

the original recipe, with flavors such as toffee, salted caramel, chocolate and apple-cinnamon. I

just put a couple of pounds on just writing that. The good news is, you can get diet hot cross

buns. The bad news is, they taste awful. So no half-measures. Get your delicious hot cross

buns at The Queen's Pantry, toast them, drown them in butter and wash them down with an

equally delicious chocolate Easter egg, also available, in many varieties, at The Queen's Pantry.

And remember. If God had meant us to be skinny, he’d have made broccoli tasty