Crumpets originated in Wales several centuries ago, and were not like what we know as crumpets today until the Victorian era. When a bread oven was not available, they cooked on one side in a griddle set over a fire. They originally resembled hard pancakes. The Scottish version of a crumpet resembled a small pancake but cooked only on one side.
The first English recipe for crumpets came from The Experienced English Housekeeper, Elizabeth Raffald published in 1769. In the cookbook they were called picklets, which reportedly came from a Welsh word meaning dark or sticky cake. There is no agreement on where the name crumpet came from and suppositions range from a 14th century word crompid cake to the French crompâte to the Welsh word for pancakes. What is clear is that the crumpets we have come to love didn’t exist during the Regency.
The picture shows the difference between a Scottish crumpet and a pancake.
My understanding is that they were not served at breakfast. If I’m wrong, I welcome a correction.
#RegencyTrivia #HistoricalRomance #RegencyRomance
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Ella Quinn ~ Author 
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