Williamsburg and its Traditional English Cooking
Old English and colonial recipes have been passed down for
generations in American households and prepared
traditionally at Christmastime. The delectable aromas which
waft from these timeless dishes bring memories of family
gatherings and candlelit feasts. These dishes are a hybrid
of English traditions and the abundant produce of the New
World. As with all cuisine, colonial cooking took the
fruits of the land and combined them with family and
cultural traditions.
Almost all American families follow the tradition of
preparing certain special dishes, which are served along
with the main course of ham or turkey at Christmas.
Turkey was easily available to colonial settlers in the
past and served as a familiar source of meat to the new
migrants. It has continued being served across centuries
as the most important dish at festive occasions for both
English and American families.
Many dishes still cooked today in colonial Williamsburg,
Virginia derived from the abundance of produce available
in our country's coastal agricultural regions in the East:
corn, apples, seafood, and other fruits and vegetables.
Simple yet flavorful ingredients were combined to
complement the table's full offerings.
Many of these age-old recipes can be easily cooked today.
You can find cookbooks here in Williamsburg. Most of the
ingredients are the same, except cooks may want to
substitute butter or oil when recipes call for lard.
Tidewater Oysters were an unusual yet traditional
accompaniment to holiday gatherings in colonial towns along
the Atlantic. This dish is still served by families in the
mid-Atlantic region.
Elegantly spiced wine replaced some of the colonial
meals. This ancient English custom was called the
Wassailing. The custom is derived from the celebration of
the Feast of Yule and was used as a salutation offered as
a toast.
In the western counties of Britain, wassail was toasted on
Twelfth Night to the good health of the apple trees for
next year's cider. It is still customary in England to pass
around the wassail bowl on Christmas Eve and New Year's
Eve, and you can drink plenty of wassail if you spend some
holiday evenings in Williamsburg.
In this reenactment of a colonial town, Williamsburg,
Virginia, authentic traditions are recreated from the
days gone by, much to the delight of the visitors and the
tourists. Whenever you happen to visit the colonial town
of Williamsburg, Virginia, you'll be taken back in time
to the cooking traditions of the initial colonies in
America.
Buche Kochdes is the operator and webmaster of
cooking which is the
premier resource for cooking information. For more
information go to :
http://www.uwcooking.com
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