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Brochan with ginger eaten as a cold cure; the secret of prep...

Date 25 June 1969
Track ID 64259
Part 1

Track Information

Original Track ID

SA1969.53

Original Tape ID

SA1969.053

Summary

Brochan with ginger eaten as a cold cure; the secret of preparing brochan.

Brochan was eaten when people had the cold as it contained ginger. Ethel Findlater's mother made it by mixing meal from the girnel with cold water in a bowl, which was the "great secret" of the dish. The kettle was boiled on the crook and boiling water was added to the bowl and the mixture set for a while. The meal flour was rising through the liquid as the ginger was chopped. Milk was brought nearly to the boil, the water was poured off into the milk, and the ginger added with sugar. This was boiled for perhaps fifteen minutes. The brochan was poured into porridge bowls and eaten with a carvey [caraway] hard biscuit broken into it. It made a lovely supper.

Ethel's sister-in-law Jessie couldn't make brochan properly, so asked Ethel's mother what she was doing wrong and discovered the key was to mix the meal initially with cold water. Putting boiling water into the meal made brose. Jessie came from a big family of seven and her mother had died when her baby brother was born, so they didn't have anyone to cook for them.

Item Location

County - Orkney

Parish - Sandwick

Island - Orkney Mainland

Village/Place - Dounby, Breckan

Language

English, Scots

Genre

Information

Collection

SoSS

Source Type

Reel to reel

Audio Quality

Good