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Cooking with oatmeal, beremeal and wheat flour; brochan for...

Date 16 September 1970
Track ID 64932
Part 1

Track Information

Original Track ID

SA1970.236

Original Tape ID

SA1970.236

Summary

Cooking with oatmeal, beremeal and wheat flour; brochan for invalids.

Bannocks and cakes were made with flour and buttermilk with a little butter. If the buttermilk was very fresh, salt and cream of tartar were added. Bannocks were usually cooked on the brandiron, but if fruit was added then a Dutch oven was used with peat brands underneath and also on top of the heavy iron lid. The brandiron was laid on top of peat brands on the hearthstone. Sometimes a griddle hanging from the crook was used.

Oatmeal and beremeal [meal from a type of barley] were eaten at almost every meal. Oatmeal was used in scones, porridge and tivlicks (thick cakes with a lot of fat). Beremeal was even more popular. Flour was less used. Porridge could be made with beremeal but was not so good. If anyone was ill they got brochan, which was gruel made with oatmeal, salt, cream of tartar, sugar, rum and hot water. This was all stirred up and left till the sediment had settled, then the liquid was drunk. Soups and stews could be thickened with livering: this was bought flour beaten up with a little milk and stirred into the stew.

Recording Location

County - Shetland

Parish - Dunrossness

Island - Shetland Mainland

Village/Place - Cunningsburgh

Item Location

County - Shetland

Parish - Dunrossness

Island - Shetland Mainland

Village/Place - Cunningsburgh

Language

English, Scots

Genre

Information

Collection

SoSS

Source Type

Reel to reel

Audio Quality

Good