Fruitcake

Fruitcake is made of candied fruit, dried fruit, nuts and spices that are often soaked in spirits (alcohol). The earliest recipe originated in ancient Rome containing pomegranate seeds, pine nuts, and raisins in a barley mash.  In the middle ages, honey, spices, and preserved fruits were added.  In the US, traditional fruitcake is usually served during the Christmas holiday.  In the South, the abundance of nuts brought about the mass production of commercial fruitcake for which the expression “nutty as a fruitcake” was derived in 1935.  Every January, Manitou Springs, Colorado hosts the Great Fruitcake Toss encouraging the use of recycled fruitcakes.