Compote or compôte (French for ''mixture'') is a
dessert originating from medieval Europe, made of whole or pieces of
fruit
In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering.
Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in partic ...
in
sugar syrup. Whole fruits are cooked in water with sugar and
spices. The syrup may be seasoned with
vanilla,
lemon or
orange peel,
cinnamon
Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several tree species from the genus '' Cinnamomum''. Cinnamon is used mainly as an aromatic condiment and flavouring additive in a wide variety of cuisines, sweet and savoury dishes, brea ...
sticks or powder,
cloves, other spices, ground
almonds, grated
coconut, candied fruit or
raisins. The compote is served either warm or cold.
History
Compote conformed to the medieval belief that fruit cooked in sugar syrup balanced the effects of humidity on the body. The name is derived from the
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power ...
word ''compositus'', meaning mixture. In late medieval England it was served at the beginning of the last course of a feast (or sometimes the second out of three courses), often accompanied by a creamy
potage.
[Thomas Austin, ed. ''Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books''. The Early English Text Society, New York, 1888 (reprinted 1964).] During the Renaissance, it was served chilled at the end of dinner. Because it was easy to prepare, made from inexpensive ingredients and contained no dairy products, compote became a staple of Jewish households throughout Europe.
Be Merry / A taste of Poland
Haaretz
''Haaretz'' ( , originally ''Ḥadshot Haaretz'' – , ) is an Israeli newspaper. It was founded in 1918, making it the longest running newspaper currently in print in Israel, and is now published in both Hebrew and English in the Berliner ...
In modern French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
, the term refers to usually unsweetened fruit purée without fruit chunks, such as applesauce.
Variations
Dried fruit is often used for compote by cultures from Eastern Europe, and its syrup is also drunk as a beverage. Both are called '' kompot''. In Mennonite
Mennonites are groups of Anabaptist Christian church communities of denominations. The name is derived from the founder of the movement, Menno Simons (1496–1561) of Friesland. Through his writings about Reformed Christianity during the Ra ...
culture, dried-fruit compote is known by the Plautdietch name .
The dessert may be topped with whipped cream, cinnamon, or vanilla sugar. The syrup may be made with wine, as in one early 15th-century recipe for pear compote.[ Robuchon, Joël, "Members of the Gastronomic Committee". ''Larousse Gastronomique''. New York: Clarkson Potter/Publishers, 2001, p. 322-323.]
See also
* Fruit fool
* Kompot
* Kissel
* Tomato compote
* Tong sui
* List of French desserts
References
{{reflist
Fruit dishes
Ottoman cuisine
Armenian desserts
French desserts
Jewish desserts