Flies' graveyard and flies' cemetery are nicknames used in various parts of the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
for sweet pastries filled with
currants or
raisin
A raisin is a Dried fruit, dried grape. Raisins are produced in many regions of the world and may be eaten raw or used in cooking, baking, and brewing. In the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia and South Afri ...
s, which are jokingly said to resemble dead
flies
Flies are insects of the Order (biology), order Diptera, the name being derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek δι- ''di-'' "two", and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hindwin ...
. In
Scotland
Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
, they are known as ''fly cakes'', ''fruit slice'' or ''fruit squares''. In
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...
, they are also referred to as ''currant squares''. In the North East of England, the pastries are ''fly cakes'' or ''fly pie''.
In Wales, it is called ''Cacen Pwdin'' ("dessert cake"). In New Zealand, they are known as ''fruit slice'' or ''fly cemetery''.
The mixture is similar to sweet
mince pies, which are traditionally eaten at
Christmas
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...
time in the United Kingdom.
The
Garibaldi biscuit, which contains a layer of squashed currants is commonly known as a "squashed fly" or "dead fly" biscuit in the UK.
See also
*
Eccles cake
*
Galaktoboureko
*
Garibaldi biscuit
*
Gur cake
*
Snot block
*
Pastry
Pastry refers to a variety of Dough, doughs (often enriched with fat or eggs), as well as the sweet and savoury Baking, baked goods made from them. The dough may be accordingly called pastry dough for clarity. Sweetened pastries are often descr ...
References
External links
Fruit slice recipe
British desserts
British pastries
Raisin dishes
Scottish cuisine
New Zealand desserts
Winter traditions
{{UK-dessert-stub