Middle-Earth Feast - The History Of Cram

Over the next few months we shall explore and learn all about the food of Middle-earth and how its history is closely connected to the fate of all folk in the land. In the first installment we will learn about the history of food originating from the cities of Dale and Lake-Town.

"If you want to know what cram is...it is biscuitish, keeps good indefinitely, is supposed to be sustaining, and it is certainly not entertaining, being in fact very uninteresting except as a chewing exercise." - Hob

The Men of Dale and Lake-town are a resilient lot. Used to hardship , they have developed one of the most successful survival-food known in Middle-earth. What makes a good survival food? Well, first off, you need to be able to store it for long periods of time without spoiling. Second, it needs to be nutritious. And third, it should taste as good as it possibly can. Tasting good is not really a necessity, but it sure is nice if you end up living off the stuff for a long time.

Cram satisfies all three conditions. Once it’s dried thoroughly, it will keep for years, provided it stays dry and away from pests. It is made with natural, healthy ingredients, it’s very nutritious, and if you know how to prepare it, it tastes delicious. Because it is completely dehydrated, it is very light and easy to transport, but because it is so dense, it packs a lot of nutrition in a small package...and as hobbit often say, ' the best things do come in small packages '

Cram has actually been around since ancient times when the first men start to explore and eventually settle in and around The Lonely Mountain. Typically made 6 months beforehand, it is as hard as a rock when it 's ready. To soften it, men usually soaked it in water or tea or coffee, milk or broth, and of course, ale.  Cram is  either twice-baked or baked for a longer period of time at lower temperatures to drive as much moisture from the crumb as possible. This ensured their crispiness and also allowed them to be stored for long periods of time. The word “biscuit” is believed to come from an ancient word meaning twice-baked.

CRAM RECIPE :

5 and 1/2 cups of plain flour

1 and 1/2 teaspoon of salt

1 and 1/2 cups of buttermilk

3 tablespoons of honey

2 tablespoons of pork dripping ( or alternately vegetable oil ) 

To make a basic cram waybread mix  the plain flour and salt, in a large bowl. Then, in a separate bowl, add the buttermilk , the honey to 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons of pork drippings ( or oil ), mix the wet incidents  and then  combine this mixture with the dry ingredients to create a dough . When the dough is thoroughly mixed, form it Into eight balls of equal size and roll each one out on a floured board  before using a rolling pin to create eight circles equal in size and thickness.

Transfer each circle to a lightly greased oven stone . A meat tenderizing tool or toothpick can be used to dent a pattern in the surface . Bake in a low to medium heath oven until golden brown. When ready, let your cram cool down on a rack before finally,  storing the hearty cram waybread  in tightly covered containers to keep them crisp.

Cram provides substance and convenience, it is not the most appetizing food available in Middle-earth, but it is definitely one of the most useful source of nutrients for traveling folk. According to his own writings, Bilbo Baggins and the Dwarves were given cram by the men of Lake -Town when they set off to reach The Lonely Mountain on their most famous adventure. The origin of the name 'CRAM' is Elvish, meaning 'press' . More about food and drinks of Middle-earth in our next installment.

Article by Amorey - Laurelin Archives Webteam