Mincemeat Day

What the day is

Mincemeat Day is observed on October 26. It celebrates mincemeat, the dark, sweet and heavily spiced mixture of chopped dried fruit, sugar, suet and spirits that is baked into mince pies. The origin of the date is not documented, but the timing makes sense, because mincemeat is traditionally made weeks ahead of the holidays so that its flavors can deepen.

Despite the name, modern mincemeat often contains no meat at all. The name is a leftover from an earlier way of cooking, and many recipes now rely on fruit, apples, spices and a little suet or butter instead.

Origin and background

Mincemeat dates from medieval England, where chopped meat, dried fruit and spices were combined and packed into pastry. Sugar, salt, alcohol and spice all helped preserve the mixture, which made it practical for the winter months. It is often said that the spices reflect trade with the Middle East and the returning crusaders, though that link is better treated as tradition than as documented fact.

Over the centuries the meat content shrank and the fruit grew. By the Victorian era mincemeat was closer to what is sold today, and in Britain it settled into the Christmas season, where the mince pie is a standard treat. In the United States mincemeat pie became a Thanksgiving tradition in many families, although its popularity has faded and a lot of younger cooks have never tasted it.

Traditional recipes call for beef suet, a hard fat that gives the filling its richness, and a generous splash of brandy or rum. Vegetarian versions use vegetable suet or butter, and alcohol-free ones replace the spirit with fruit juice.

How to take part

• Bake or buy a mince pie, and try it warm with a spoon of cream or a slice of cheddar, which is a traditional pairing in parts of England.
• Make your own mincemeat with chopped apples, raisins, currants, citrus peel, brown sugar and spices, then let it rest for a few weeks.
• Look for a jar of mincemeat in the baking aisle and use it in tarts, cookies or baked apples.
• Ask an older relative whether mincemeat pie was part of your family's holiday table.
• Taste before you judge. The flavor is much closer to fruitcake or spiced raisin pie than to a meat dish.