Saturday, April 25, 2009

Blancmange

One of my favorite sketches was simply called the Science-Fiction Sketch. It was about an alien race of blancmange that turned everyone in England into Scotsmen, so they could win at Wimbledon. But for years, I wondered...what's a blancmange? I knew they looked all white and squiggly because of the blancmange costume, and you're supposed to eat them because one got eaten on the show. So what is it?

According to Wikipedia, "blancmange is a sweet dessert commonly made with milk or cream and sugar thickened with gelatin, cornstarch or Irish moss, and often flavored with almonds. It is usually set in a mould and served cold. Although traditionally white, blancmanges are frequently given a pink color as well. Some similar desserts are Bavarian cream, panna cotta, and haupia." So it sounds like blancmange is like Jell-O mixed with milk. But apparently, it's also served with chicken mixed into it as a main dish. The name comes from the french term "blanc mangier," which means "whitedish." Very literal, those French.