The closest modern counterpart to frumenty is old-fashioned rice
pudding—rich, creamy, and aromatic with spices. Many regional
variations of it still exist in England—a tribute to its popularity.
Begin by boiling two cups of cracked or whole wheat in two quarts
of water for ten minutes. Then cover and leave it in a warm place
(an unlit oven is perfect) for a day. The wheat will congeal or
“cree”—or turn to a jelly in which the inner, golden-red husks are
visible. This was eaten on its own or with milk and honey as a cold
porridge—nutritionally, it is an almost perfect food.
To make frumenty from creed wheat, simply simmer it with an equal
amount of milk or cream and whatever spices, fruits, and sweeteners you
prefer. In Plymouth, mace, nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves were common,
along with berries, currants and apples, and a little porter or dark
beer in place of honey or sugar. Egg yolks were also added if the
frumenty was too thin. And brandy. It was served hot or cold and was
=the= symbolic harvest dish. The fourteenth verse of Leviticus 23 in
the English 1551 Bible, for example, admonishes: “And ye shall eat
neither bread, nor parched corn, nor frumenty of new corne, untill
the selfe same daye that ye have brought an offeringe unto your God.”
Frumenty has soul.
This Plymouth version is not as rich but still is soulful. Mix two cups
of roasted or parched corn meal with an equal amount of milk. Slowly
pour this into a quart of boiling water and simmer for at least half an
hour, stirring and adding fruits and spices all the while. Eat it hot,
or let it cool and congeal.
—Jay Anderson.