Mincemeat is a medieval creation that consists of dried fruit, spices, distilled spirits, and sometimes beef suet, beef, and/or venison. It originated as a way to preserve meat without having to smoke, salt, or cure it, and it has been the main component of mince pie since the 15th century. Although mince pies have disappeared from most American tables, they are still popular in the United Kingdom, especially around the Christmas holidays. If you fancy yourself a fan of mincemeat or mince pies, then you may want to celebrate National Mincemeat Day on October 26th.

Tasty Mincemeat Facts

If you want some tasty facts about mincemeat to dine on, then you’ve come to the right place. That’s because we’ve cooked up some great facts that will illuminate this food’s place in history and also give people a few more tidbits of trivia they can share with friends and family. Let’s look at them below.

• Crusading knights brought the concept of mincemeat back from the Middle East during the Crusades.
• The crust of the original mince pies was called “coffins” and was made from flour and water. They were inedible.
• Early mince pies were meatier than the ones that can be bought today.
• During the 16th century, some mince pie recipes included beef tongue.
• Mince pies have been associated with Christmas for hundreds of years.

Observing National Mincemeat Day

If you live in the United States, then there’s a good chance that you won’t be able to find mincemeat or mince pies during the month of October in grocery stores, so you might want to order your pie off the internet. Another option is to make your own mince pies by following one of the many recipes you can find online. While observing this holiday, be sure to use the hashtag #NationalMincemeatDay on your social media accounts.