Last week, there was a revelation on Steemit: Americans don’t typically eat crumpets, as the food is uncommon in the United States. One Australian user, @mattclarke , went to remedy this by sending Americans a couple of Steem Dollars with instructions to go buy some crumpets.
I don’t know how many people he hit up with this mission, but there are too many Americans for him to fund everyone’s crumpet experiments. So, I’ll share my experience trying this new food, and I’ll pay it forward and send a few SBD to the top American* commenter in a few days… as long as they promise to try crumpets and then pay it forward to someone else!
I went to Trader Joe’s for my crumpets. I figured I could order some online somehow, but then I came across an ad for TJ’s “British Style” crumpets in regular and cinnamon varieties. They were less than $3 for each pack of 6, so I decided to try both.
What are crumpets? They’re like the lovechild of a pancake and an English muffin. The top features the “nooks and crannies” of an open English muffin, but the bottom is smooth like a flapjack. They’re super absorbent, so any toppings will soak right in, instead of just sitting on top like a bagel.
I tried the crumpets several different ways and shared them with friends. Apparently you just heat them up or toast them, then top them with whatever you normally top your breakfast breads with. First, my boyfriend and I tried the original crumpets with honey and peach preserves. We agreed that they were pretty enjoyable.
The next day, I tried the cinnamon ones with pure Vermont maple syrup. Those got a little messy and required a fork and knife. I was trying to get a photo with syrup pooled on top like you see on pancakes or waffles, but the crumpets sucked the syrup right up. Later, we tried them with just butter, which melted into the crumpets and was simple yet delicious.
My most adventurous version included cinnamon, raspberry jam, and hemp seeds. It’s the health food version! Grain, fruit, and plant protein! It was actually a nice combination of textures, to have the somewhat spongy crumpet with the jam and the nutty hemp hearts. You can see the inner texture of the crumpet here.
Anyway, I really enjoyed this and would buy them again. Thanks Matt for introducing me to crumpets! I can’t wait to share with more crumpet-lacking folks. Plus, check out @tlester 's crumpet post! Who knows, maybe #americanseatingcrumpets will become a thing?
xo,
Cecilia
*If you're not from the United States but still not from someplace with crumpets, you're totally eligible too.