History Cookbook: Tansy Pudding

Healthiness : (26 votes)

Difficulty:  
Comments: Take care when boiling the milk.
Preparation Time: 20 minutes (+ leaving breadcrumbs for half an hour)
Cooking Time: About 20-25 minutes
Number of servings: 4
Serving suggestions: With honey or cream


In prehistoric times, people used many more wild flowers and herbs in their cooking than we do today. This Iron Age pudding shows the use of one plant - Tansy.

• 275 ml (1 pint) of milk
• 15 gm (1/2 oz) of butter
• 75 gm (3 oz) of fresh white breadcrumbs
• 25 gm (1 oz) honey
• 10 ml (2 teaspoons) finely chopped tansy leaves
• 2 eggs

• Saucepan
• Honey drizzler
• Whisk
• Oven proof dish

Always wash your hands before preparing food.

1. Boil the milk and butter together
2. Pour over the breadcrumbs
3. Set aside for 30 minutes
4. Beat the eggs
5. Add the tansy leaves and honey to the egg  and mix with the breadcrumbs
6. Bake the mixture in a moderate oven (Mark 4, 180 C (350 F) until set
7. Leave to cool before eating

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Name: Alice Percy	28th February 2015
Tansy is a toxic plant which contains thujone. Thujone is a GABA receptor antagonist that sensitises neurons; it is reputed to be an aphrodisiac, increasing brain activity and causing hallucinations, spasms, convulsions, and even death. Do not ingest tansy. It tastes nice, but there's a reason we don't eat it anymore.

Name: Peter Evans	26th February 2015
What is tansy, and how may I acquire some?

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