Compote
A medieval dessert of fruit stewed in spiced sugar syrup.
Compote, also spelled compôte, is a dessert of fruit cooked in sugar syrup, often with spices. It originated in medieval Europe and can be served warm or cold. The syrup may include vanilla, citrus peel, cinnamon, or other flavorings.
Quick Facts
- Served
- Warm or chilled
- Main ingredients
- Fruit
- sugar syrup
- spices
Facts from the source article.
History
Compote reflected the medieval belief that fruit cooked in sugar syrup balanced the body's humidity. Its name comes from the Latin compositus, meaning mixture. In late medieval England, it appeared at the start of the final course of a feast, sometimes with a creamy potage. During the Renaissance, it was served chilled at dinner's end. Its simple preparation, low cost, and lack of dairy made it common in Jewish households across Europe. In modern French, compote refers to unsweetened fruit purée like applesauce.
Variations
In eastern European cultures, dried fruit compote, called kompot, is common, and its syrup is drunk as a beverage. Mennonite culture knows dried-fruit compote as pluma moos. The dessert can be topped with whipped cream, cinnamon, or vanilla sugar. An early 15th-century recipe used wine in the syrup for pear compote. Other variations soak dried fruit in water with alcohol such as kirsch, rum, or Frontignan.
More in French Desserts
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