100-year-old Antarctic fruitcake looks (almost) edible
An undead fruitcake rises from the darkness of history and impresses the Antarctic Heritage Trust with its immortality.
We're all aware of the nearly supernatural staying power of fruitcake, a much-maligned dessert that often makes the rounds during the holidays. The Antarctic Heritage Trust is proving just how eternal fruitcake can be with the unveiling of a 100-year-old specimen found in a building at Cape Adare, a peninsula in Antarctica.
The Trust says the fruitcake dates back to British explorer Robert Falcon Scott's Terra Nova Expedition, which began in 1910. The tin is in rough shape, but researchers could still determine the brand: Huntley & Palmers. The Antarctic Heritage Trust says "the cake itself looked and smelt (almost) edible."
The cake survived all these many years in excellent condition and it has since undergone a conservation effort to stabilize the paper wrapping and tin container. The fruitcake is one of nearly 1,500 artifacts recovered from Cape Adare.
If you need any more convincing of the worth of fruitcake, then just listen to the Trust's program manager for artifacts, Lizzie Meek: "It's an ideal high-energy food for Antarctic conditions, and is still a favourite item on modern trips to the Ice."
