What is Burm Brack?

Burm Brack, also called Báirín Breac , is a traditional Irish tea bread. This raised fruit bread is slightly sweet and dotted with raisins, candied citrus bark, currants, sultans (yellow raisins) and other pieces of dried fruit. It is served toast and generously butter, accompanied by a cup of tea. Some sources say that it comes from Burm , which means "yeast" and brack , which means "bread". Other sources say the words mean "small spotted cake". Perhaps Quandary fits, because the bread itself seems to be a bit of both. Before the raisins and other dried fruits are added to the dough or dough, they are soaked in hot tea for some time until they are plump and rehydrated. This gives them a uniquely soft character in the finished product.

In Ireland, it is usual to eat Burm brack on samhain or Halloween. Traditionally, it was part of the annual ritual of happiness. Wrapped individually in a little waxed paper and baked in a loaf were several small tokensfilled with symbolism for anyone who was served by a slice that contained them. Family and friends would gather to have tea and bartender holder, with every eager, perhaps terrible, expectations of messages that their slice would bring.

6 If your slice contained peas or thimbles, you can expect a spinsterhood for another year. If, on the other hand, your slice revealed a gold ring, you can expect to get married during the year. But the stick was a harbinger of a bad marriage, one that would require a "stick he could defeat his wife". The fragment of the substance indicating rags predicts poverty or bad luck next year. The coin was random signs - good things, perhaps wealth, were on the way.

In addition to Halloween, Burm Brack also eaten on the Day of Saint Bridget, which falls on February 1. It can be eaten as breakfast bread or tea and some facilities in Ireland serve this bread with every meal.

In Ireland, Burm Brack is sold commercially, especially around Halloween. These loaves purchased in the store will often contain a ring of toys.