The intricate patterns on custard cream biscuits, a beloved treat since their inception in the UK in 1908, have left many fans intrigued. The biscuits, often enjoyed with a cup of tea , feature an elaborate baroque design stamped onto them. However, many consumers may not have pondered the origin of this unique pattern.
Bryony, a history expert from Manchester Museum, has now shed light on this mystery via Instagram. In an enlightening video, she explained: "Between the 1840s and 1890s in the UK there was a craze that was bigger than Pokémon cards. It was called the fern madness, Pteridomania.
" Get the latest news straight to your phone by joining us on WhatsApp She continued: "When trains and the train lines started to come to the UK, going to remote places became fashionable and so people would try and find things that were in those remote, cold places, things like ferns. It became a symbol of friendship, of good times, and intelligence of course." Bryony concluded by revealing: "And that's why you see fern patterns on things like Victorian architecture, on birthday cards, and also the pattern on custard creams.
They're some ferns unfurling," reports the Express . The comment section lit up with intrigued responses after a recent revelation about a common biscuit design. One person wrote: "Fascinating! I always thought it was some design overhang from the art nouveau period.
" Meanwhile, another commented: "Oh I'd always thought they were wrought iron. Thank you." Interest.