Language: Food in the times of Henry VIII

About two centuries ago, during the reign of Henry VIII, all items of food were called after some functionary of the palace. A capon was called a lord chamberlain; a goose was a lord steward; a gooseberry tart was a gentleman usher of the black rod and so on.

Cheesecakes were known as "maids of honour". The origin of this term reaches back to Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. Anne was devoted to pleasing Henry in every possible way. Henry loved his food so the scheming girl used his stomach to further her ends, feeding him a great amount of cheesecake. Henry so enjoyed eating these delicious cakes that he called them "maids of honour".

Between Henry VIII´s death and the reign of George II, cheesecakes was also alternatively konwn as "maiden's gayness".

Did you know?

* It has been rumoured that Anne Boleyn, wife of King Henry VIII of England and mother of Queen Elizabeth I of England, had six fingers on one hand. This genetic condition in which a person has six fingers on one or both hands, or six toes on one or both feet is known as hexadactyly.