Each year on March 1st, National Fruit Compote Day is observed across the United States.
- The word compote is French for “mixture.”
- A compote is a dessert that originated in 17th century France. It is made up of whole or pieces of fruit (a mixture) in sugar syrup. The whole fruits are cooked in water with added sugar and spices.
- The seasonings which may be included in the syrup are vanilla, lemon peel, orange peel, cinnamon sticks, cinnamon powder, cloves, ground almonds, grated coconut, candied fruit or raisins. Fruit compote may be served either warm or cold.
- It was initially served in the afternoon as a snack with sour cream and biscuits. It was during the Renaissance that it was served chilled at the end of dinner.
- Because of its simplicity, inexpensive ingredients and containing no dairy products, the compote became a staple of Jewish households throughout Europe and was considered part of Jewish cuisine.
- The Culinary Institute of America considers compote to be one of two types of fruit sauce: there’s coulis, made with smooth, pureed fruit and then there’s compote, which is a chunky mixture.
- Compote conformed to the medieval belief that fruit cooked in sugar syrup balanced the effects of humidity on the body.
- Compotes are often (although not always) made and used immediately as a component of a dish.
- It can be made from fresh, canned or dried fruit.
- The fruit can be cooked whole or cut into pieces and almost anything can be used – apples, pears, apricots, peaches, plums, figs, and berries.
- Western European compote is not directly related to the 300 years older Eastern European punch-like fruit drink kompot, even if they seem similar in name and ingredients. The Eastern European drink originates from the time of the Ottoman Empire, it may be even the predecessor of the Western European dessert of the same name.
- Depending on the type of fruit used, the spicing and level of sweetness is usually adjusted to make the fruit compote’s flavor optimal.
- The length of cooking varies, depending on individual taste, with some cooks preferring to just briefly warm the fruit, while others stew it to a soft, even texture.
- In the crystal and glass world a compote is usually referred to as a serving dish that was made to serve the culinary dish called compote.
- Tomato compote is a relish or side dish whose main ingredient is roasted or cooked tomatoes. In the United States, it has been prepared at least since 1876, when it appeared in the Little Dinners cookbook by Mary Hooper (1829–1904).
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