inspired by 'Cumberland Rum Nicky'

I was half way through this very tasty pudding when I stopped to read the label. Apparently, 'It is one of the oldest Cumbrian cakes dating back to the East Indian trading routes.'

During the eighteenth Century, Whitehaven, as the second largest port in England, was involved in the triangular slave trade. Slaves from Africa were sold in Jamaica and Barbados, the ships returning to Whitehaven with cargoes of rum, molasses, spices dates and tobacco. The crew would be given a bonus of some goods from the cargo and these ingredients can still be found in traditional Cumbrian recipes.

When we were cruising on Lake Windermere last weekend, I was shocked to learn that the owners of a certain building on the shores of the lake had kept slaves tied up in the cellar. Slavery suddenly became more intimate than a statistic in a history book.

That 'Cumberland Rum Nicky' leaves a bitter sweet taste in my mouth.