Nov 13, 2021
Celebrating Fairy Bread
This Doodle’s Key Themes
Today’s Doodle celebrates Fairy bread, a nostalgic childhood treat popular in Australia and New Zealand, on the birthday of Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson, whom linguistic scholars believe first coined the term in his 1885 poem “Fairy Bread” in “A Child’s Garden of Verses.” Traditional Fairy bread unifies three simple ingredients—triangularly sliced white bread slathered in butter and topped with rainbow sprinkles (known colloquially as “hundreds and thousands”). But its origin story isn’t as simple as its recipe.
Although some believe the tasty treat might have been inspired by hagelslag—Dutch toast covered in chocolate sprinkles—both Australia and New Zealand claim to have originally invented Fairy bread all on their own. New Zealanders have brightened confections with rainbow sprinkles for over a century, but a 1929 article published in a Tasmanian newspaper claims to be the first to reference Fairy bread with the ingredients it's known for today.
While the country of origin (and who can make it the best) remains a friendly point of contention between the neighboring nations, Aussies and Kiwis alike can agree that this treat is a staple of children’s birthday celebrations that satisfies not just the sweet tooth but also the mature nostalgic palate. If you decide to whip up some Fairy bread of your own, keep in mind that to many, removing the crust means you’ve removed the dish's authenticity.
Here’s to Fairy bread—a tasty treat that’s as easy as one, two, three!
Early drafts of the Doodle:
Homemade Fairy bread:
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