Can A 100-Year-Old Fruitcake Be Edible?

A recent discovery delighted fruitcake fans from all over the world. Thanks to the Antarctic Heritage Trust, this week we had the chance to find out about how long can a fruitcake last. One such piece has been discovered in a building in Cape Adare, which is a peninsula found in Antarctica.

According to the Trust, the fruitcake was made in the times of Robert Falcon Scott. He was a British explorer who led the Terra Nova Expedition in 1910. It’s placed in a tin, which arrived to a rather rough shape, but the researchers were still able to identify the brand, which is Huntley & Palmers. The Trust also claimed that the cake looked and smelled edible.

How Can It Survive?

There is also an explanation why the cake managed to survive all these years. The excellent condition of the fruitcake is due to an extra effort. The effort led to an exquisite conservation process. The people who packed it back then took extra care to stabilize the paper and the tin container where the cake was kept. At the same time, the fruitcake is merely one of the 1,500 artifacts that were recovered from the Cape Adare.

Why a Fruitcake?

Following the discovery, many people were curious to find out why a fruitcake and not a different dish. Lizzie Meek, who is the program manager for artifacts at the Trust, explains why this was the choice for a meal. As it turns out, it’s a high-energy food that is often brought for Antarctic conditions. Moreover, it is still used nowadays in modern times for modern trips that are made there.

Even so, it doesn’t look like they would let anybody have a taste of the fruitcake just yet. Obviously, everybody is curious to see what it tastes like and whether it can really be edible after all this time.