Scone (bread)
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Scones with honey. Jam is also a favoured topping.

Scones are also commonly served with jam and clotted cream (commonly known as a cream tea).

The scone is a British snack of Scottish origin. A small quickbread made of wheat, barley or oatmeal, usually with baking powder as a leavening agent. British scones are often lightly sweetened, but may also be savoury. In the U.S., scones are drier, larger and typically sweet.

The pronunciation across the United Kingdom is varied. Some sections of the population (nearly two thirds of the British population and 99% of the Scottish population, according to one academic study^[1]) pronounce it as /skɒn/ (to rhyme with con and John, the U English Pronunciation), and the rest pronounce it /skəʊn/ (to rhyme with cone and Joan, the Non-U English pronunciation). According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word scone derives perhaps from the Middle Dutch schoonbrood (fine white bread), from schoon (pure, clean) and brood (bread). The word is attested in the Scots language long before it was in more general use in the English language.

Description

British scones closely resemble a North American biscuit (many recipes are actually identical) — itself not to be confused with the English biscuit, which equates to the American cookie. In the United States, there is a growing tendency to refer to sweet variations as "scones" (perhaps under influence from espresso bars, where they are popular fare), while those eaten as part of savoury meals are known as "biscuits". American "scones" are often baked to a dry and somewhat crumbly texture, and are typically large and rectangular; more like a cross between a cookie and a muffin than a biscuit. In Canada, both tend to be called "biscuits" or "tea biscuits".

Varieties

British scones frequently include raisins, currants, cheese or dates. In the United States, scones sold by coffee shops often include fillings such as cranberries, blueberries, nuts, or even chocolate chips. More original fillings include smarties. A more recent version of the scone is the 'lemonade scone,' which is made with lemonade and cream instead of butter and milk. However, most fillings tend to be spices, including cinnamon and poppyseed.

Clockwise from bottom: Hot buttered tattie scones next to a cheese scone, shiny and flat treacle scones, and a milk scone above a fruit scone.

In Scotland and Ulster, savoury varieties of scone include soda scones, also known as soda farls, and potato scones, normally known as tattie scones, which resemble small, thin savoury pancakes made with potato flour and resemble the Jewish latke. Potato scones are most commonly served fried in a full Scottish breakfast or an Ulster fry.

Scones around the world

The scone is a basic component of the cream tea or Devonshire tea.

The griddle scone is a variety of scone which is fried rather than baked. In some countries one may also encounter savoury varieties of scone which may contain or be topped with combinations of cheese, onion, bacon etc.

In the Scots language, a griddle is referred to as a "girdle". Therefore "griddle scones" are known as "girdle scones". This usage is also common in New Zealand where scones, of all varieties, form an important part of the traditional cuisine.

Scones are popular in Ireland as well as England and Scotland, and were chosen as the Republic of Ireland representative for Café Europe during the Austrian Presidency of the European Union in 2006 (the United Kingdom chose shortbread).

Other common terms include dropped scone, or drop scone, after the method of dropping the batter onto the griddle or frying pan to cook it.

In some US states in the Mountain West region, especially Utah and Idaho, a "scone" commonly refers to a deep fried flattened bread which serves as the basis for "Navajo" tacos and is commonly consumed by itself with honey butter. It is similar to frybread or sopaipilla.

Scones are quite popular in Argentina (brought by Irish and English immigrants and from Welsh immigrants in Patagonia ^[2]). They are usually accompanied by tea, coffee or mate. ^[3]

In Australia, popular varieties include the vegemite scone.^{citation needed}

A fresh batch of homemade English buttermilk scones.

Other usage

In Scottish language the verb scon means to crush flat or beat with the open hand on a flat surface, and "scon-cap" or "scone-cap" refers to a man's broad flat cap or "bunnet".

See also

Wikibooks Cookbook has an article on

Scone

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Scones

• Welsh cake
• Bannock
• Griddle scone

References

1. ^ Wells, J.C. "Pronunciation Preferences in British English: A New Survey". University College London, 1998
2. ^ Qué comian
3. ^ Argentina Supermercado del Mundo