# Who Can Make Up the Best Recipe for Cram?



## baragund (Jul 21, 2005)

Let's have a game, or maybe a contest would be a better word:

Who can come up with the best recipe for _cram_? 

I've alway been interested in what exactly _cram _ was... It's almost as interesting as it's more talked about cousin _Lembas._ But what exactly was it made of? How was it prepared? Since it is a Mannish concoction, there should not be any "magic" ingredients like what would be found in lembas. One would think it is made of readily available ingredients. Here is the description that is given in The Hobbit:



> ...it is biscuitish, keeps good indefinitely, is supposed to be sustaining, and is certainly not entertaining, being in fact very uninteresting except as a chewing exercise. It was made by the Lake-men for long journeys.



In the Etymologies found in HOME V, _cram _is defined as 'cake of compressed flour or meal (often containing honey and milk) used on long journeys'.

These descriptions give me an image of something like hard-tack or maybe a dry granola bar-type thing. But let's see your ideas on what goes into _cram._ 

Sure, joke-style recipes are fine but let's also have some serious recipes from the culinary artists out there! I'll be happy to inflict any interesting looking proposals on me and my family and report the results.  

So c'mon you Julia Child wanna-bes, take your best (or worst) shot!


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## Confusticated (Jul 21, 2005)

Great idea, lots of fun! I'll try to come up with something for sure!


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## Arthur_Vandelay (Aug 18, 2005)

Here's one.


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## Nenya Evenstar (Aug 30, 2005)

Hmmm . . . sounds a lot like Bisquick to me! Maybe add more flour and some honey for energy and you might have something like Cram.


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## Wonko The Sane (Jan 23, 2006)

I think the Nutcases that the juice bar at work serves must be cram's nutty cousin.

Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, nuts of various kinds, raisins, and sultanas, all bound together with a few oats and some apple juice.

Bleh. Not nice. But good for you, and high in protein and carbs.


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## Mariad (Jan 11, 2009)

I agree that it sounds a lot like hardtack, so i found a few and modified them a bit to better fit the description given to us in HOME V .
a modified recipe for Swedish Hardtack 

1 cup water
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
3 tbsp. honey
3 cups flour
1/4 tsp. salt
 Mix liquids together. In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients. Combine the mixtures, stirring to moisten throughout. Form a ball. On a floured surface, flatten the dough, and roll out thinly. Cut into squares and prick each cracker with the tines of a fork a couple of times. Transfer to lightly greased baking sheets. Bake at 425° F for around 8 minutes, checking to be sure not to over-brown.

and here's a modified recipe for standard hardtack, which i feel would work best:


4 cups flour
4 tsp salt (opt.)
Milk (about 2 cups)
1-2 tbsp honey
Pizza cutter
Fork
 Heat milk and add honey, stir until honey is dissolved. Let cool to room temp. Mix the flour and salt together in a bowl. Add just enough milk/honey mixture (less than two cups) so that the mixture will stick together, producing a dough that won’t stick to hands, rolling pin or pan. Mix the dough by hand. Roll the dough out to ½ inch thick, shaping it roughly into a rectangle. Cut into the dough into squares about 3x3. After cutting the squares, press a pattern of four rows of four holes into each square, using a fork. Do not punch through the dough. Turn each square over and do the same thing to the other side. Place the squares on an un-greased cookie sheet in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Turn each piece over and bake for another 30 minutes. The crackers should be slightly brown on both sides. The fresh crackers are easily broken but as they dry, they harden and assume the consistency of fired brick.


I haven't had a chance to try either of these recipes out, but I hope to!


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## Ancalagon (Feb 23, 2009)

Nice, just discovered this for the first time and have to say, what a great thread

I would be of the opinion that Cram recipes would need more in the way of ground oats or seeds, but in a very fine powder. I like the idea of honey and possibly skimmed milk powder to add to its consistency. No need to add more sugar with the honey. I would think butter would be a necessity, but not being any good at cooking I would not be sure how to make it last for days on end without losing its freshness.

Would in be circular and bendy I wonder? Like a more firm pancake that can be folded, torn and reshaped? Hmm, I think I will have to try and bake something and share the recipe if its any good

Btw Nom, you really will need to come up with something now, baking comes with the territory when you have kids!!


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## Turgon (Feb 23, 2009)

You want a recipe for Cram? Try my mother's scones - you will be chewing those bad boys for weeks.


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## Bucky (Feb 23, 2009)

*I saw real cram (hardtack) on the History Channel....

A show from Great Brittain called, uh, I forget. 

This guy, Tony Roberts, he - 'Worst Jobs in History' - that's it! 

Tony does all these horrible things people did hundreds of years ago.....

In this episode, he's on a ship in the days of Nelson. Eating that hardtack, it's loaded with these little beetles. hundreds of them. Disgusting.*


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## Turgon (Feb 23, 2009)

Come on Bucky! Those days are the pride of the British People - Rule Britannia and all that! Nelson is our greatest hero. Those Beetles were actually a great source of sustainance. Meaty raisins no? They go great with limes I'm sure...

By the way Tony Roberts is actually Tony Robinson - who was the actor who played Baldrick in the Blackadder series and has presented Time Team over here for a good long time (an archaelology show). I watched quite a few episodes of that series and I have to say the worse job I saw was a fuller. All that stale urine? No thanks!


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## Bucky (Feb 23, 2009)

Tony Robinson...

Tony Roberts is that motivational speaker. 

Great show btw.


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## ltnjmy (Feb 24, 2009)

I cannot make up the best recipe - but I've been told that my awful cooking tastes a bit like cram and I guess - would not come near to the delicious taste of lembas


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## Ancalagon (Feb 24, 2009)

My cooking apparently tastes like cra*, not cram or lembas unfortunately

I have discovered the secret recipe:

*Pinole* is a Mexican Spanish word for a coarse flour made from ground toasted maize kernels, often in a mixture with a variety of herbs and ground seeds, which can be eaten by itself or be used as the base for a beverage. The word derives from the Nahuatl word pinolli, which has the same meaning. In southeastern Mexico and in Central America this food and beverage is known as pinol or pinolillo, considered the national beverage of Nicaragua.

Herbs and flavorings added to pinole include ground mustard seeds, ground chia seeds, ground cacao, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, achiote, and other grasses and annual herbs. The mixture is sometimes beaten with water to make a hot or cold beverage (also called pinole), or sometimes cooked with water to make an edible mush.

It can also have honey added to make a sustainable, energy boosting bar/cake.

There, this is one you can try


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## Bucky (Nov 2, 2009)

Man, Tolkien Geeks are wacked out.


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## Confusticated (Dec 19, 2009)

I was thinking of this recently. I intend to attempt a recipe in the near future now that I have free time. 


Ancalagon said:


> Btw Nom, you really will need to come up with something now, baking comes with the territory when you have kids!!


Would you believe I bake less now than before my son was born? He's old enough I recently allowed him foods with honey, so he can test my cram.


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## Eledhwen (Dec 21, 2009)

"The biscuits eaten by sailors in the British Navy in the nineteenth century were as hard as floor-tiles - and probably tasted like floor-tiles too! They had to be mashed up in water to form gruel in order to be edible. "(source: Huntley and Palmers website) They were stamped for identification, eg: _biscuit No3 and were still in use during WW1. I am certain that this is what Tolkien had in mind when he spoke of "cram".

I tried to find a recipe, but I expect the Ministry of Defence were so ashamed they stamped it "Top Secret" and buried it for 100 years. The Anzacs fared better, and their recipes abound on the internet. Try this one: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/3803/anzac-biscuits 

Incidentally, I believe that it is highly likely that Tolkien first encountered Tea Tree oil in the trenches of The Somme, as it was issued to Anzacs for first aid and is anti-fungal and antibacterial and antiseptic. In the stench of the muddy trench, this fragrant oil must have smelled of pure healing. Like Athelas/Kingsfoil, the Tea Tree was undervalued. Many farmers hewed them down to grow more profitable crops. I expect they are regretting it now, as trees don't grow in a season!_


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## Prince of Cats (May 1, 2010)

Eledhwen said:


> I tried to find a recipe, but I expect the Ministry of Defence were so ashamed they stamped it "Top Secret" and buried it for 100 years. The Anzacs fared better, and their recipes abound on the internet. Try this one: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/3803/anzac-biscuits


 
That's a tempting recipe! 



> Ingredients:
> 
> 
> 85g porridge oats
> ...



I wonder if they had coconut up in Laketown? Imagining Thorin coming from the barrel on the shores delivered from the prison of the elves all groggy and sour with shredded coconut in his beard


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## Confusticated (Oct 6, 2010)

Ancalagon said:


> I would be of the opinion that Cram recipes would need more in the way of ground oats or seeds, but in a very fine powder. I like the idea of honey and possibly skimmed milk powder...


 
I never posted about this, but I after reading this the last time I made a kind of quick cram using a making mix (basically flour, baking powder/soda, and salt with a little oil) by adding powdered honey roasted almonds and cream... then flattening it on a grill and sprinkling with almond powder and cooking for a while on each side. They actually did taste good.

I've yet to make a real cram recipe tho...:*o


What I really want are some lembas recipes.:*D And elvish wine... and elvish anything for the senses.:*D


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## Gandalf_DeGrey (Sep 8, 2020)

I know I'm coming late to the party (10 years late based on the last comment), but I've been thinking about cram a lot lately and decided to jot down a recipe. I'll be testing it out tonight probably, but the phrase Cake of compressed flour or meal keeps sticking out to me. So in my recipe, I roll the dough into balls place them on a hot cast iron pan, let them cook for about 30-45 seconds then smash them down into patty shaped cakes. Almost like how some restaurants cook hamburgers. After one side gets golden brown, I flip and cook the other side. It's like a cross between hardtack and a pancake. For added longevity, they can be baked at a low heat to dry them out. I'll Let you know how they turn out. 
Here is the recipe. I'll just update it from there if it needs any changes. 








Cram


Cram As seen in J.R.R. Tolkein’s The Hobbit. Cram is defined as a 'cake of compressed flour or meal (often containing honey and milk) used on long journeys'. Bilbo described it as being “very uninteresting except as a chewing exercise”. This recipe definitely fits that description. It is har...




docs.google.com


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## Halasían (Sep 15, 2020)

> _“If you want to know what cram is, I can only say that I don’t know the recipe; but it is biscuitish, keeps good indefinitely, is supposed to be sustaining, and is certainly not entertaining, being in fact very uninteresting except as a chewing exercise.”_
> – Tolkien



Remember someone trying their hand at making "Lembas" for the Two Towers line party in December 2002 .... was more like 'Cram' as it was akin to chewing on cardboard.

Here is a decent 'Cram' recipe I've made. I did add more dark brown sugar but it seemed to develop nicely. Lasted a month or so when stored in an old cookie tin.



*CRAM*

Author: Feast of Starlight
Serves: 12
PREP TIME - 45 mins
COOK TIME - 15 mins
TOTAL TIME - 1 hour


*INGREDIENTS*

150g - butter, softened
100g - dark brown sugar, packed
¼ cup - honey
2 - eggs, large
1 tsp - vanilla extract
1 cup - all purpose flour
⅓ cup - whole wheat flour
150g - mixed nuts, chopped
40g - cranberries (I used blackberries)
⅓ cup - rolled oats

*INSTRUCTIONS*

Preheat oven to 350°F/177°C
In a mixer, paddle your softened butter until smooth.
Add your brown sugar and honey. Paddle until combined.
Add one egg at a time, make sure to scrape the bowl. Add your vanilla extract.
Add your flour in three additions. Make sure to scrape the bowl in between.
Add your nuts, cranberries, and oats.
Scoop into cookies. I used a ¼ cup to scale out each cookie.
Place the cookie onto a baking sheet with parchment and shape into biscuit shape.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Bake the cookies for approximately 15 minutes and let cool on rack.


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## Squint-eyed Southerner (Sep 16, 2020)

That looks appetizing enough to actually try, Halasian. I may try it myself!

In fact, just yesterday, I went a bit overboard making lasagna, and ended up with two huge casserole dishes full -- enough for more than a week of steady eating. I expect the last couple of days-worth to be a lot more 'cram-like' than your recipe. 😝


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## Olorgando (Sep 16, 2020)

Squint-eyed Southerner said:


> In fact, just yesterday, I went a bit overboard making lasagna, and ended up with two huge casserole dishes full -- enough for more than a week of steady eating. I expect the last couple of days-worth to be a lot more 'cram-like' than your recipe. 😝


You "Garfield", you ... 🤓


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## Squint-eyed Southerner (Sep 17, 2020)




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## Olorgando (Sep 18, 2020)

Squint-eyed Southerner said:


> View attachment 8074


Definitely *not* a Gollum clone ... 🤣


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## Rose (Sep 28, 2020)

baragund said:


> Let's have a game, or maybe a contest would be a better word:
> 
> Who can come up with the best recipe for _cram_?
> 
> ...


Have any of you tried chapati? It's the closest thing I've come to for Lembas.


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## Halasían (Sep 29, 2020)

Rose said:


> Have any of you tried chapati? It's the closest thing I've come to for Lembas.


Yeah I've had Chapati / Roti with my Indian / Thai takeaway food. I'd put it more in the 'Cram' catagory as Lembas was more pleasing to the tastebuds.


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## Beytran70 (Nov 10, 2020)

Although it isn't really cram per se, I did a little research with inspiration from Tolkien's past as a world War 1 veteran to see where he might have gotten some of the inspiration for it and other similar foods in his stories. One thing I found was for something called a "trench cake" which is basically a crappy, only slightly sweet, and quite thick cake that was made using ingredients that were available in Britain during the rationing to be sent to the front by family members. Since others have already chimed in on this topic I figured I would toss in something a little bit different, but still related!

The recipe is even coming to you straight from the British government of the era! Plus! Bonus recipe: the stew Eoowyn made! Apparently maconochie soup was the worst ration commonly given out to the troops.


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## Olorgando (Nov 10, 2020)

Beytran70 said:


> Plus! Bonus recipe: the stew Éowyn made! Apparently maconochie soup was the worst ration commonly given out to the troops.


Actually, that bit is pure PJ invention. 🤢


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## Beytran70 (Nov 10, 2020)

Olorgando said:


> Actually, that bit is pure PJ invention. 🤢



And I love it!


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## Olorgando (Nov 10, 2020)

You mean that bit of comic relief that PJ built in about Éowyn's cooking "skills"? I found that a bit unfair, princesses were not trained in cooking! 😒 

Or have you tried the maconochie recipe?


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## Aldarion (Nov 11, 2020)

Honestly, it reminds me of my experiments with bread with natural yeast:

1) Mix flour, salt and water to form relatively liquid dough
2) Leave it in a hermetically sealed tupperware at room temperature
3) Add flour and water and mix again every few (6-12) hours
4) Repeat for next few days until you see bubbles and dough gets that _really sour_ smell
5) mix in more water and flour but with more flour so that dough is not liquid-y any more
6) wait until the dough has expanded
7) put it to bake

If you want something more nutritious (thus closer to cram), you can add sugar / honey / mead / some combination thereof at point 5, or maybe after it (I never really tried).

It is an absolute workout to even try to eat, not very tasty (even if you do not forget the salt), but much more filling than the bread you can buy in a store, and can last for maybe a month, if not longer, without going bad (turns out, mildew doesn't like acidic bread).


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## Licky Linguist (Nov 13, 2020)

baragund said:


> Let's have a game, or maybe a contest would be a better word:
> 
> Who can come up with the best recipe for _cram_?
> 
> ...


Sounds a bit like digestive biscuits... but harder 
The kind that makes you incredibly dry in the throat after eating for a while? And it feels a bit sandy for me...
*Digestive Biscuits Recipe*
4.63 from 214 votes


Print Recipe

Dessert
Oven
Baking Pans
Prep Time 25 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 45 mins
From a tea time snack to entire pie crust, my Digestive Biscuits recipe is as versatile as it is delicious and can be made in no time.
Author: Gemma Stafford
*Ingredients*

1 2/3 cups ( 8 1/3oz/236g) whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (3oz/85g) powdered sugar
1/2 cup (4oz/115g) butter, cubed
1/4 cup (2floz/57ml) milk

*Instructions*

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a mixing bowl and mix to combine the ingredients.
Quickly, working with your fingertips or a blender, rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the milk and work through to form a dough.
Turn out on a floured surface and roll to form a smooth dough. (IF your dough seems dry add a little more milk.)
Using a well-floured rolling pin, roll the dough out to a bit more than 1/8 inch thick and cut into rounds, about 2 1/2 inches in diameter. You can keep rolling the scraps together to make additional biscuits.
Transfer the biscuits to your baking pan and, if desired, prick the biscuits with a fork to create holes. Bake for 20 minutes until biscuits are pale gold.
Cover and store in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Freeze the raw dough for up to 1 month. 
(copied from net, not a chef here )


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