an Eccles Cake is like a scone with currents (raisins); and a Fat Rascal is a scone with candied fruit and a cherry on top.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5255/5450776477_745663cc67_z.jpg
should show us what a fat rascal is like, regardless of what the ingredients are known as
So this explains why black currants (Ribes nigrum) can never be found here in the US. Thanks.The fruit and plant called "currants" (genus Ribes) in the States, (not "Zante currants" a.k.a. Vitis vinifera) is a relative of the gooseberry (Ribes uva-crispa), not a grape cultivar. So which genus are the black currants that I've enjoyed in the UK?
Farming of the plant called "black currant" in the States (Ribes nigrum) was banned by Federal regulation in 1900 because it's a host for white pine blister rust. Regulation devolved to individual states in the '60s, but the plant is still banned in some states, so the fruit is difficult to find. I had red currants (Ribes rubrum) as a child and enjoyed them very much, but haven't seen them since then.
Marianna
Do you have Ribena in the US?
Short answer: sort of available. Long answer follows.
My local supermarket sells the concentrate, 20.3 fl. oz. (0.60921 Liters) @ $6.99 (£4.14), to be mixed at home at the rate of 50 ml of concentrate with 200 ml water per serving. It's imported and partly labeled for US sales - the contents of the bottle is given in ounces, but the mixing instructions give the quantities in ml and the concentrate is referred to there as "squash", which here in my region of the States means only the vegetable that grows on a vine, never fruit juice.
Ready-to-drink Ribena is available from an Amazon.com merchant located in the UK @ $10.50 (£6.22) for 500 ml with free shipping.
I had never heard of blackcurrants here until the start of the "superfoods" marketing campaign, and the products still aren't very prevalent.
Marianna