# What are the crumbs on the bottom of an English Muffin?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-crumbs-on-the-bottom-of-an-english-muffin/391612
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [February 10, 2007, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-crumbs-on-the-bottom-of-an-english-muffin/391612 "2007-02-10T13:37:44Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2007, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-crumbs-on-the-bottom-of-an-english-muffin/391612/1 "2007-02-10T13:37:44Z")
Does anyone know what the crumbs are on the bottom of an English Muffin? You know usually you fin them on the Thomas’ English Muffins…the little white flecks of salt looking things… What the heck are they?
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### Author:  [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2007, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-crumbs-on-the-bottom-of-an-english-muffin/391612/2 "2007-02-10T13:57:03Z")
I think it may be corn meal…a lot of bread-type baked items are baked on a sprinkle of corn meal to keep it from sticking to the baking sheet. Very common with pizza and certain types of bread, like French or Italian.
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### Author:  [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2007, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-crumbs-on-the-bottom-of-an-english-muffin/391612/3 "2007-02-10T15:00:19Z")
Yup, it’s cornmeal, for the reasons stated.
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### Author:  [@Common\_Tater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Common_Tater)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2007, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-crumbs-on-the-bottom-of-an-english-muffin/391612/4 "2007-02-10T15:46:09Z")
Oddly enough, when I mentioned that I liked English Muffins to someone who’d lived in Great Britain, they had no idea what I was talking about. Incredulous, I described them again “you know, split in half with a fork, toast them up, slather in butter??”.
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### Author:  [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2007, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-crumbs-on-the-bottom-of-an-english-muffin/391612/5 "2007-02-10T15:48:29Z")
[QUOTE=Common Tater]
Oddly enough, when I mentioned that I liked English Muffins to someone who’d lived in Great Britain, they had no idea what I was talking about. Incredulous, I described them again “you know, split in half with a fork, toast them up, slather in butter??”.
[/QUOTE]
So what do Brits call them?
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### Author:  [@scotandrsn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotandrsn)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2007, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-crumbs-on-the-bottom-of-an-english-muffin/391612/6 "2007-02-10T15:52:38Z")
[QUOTE=Common Tater]
Oddly enough, when I mentioned that I liked English Muffins to someone who’d lived in Great Britain, they had no idea what I was talking about. Incredulous, I described them again “you know, split in half with a fork, toast them up, slather in butter??”.
[/QUOTE]
The information I’ve read (in the ever-so-credible-and-authoritative Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader), is that Mr. Thomas arrived in America and began selling “tea muffins”, based on his mother’s own recipe. The name later changed to “English Muffins”.
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### Author:  [@According\_to\_Pliny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/According_to_Pliny)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2007, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-crumbs-on-the-bottom-of-an-english-muffin/391612/7 "2007-02-10T16:26:48Z")
scones
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### Author:  [@Chum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chum)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2007, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-crumbs-on-the-bottom-of-an-english-muffin/391612/8 "2007-02-10T17:41:52Z")
Don’t they just call them “muffins”\*? Scones are totally different.
\*I must admit, my only reference for this is the scene in _The Importance of Being Earnest_ where Rupert Everett eats all the “muffins.”
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### Author:  [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2007, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-crumbs-on-the-bottom-of-an-english-muffin/391612/9 "2007-02-10T17:46:24Z")
[QUOTE=According to Pliny]
scones
[/QUOTE]
No, scones are much closer to American style biscuits.
The closest they have to English Muffins in England are called “crumpets”.
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### Author:  [@scotandrsn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotandrsn)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2007, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-crumbs-on-the-bottom-of-an-english-muffin/391612/10 "2007-02-10T17:59:22Z")
[QUOTE=Phlosphr]
Does anyone know what the crumbs are on the bottom of an English Muffin? You know usually you fin them on the Thomas’ English Muffins…the little white flecks of salt looking things… What the heck are they?
[/QUOTE]
Hey, what do you know? The internet is your friend!
From [the Thomas’ FAQ page at George Weston Bakeries](http://thomas.gwbakeries.com/faqs.cfm#15)
> [@](#):
>
> What is on the bottom of our Thomas’ English Muffins?
>
> The small white particles on the bottom of THOMAS’® English Muffins are farina. This is used to prevent the doughball from sticking to the oven plate and also to give the product its unique taste.
And [here’s the official corporate history of the muffins](http://thomas.gwbakeries.com/history.cfm).
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### Author:  [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2007, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-crumbs-on-the-bottom-of-an-english-muffin/391612/11 "2007-02-10T18:02:13Z")
According to wikipedia:
> [@](#):
>
> The word “muffin” appeared as a word in Britain around the 11th century A.D., derived from the Old French Moufflet, which meant “soft” in reference to bread.
>
> Instructions for cooking a similar flat bread have existed since at least 1747, although credit for the phrase “English muffin” is often given to Samuel Bath Thomas, an English baker who emigrated to New York City and began producing his “muffins” around 1880. The Merriam-Webster dictionary, however, names the origin as 1902.
>
> Before the popularity of baking powder raised muffins, English Muffins were referred to in England simply as “muffins”, however the word “muffin” now refers to both muffins and English muffins in the UK, but usually context makes it clear which type is being talked about.
>
> So-called “English muffins” are, in fact, usually referred to as teacakes in the UK, and not eaten for breakfast.
So, it would seem that either “muffin” or “teacake” would do in the UK. This picture of [teacake](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Teacake.jpg) looks like what I would call an English muffin. Also, according to wikipedia, an Enlgish muffin is a bit different from a crumpet:
> [@](#):
>
> The crumpet is circular in shape (usually; long and square varieties also exist) and has a distinctive flat top covered in small pores. It has a resilient, slightly spongy texture and a rather bland flavour which, when eaten hot with a topping (usually butter), together make crumpets crisp on the outside and very succulent on the inside. They differ from the English Muffin, which is cooked on both sides, in that the dough is usually more moist to start with, so that a muffin ring may be required to hold the batter’s shape.
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### Author:  [@Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quiddity_Glomfuster)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2007, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-crumbs-on-the-bottom-of-an-english-muffin/391612/12 "2007-02-10T18:09:37Z")
[QUOTE=John Mace]
According to wikipedia:
So, it would seem that either “muffin” or “teacake” would do in the UK. This picture of [teacake](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Teacake.jpg) looks like what I would call an English muffin. Also, according to wikipedia, an Enlgish muffin is a bit different from a crumpet:
[/QUOTE]
[English Muffin](http://tinyurl.com/2ddfuv)
[Crumpet](http://tinyurl.com/2349f7)
See the big holes in the crumpet? Crumpets are less bready - almost a little like pancakes. It’s quite a different texture. All the big holes hold butter and jam very nicely.
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### Author:  [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2007, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-crumbs-on-the-bottom-of-an-english-muffin/391612/13 "2007-02-10T18:19:52Z")
Farina is ground wheat, not corn, by the way. Thomas’s uses wheat, which probably looks nicer on their nice white product in its nice white sleeve, but many recipes call for corn, [like this one.](http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/505/English_Muffins_with_Potato_Water52487.shtml)
Teacakes, in my experience, are either more breadlike or more cakelike (including things like eggs, which English Muffins don’t) than English muffins. One that I had was just like raisin bread, only round. But you’re absolutely right that the distinguishing difference between in English muffin and a crumpet is the cooking method. That’s why I said it was the “closest”, not “the word for”.
English muffins are weird, much like bagels. There’s lots of things that are similar, but not quite identical to, an English Muffin. But I’ll certainly accept teacake as a contender - it’s at least as close as a crumpet is.
**Quiddity Glomfuster** , that is the saddest looking English Muffin I’ve ever seen! It’s not even toasted! [This is what a good English Muffin should look like,](http://www.jewishmuseum.cz/images/exhibitions/angels/english-muffin.jpg) all warm and toasty and full of holes like a crumpet.
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### Author:  [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2007, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-crumbs-on-the-bottom-of-an-english-muffin/391612/14 "2007-02-10T18:31:40Z")
[QUOTE=Quiddity Glomfuster]
[English Muffin](http://tinyurl.com/2ddfuv)
[Crumpet](http://tinyurl.com/2349f7)
See the big holes in the crumpet? Crumpets are less bready - almost a little like pancakes. It’s quite a different texture. All the big holes hold butter and jam very nicely.
[/QUOTE]
Well, that’s what the wikipedia article does say, but it’s hard for me tell from that particular picture-- it looks like an English muffin to me. [This](http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images/view?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3F_adv_prop%3Dimages%26imgsz%3Dall%26imgc%3D%26vf%3Dall%26va%3Dcrumpet%26fr%3Dmy-vert-web-top%26ei%3DUTF-8&w=299&h=191&imgurl=www.raspberryworld.com%2Fthoughts%2Fcrumpet.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.raspberryworld.com%2Fthoughts%2F20010118.html&size=14.7kB&name=crumpet.jpg&p=crumpet&type=jpeg&no=7&tt=5,923&oid=c558e5371f3fc524&ei=UTF-8) looks a bit different from an English muffin, and [this](http://home.comcast.net/~praf/Crumpet1.JPG) looks a lot different. 😉
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### Author:  [@daffyduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/daffyduck)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2007, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-crumbs-on-the-bottom-of-an-english-muffin/391612/15 "2007-02-10T19:18:43Z")
I’m Leftpondian, but I lived in London for two years and never once encountered anything very close to Thomas’s English Muffins by any name. Had plenty of scones and teacakes, though. Mmmmmmmmm scones with clotted cream. Americans have no idea what they’re missing.
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### Author:  [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2007, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-crumbs-on-the-bottom-of-an-english-muffin/391612/16 "2007-02-10T19:58:04Z")
Crumpets have larger and more holes and tend to have a more rubbery texture (though not in a bad way) in my experience.
Probably all three are descended from a common ancestor.
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### Author:  [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2007, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-crumbs-on-the-bottom-of-an-english-muffin/391612/17 "2007-02-10T20:15:59Z")
[QUOTE=Sage Rat]
Crumpets have larger and more holes and tend to have a more rubbery texture (though not in a bad way) in my experience.
Probably all three are descended from a common ancestor.
[/QUOTE]
Alternatively, they could all have been created just as they are sometime within the last 10,000 years. 😃
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### Author:  [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2007, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-crumbs-on-the-bottom-of-an-english-muffin/391612/18 "2007-02-10T21:38:49Z")
[QUOTE=Quiddity Glomfuster]
[English Muffin](http://tinyurl.com/2ddfuv)
[Crumpet](http://tinyurl.com/2349f7)
See the big holes in the crumpet? Crumpets are less bready - almost a little like pancakes. It’s quite a different texture. All the big holes hold butter and jam very nicely.
[/QUOTE]
The English muffin photo isn’t a real English muffin. That site is selling replica food for things like photography, educational purposes, etc…
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### Author:  [@Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quiddity_Glomfuster)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2007, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-crumbs-on-the-bottom-of-an-english-muffin/391612/19 "2007-02-10T21:43:07Z")
[QUOTE=jayjay]
The English muffin photo isn’t a real English muffin. That site is selling replica food for things like photography, educational purposes, etc…
[/QUOTE]
And this matters because? It looks exactly like the English muffins I eat regularly. I wasn’t posting claiming that it was an actual English muffin, nor do I care. I was just trying to find photos to show the difference for the crumpet-challenged.
Yeesh.
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### Author:  [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2007, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-crumbs-on-the-bottom-of-an-english-muffin/391612/20 "2007-02-10T22:15:34Z")
**WhyNot** , I regret to disagree with you, but I assure you that “English muffins” are indeed available here, and have been since I was a tiny wee lad at least, and almost certainly a whole lot longer. They are, of course, just called “muffins” (for the same reasons that you call “American football” merely “football”).
As you observe, a “crumpet” is texturally nothing like a muffin, more like a bathroom sponge, and is cleverly designed to allow the melted butter to drip through the bottom, all over your shirt.
A “teacake” is a different shape to a muffin - rounder edges; a flat bun - and a different texture - much lighter - and usually studded with raisins. Hot cross buns are slightly smaller teacakes, with a pastry cross across the top.
A “scone” is indeed like an American biscuit, but it’s often denser, sweet, and sometimes studded with raisins or dried fruit.
Muffin nomenclature in the UK has been somewhat skewed recently by the introduction of American-style sweet cupcake-style muffins, which are rather different beasts.
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