# What's the deal with mincemeat? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 25, 2003, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-mincemeat/190895 "2003-07-25T15:48:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cannikin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@Cannikin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cannikin)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-mincemeat/190895/1 "2003-07-25T15:48:18Z")
So a friend and I have been having a friendly argument with his girlfriend – what, exactly, is in mincemeat? Him and I both insist that it doesn’t actually contain meat at all, and she insists that it’s the main ingredient. I’ve never actually had the stuff, but the only reason I even know what it is (or isn’t) was because of the fact that it’s name was contradictory to its contents (so I think). What’s everyone else think?? We need some ammunition! Cannikin 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![UnwrittenNocturne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/6de8d8/32.png) [@UnwrittenNocturne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UnwrittenNocturne)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-mincemeat/190895/2 "2003-07-25T15:53:07Z")
Not sure where you are, but here, that is what we call hamburger meat. In which case, lots of meat in it ---
**Author:** ![Dogface](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@Dogface](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogface)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-mincemeat/190895/3 "2003-07-25T15:57:43Z")
Modern mincemeat contains no meat, although it is still not uncommon for it to contain chopped suet. It will have raisins, apples, currants, pears, and/or other such fruits. It will also have cinnamon and other spices. Old-style mincemeat (as in more than 100 years ago) might or might not have meat in it in addition to the fruit. ---
**Author:** ![godzillatemple](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/49beb7/32.png) [@godzillatemple](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/godzillatemple)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-mincemeat/190895/4 "2003-07-25T15:58:11Z")
Mincemeat is definitely made of meat ([cite](http://ask.yahoo.com/ask/20001220.html)). Perhaps your friend is thinking of the difference between **sweetmeats** (fruit and bread) and **sweatbreads** (made of the thymus glands of veal, young beef, lamb and pork). Just a thought… Barry ---
**Author:** ![Cannikin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@Cannikin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cannikin)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-mincemeat/190895/5 "2003-07-25T15:58:59Z")
Apparently everyone seems to agree that it has some fruits in it, raisins, curants, etc. But we can’t agree on whether or not it has meat in addition to that stuff. Cannikin P.S. I’m in California, but originally from New York. My wife is from British Columbia, Canada (and also thinks there’s no meat). My friend is from Iowa and his girlfriend is from Colorado. ---
**Author:** ![nikotime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e0b2c6/32.png) [@nikotime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nikotime)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-mincemeat/190895/6 "2003-07-25T16:03:09Z")
Well, there’s mincemeat and there’s mincemeat (or rather mince meat). The former is the main ingredient in the traditional (in the UK anyway) Christmas favourite Mince Pies. The mince meat in these is made from raisins, currants etc and grated beef suet - not strictly mince meat but near enough! The latter (mince meat) is indeed the primary constituent of hamburgers. MacDonalds would call it ground beef, and whilst the texture is certainly more ground than minced, I’m not convinced that it deserves to be called “meat” any more than its suet-baring namesake! Both are very tasty - whatever you call them! ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-mincemeat/190895/7 "2003-07-25T16:46:52Z")
Oh! Mince pies with dollops of rum butter at Christmas…sigh. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-mincemeat/190895/8 "2003-07-25T17:00:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by godzillatemple \* > **Mincemeat is definitely made of meat** And despite that cite, it is possible to go into any American grocery store’s frozen section and buy a ready-to-bake mincemeat pie that contains absolutely no meat or suet. **Dogface’s** list of ingredients is about right for the fillings of these ready-to-bake pies. That is what most Americans think of when they think of “micemeat”. Canadians, British, and Australians have other definitions for mincemeat/mince meat. The correct answer to the O.P. is that there are several versions of mincemeat out there, none of which serves as the quintessential mincemeat. Some contain meat, some don’t. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-mincemeat/190895/9 "2003-07-25T17:08:51Z")
I was astonished to learn (from the company’s own ingredients chart) that See’s mincemeat candies not only contain suet, but also–ack–_corned beef_. Presumably the amount is minute, but still–what the _flaming hell_ is _beef_ doing in a chocolate? ---
**Author:** ![montana\_cricket](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@montana\_cricket](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/montana_cricket)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-mincemeat/190895/10 "2003-07-25T17:16:39Z")
I have seen it both ways, labeled “Mock Mince Meat” without the meat, possible with the suet for mince pies. However, I have been present when my husband’s grandmother (98 years old) made what she called “traditional mince meat” where she boiled the meat off the skull of a deer, added raisins and currants and what-not to it and made it into pies…which pretty much grossed me out… I’ve also seen recipes for it both ways in various game cookbooks and I believe also, the Joy of Cooking… ---
**Author:** ![montana\_cricket](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@montana\_cricket](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/montana_cricket)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-mincemeat/190895/11 "2003-07-25T17:19:43Z")
Actually, it wasn’t the skull, it was the NECK of the deer, not good for much else I guess… ---
**Author:** ![Isabelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b5a626/32.png) [@Isabelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isabelle)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-mincemeat/190895/12 "2003-07-25T17:20:12Z")
Mincemeat comes in a jar in your local grocery store and does NOT have meat in it. Mincemeat is best in cookies and pies. YUMMMMMMM ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-mincemeat/190895/13 "2003-07-25T17:31:45Z")
Mince meat = fruit and stuff Mince meat = ground beef, the stuff you don’t get a McDonalds. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-mincemeat/190895/14 "2003-07-25T18:49:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bordelond \* > \*\* > That is what most Americans think of when they think of “micemeat”. \*\* Actually, that makes me think of _Demolition Man_: “Es rata” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Gravity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gravity/32/14322_2.png) [@Gravity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gravity)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-mincemeat/190895/15 "2003-07-25T20:15:28Z")
Yes, absolutely, I have had mince pies that were made with venison. It also has all of the other ingredients in it, and it didn’t taste very much different at all. It’s still a sweet pie. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-mincemeat/190895/16 "2003-07-25T22:12:47Z")
OK folks; I have a jar of Co-op Mincemeat in my hand, the ingredients: Sugar, apple, currants, sultanas, orange peel, glucose syrup, hydrogenated palm oil, lemon peel, rice flour, acetic acid, ground mixed spices (Coriander, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, caraway, cloves), salt, preservative(sulphur doixide) No meat, ox brains, corned beef, kidneys or Soylent green. Sorry. Traditionally, it may have contained suet. ‘Meat’ here is (I believe), the archaic term simply meaning ‘food’. Minced meat is a different animal altogether. ---
**Author:** ![MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MC_Master_of_Ceremonies)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-mincemeat/190895/17 "2003-07-25T22:35:37Z")
mincemeat used to contain meat hence the name (or that at least seems to be a popular urban legend). Another explanation is the fact that “meat” had a different meaning in the ‘olden days’ where it just meant any kind of food. ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-mincemeat/190895/18 "2003-07-25T22:51:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Isabelle \* > \*\*Mincemeat comes in a jar in your local grocery store and does NOT have meat in it. > > Mincemeat is best in cookies and pies. YUMMMMMMM \*\* I a pretty sure that when I made empanadas last holiday season the mincemeat I bought in the store contained the raisins etc. plus actual meat. ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-mincemeat/190895/19 "2003-07-25T23:19:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gazpacho \* > \*\*I a pretty sure that when I made empanadas last holiday season the mincemeat I bought in the store contained the raisins etc. plus actual meat. \*\* Mincemeat did traditionally have suet in it. I used to help my mother make it at Xmas. Modern supermarket varieties may no longer contain it, but what we buy from the bitcher still does. My Grandfather was Catholic and would not eat mincemeat on Friday. My mother would be hysterical and say “there’s no meat in it, just suet” Suet, for those of you who don’t know, is the fat the surrounds the kidneys. ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2003, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-mincemeat/190895/20 "2003-07-26T00:33:21Z")
So it looks like there’s two kinds: If your micemeat looks like fruit paste it’s probably fruit paste. If your micemeat looks like minced cow organs, it’s probably minced cow organs. Just don’t get them muddled up 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-mincemeat/190895.md?page=2)