<<From: GWJCAL@aol.com[SMTP:GWJCAL@aol.com] <<Sent: 16 Feb 1999 21:40 <<For the benefit of us non-English, non cooks, what is Custard Powder? Do you <<eat it or use it to load a gun? <<Grant __________________ Hi Grant, Alfred Bird was, by trade, an experimental chemist and, when it was discovered that his wife couldn't tolerate custard (egg-custard in those days) he investigated. He found the cause to be live, yeast-based products or eggs and so he embarked into research into products which she could take without any adverse reaction. In 1843 he succeeded with a product called 'Birds Fermenting Powder' which could be used as a substitute to live yeast in baking bread, buns and cakes. Since there was an immediate commercial demand, he began to produce 'Birds Baking Powder', and, encouraged by its success researched further and arrived at 'Birds Custard Powder'. As a further point of interest, after representations to the, then War Minister, the Duke of Newcastle, the product was shipped in large quantities to help support the UK's War effort in the Crimea. {So I guess that custard powder is used to feed the men who load the gun} Cheers, Mike (another non-cook)