Explorers in Antarctica recently found something pretty neat in the form of a 106-year-old-fruitcake. If you’re wondering how in the world a fruitcake ended up in the middle of nowhere, it was a leftover snack from the Terra Nova expedition. Explorer Robert Falcon Scott tried to be the first person at the South Pole and left his fruitcake behind.
A Well-Preserved Century-Old Fruitcake
Explorers found the 100-year-old cake from 1899 in great shape. Packed in a rusty tin from Huntley & Palmers, the cake inside stayed perfect, wrapped in wax paper. Lizzie Meeks, the cake “expert,” said it smells faintly of old butter but still looks and smells edible! The freezing Antarctic cold played a big part in preserving it.
Believed to be from Scott’s team, the cake was likely left by the Northern Party during the Cape Adare expedition. They faced tough conditions, got stuck due to heavy ice, and had to endure a harsh winter with limited food. Scott’s team didn’t make it back, unfortunately.
A Sweet Treat in Chilly Adventures
Experts also found a watercolor painting of a tree creeper by Edward Wilson, Scott’s top scientist, in the huts. Sadly, Wilson froze along with the crew near a food stash. While their fate was sad, explorers finding these things all these years later is a way to connect with the past.
Why fruitcake in Antarctica? People in England loved it, and they still do. Living in Antarctica makes you crave high-fat, high-sugar treats, and fruitcake fits the bill, especially with a warm cup of tea. Scott and his crew made it their go-to snack in the chilly Antarctic weather. Surprisingly, the Terra Nova cake isn’t the oldest. In Tecumseh, Michigan, a family has a fruitcake from 1878, made by Fidelia Ford.