The three hardest things to say:
1. I’m sorry
2. I need help
3. Worcestershire Sauce
which elicited from you, my vast reading public, what for this blog is quite a few comments, 12 or 13, or as we say here in the colonies, "a right smart amount".
Just yesterday it elicited another one from my old friend Elizabeth Stanforth-Sharpe, from whom I had not heard in some time. She said, "Why bother saying 'Worcestershire Sauce' when you could say 'Henderson's Relish'? Far tastier and from an infinitely superior county” (meaning Yorkshire) and then congratulated me on having reached my 12th, or silk, blogging anniversary.
Blogging is so educational. As I had never heard of Henderson's Relish, I looked it up.
I received a shock of inestimable proportions and replied to Elizabeth as follows:
"Elizabeth, I am not familiar with Henderson's Relish. Another name for Worcestershire Sauce in the U.S. is Lea & Perrins (the two men who, I discovered in my reading, invented Worcestershire Sauce in 1837). Live and learn. I also learned just how little I know when I read that Henderson's Relish is very similar to Worcestershire Sauce but without the anchovies. I had no idea that Worcestershire Sauce contained anchovies. You have furthered my education. Reading that Henderson's Relish is very similar to Worcestershire Sauce but without the anchovies was rather like reading that chocolate mousse is very similar to trifle but without the mustard. I am still in shock."
I want to ask readers who don't live in the U.K. two questions:
1. Have you ever heard of Henderson's Relish or am I the only one living in a vacuum?
2. Did you know before reading this post that Worcestershire Sauce contains anchovies?
I want to ask readers who do live in the U.K., in the interest of science, of course, to prepare two trifles, one with mustard and one without, and report your findings to us. Anchovies are optional.
As we also say in the colonies, "Don't knock it until you've tried it."
(Both images used in accordance with CC-BY-SA 3.0)
