Thunder and Lightning

thunder and lightning a dramatically named sweet item, which has evidently taken various forms, all involving a contrast of dark and light. Fernie (1905) has much plausible detail built into his description:

About Devon, and Cornwall, Clotted Cream is eaten with every practical form of sweet thing, from stewed fruit to Christmas pudding, treacle and Cream being an approved combination. This is colloquially known as ‘thunder and lightning;’ and orthodox lovers, out for the day, order it with their tea, in Fuschia-covered cottages; then the correct and mystic practice is to smother a ‘split cake’ (a sort of small Sally Lunn) with some of the thick Cream, and to trace on its surface, in casual letters formed by the golden syrup, trickling from a spoon, the beloved one’s name, or its initial letters.

On the other hand, Dorothy Hartley (1954) says that thunder and lightning consists of: ‘Hot plain water-boiled rice (as for curry) served piled high and loose on a hot dish, with golden syrup handed separately.’

The term ‘treacle’ can be used correctly of either the dark, thick treacle which was more common in the 19th century than now, or of the golden syrup which is mentioned in both the above accounts and which is paler and runnier. It seems probable that, when the expression ‘thunder and lightning’ originally came into use in a food context, the dark treacle was meant. But the subject is one which calls out for further illumination.

Elizabeth David (1965) describes a savoury Italian dish called Tuono e lampo (Thunder and lightning) which is made of cooked broken pieces of pasta mixed with chickpeas and Parmesan and served with butter, oil, or tomato sauce. She ends by saying, ‘The nutty flavour and the slightly hard texture of the chick peas make a pleasant contrast to the softness of the pasta.’