[Jan Fisher]

I’ve just found out how baffling non-Australians find fairy bread.

It’s so ubiquitous in Australia I never realised it was a thing confined to our country.

Frankly, it’s one of the highlights of childhood and even as an adult, I loved going to kids’ parties and tucking into the fairy bread as part of any party spread.

My grandmother used to have a tin full of 100s and 1000s which we would dip buttered bread into. She wasn’t a very nice woman, and that’s probably my standout positive memory of her.

The only other country with something similar is the Netherlands, which has something called hagelslag, which is basically the same, but with chocolate sprinkles. I think I’d prefer that.

Did you realise fairy bread was an Aussie-only thing? Do you occasionally still treat yourself to fairy bread?

[Barbara Smith]

As a child having Birthday party’s [war was still on – 1940’s] Fairy Bread was just the best of things. Party kids loved the slices of freshly cut white bread [bread didn’t come already cut – it was 2 humps of dough baked together at the bakery] and apart from the decorated sponge cake with candles [we had our own chooks so eggs were plentiful but we had ration Books to take to the grocer’s for sugar butter & flour etc] and the home-made orange drinks there was very little else on the table. By the way, this was in New Zealand! So definitely Not just an Aussie thing!

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