What is a crumpet?
A crumpet is a small, round, spongy griddle cake with a flat bottom and a top full of tiny holes. In England, crumpets are toasted and eaten hot with butter, which melts into the holes.
Crumpets are made from a batter of flour, water, milk and yeast, with bicarbonate of soda. They are cooked in metal rings on a griddle, which gives them their shape.
As they cook, bubbles rise to the surface and burst, creating the characteristic holes on top.
Eating crumpets
Crumpets are usually eaten for breakfast or afternoon tea. Popular toppings include butter, jam, honey, golden syrup, cheese and Marmite.
They are especially popular in winter, when a warm, buttery crumpet is considered a comforting treat.
Crumpets are different from English muffins, which are thicker and bread-like and are split before toasting. Pikelets, a type of thinner crumpet, are made in some parts of England.
Recipes for crumpets date back several centuries, but the modern version with holes developed in the Victorian era. Most English supermarkets sell packs of ready-made crumpets for toasting at home.