Whatever happened to sugar lumps?

[CanIRetirePlease]

I was trying to explain the idea of sugar lumps to my slightly baffled kids. Why did sugar lumps disappear? I have not seen one in over a decade

Sugar lump is English and sugar cube is American.

You can still get sugar crystals - billingtons brand in some supermarkets or amber crystals in others.tiny rock shaped brown shades of sugar rocks. Amazon also sell.

I bloody love Flight of the Concordes, and this is one of their best songs!

No it isn’t. Every British sugar brand labels them ‘sugar cubes’. The terms are interchangeable in the UK.

I see them all the time in kilner jars in cafes. And often, the kids ask their parents if they can eat one, and I am always very surprised by how many parents say yes. My own kids look at me wide eyed when this happens and know not to ask!

I didn’t know you could buy them in the UK & we always bring a box home from France. I’ll look out for them now I know.

I buy them in place of granulated sugar. So much so that DH spent a good 20 minutes bashing sugar cubes with a wooden spoon to make granulated sugar for pancakes last Tuesday 🤣.

Yes, exactly. You pour your absinthe into a glass, place the absinthe spoon over the top with your sugar cube on it, and drip cold water on it so the sugar dissolves into the absinthe.

The other way is to dip the sugar cube in absinthe and set fire to it first before you drip the water on it, but that’s not really the traditional way and is more of a modern affectation.

I'm pretty sure they were Icelandic. 🤔

As for lumps, my friend Jack ate them.

I have some. I got them from tesco.

I had this vision of a bowl of sugar lumps like you'd have a bowl of crisps or peanuts eg some nibbles and thought you had a strange nan. Then I realised it was alongside a cup of tea!

Yes, DD sometimes buys sugar lumps. I am pretty sure I bought her a sugar bowl and tongs two or three years ago.

Same! Ha! And I don’t drink alcohol so can’t even use them in cocktails!

they are so cute. I think the cubes are still quite easy to get hold of, less sure about the irregular lumps.

Vicar?

Available on Ocado.

I remember pinching them after church and running off to eat them

My Mum had sugar lumps in the shape of teapots for when guests came. They fascinated me.

Lumps & cubes are not the same thing.

😃Yes, I should have included that to make it more clear!

My local store used to sell white sugar cubes but now they only sell brown sugar lumps.

Standard still in France

The OP is talking about sugar lumps not cubes. I haven't seen lumps for ages.

The ‘lumps’ are often sold as ‘rough cubes’ but they’re the same thing.

Lots of cafes and tea rooms use them.

This is helpful... I'd been baffled by the description of absinthe drinking in Hemmingway's The Garden of Eden, but now I'm in the know!
Also - someone upthread posted a photo of their cup of tea in Betty's with an eclair half out of shot. Can we have more photos of people having cups of tea in places with sugar lumps - or even without for the contrast? I just think that's what this very lovely thread needs more of...