Asavoury is the final course of a traditional English formal meal, following the sweet puddingordessert course. The savoury is designed to "clear the palate" before the port, whisky or other digestif is served. It generally consists of rich, highly spiced or salty elements. While the popularity of savouries has waned since their height during Victorian times, there has recently been a renewed interest in savouries.[1]
Savouries are often served on toast, fried bread or some kind of biscuit or cracker. They are first mentioned in The Closet of the Eminently Learned Sir Kenelme Digbie Kt. Opened in 1669.[2]InEliza Acton's 1845 book Modern Cookery for Private Families, there is just one recipe for savouries which appears to be a proto-croque monsieur, with a small footnote. In the 20th century, however, entire books on the subject appeared, such as Good Savouries (1934) by Ambrose Heath. In contrast to many elements of wider British cuisine, the savoury as a distinct course never spread beyond England and was therefore regarded as peculiar to English and emblematic of upper class dining.[3]