Marmalade was first made from quince. But then again, it's now more common to find quince jam, not marmalade. I'd have to say that orange marmalade is, slightly, more common than black currant jam, but then it is most assuredly not jam. The geneal rule for a good marm insists upon a citrus fruit with peel included (originally for the pectin but the bitter, oh! the sweet bitterly golden tang). Producers now offer no-peel marmalade, but that's actually a jelly -- harumph! lamenting the loss of precision through concision, d P.S. If you ever get the chance, sample a taste of British influence in the West Indies -- Cashew Fruit Marmalade. P.P.S. Musicians don't 'jam'. We play a session. Unless, I'll allow, you're 'Jammin in da name o' da lawd...' Where does orange marmalade stand in the 'most common jam' rating? (Why are all others 'jam' but orange 'marmalade'? The German 'Marmelade' [note the 2 'e's] has the same extension as the English 'jam'.) In my humble yet well-informed opinion Wilkin & Sons 'Tawny' Orange Marmalade [Tiptree, Essex, UK] is unsurpassed (although I have before me an unopened jar of W & S's Organic Orange Marmalade which I have received as a gift). W & S has several other versions - including, I believe, one containing Cointreau - and I have sampled most. My guess for 'most common' rating here in Germany would be: strawberry, orange, black currant, bramble, raspberry. (There must be a source for country-by-country statistics - anyone?) In recent years several German companies have introduced strawberry- [other fruit or flavour] combinations as there are not enough strawberries grown here to meet the demand. (One year a local company made much of using 'quality' strawberries imported from Mexico - as if the reason were higher quality and not local shortage.) I have not tasted a commercial strawberry jam that matches a good home- made batch. Here at the local market good bramble and black currant jams are also available. I am just about to nip out to the local baker to purchase a Hamburger Franzbroetchen (a sort of cinnamon bun in the shape of a squashed croissant) for breakfast; perhaps I'll get a croissant and sample the organic [orange] marmalade, instead. (Know Thyself. Probably I'll get both ....) Chris Bruce setting up the tea-making and egg-boiling apparatuses, in Kiel, Germany PS: Why not 'Anne and Jamchovies' (for the pub name, that is)? Good old Firesign Theater - thanks for reminding me. I always took 'this bus' (i.e., the one on which we are all bozos) to refer to the planet. Ah - the sun has come out. I'll be breakfasting in the garden if you need me .... - cb ------------------------------------------------------------------ To change your Lit-Ideas settings (subscribe/unsub, vacation on/off, digest on/off), visit www.andreas.com/faq-lit-ideas.html -- Be Yourself @ mail.com! Choose From 200+ Email Addresses Get a Free Account at www.mail.com