Cram - real world analogues

[Desert Loon]

I could have sworn I got into this forum by following a link in a search for cram recipes, but searching the forum didn't find me a previous thread on this, so . . .

Has anyone here tried Sailor Boy Pilot Bread? Our local Winco (I live in Utah) used to carry it, and I took it on some hikes - it's very good for hikes. Just about every time I shopped at Winco I would buy some and bring it home and tell my daughters I'd brought home some cram and they were always excited. Then the hosers in charge of the store stopped stocking it, so it looks like I'll have to buy it online.

Meanwhile some of you might have seen some of the recipes for hardtack presented to Tolkien readers. In case you haven't here are some from a Tolkien-themed YouTube channel I follow (which has been uploading less often lately):

I have yet to try making hardtack, which is silly since I've made bannocks and oatcakes before. And why would I bother with making hardtack when I could just get that pilot bread? But I think I'm going to have to try it some time.

 

[Inziladun]

I want to make this, but here it looks like he's using 1 tablespoon honey, then he says 2 tablespoons salt, clearly that can't be right, unless he meant 2 teaspoons. Anyhow this is a good post, I always wondered about cram or hardtack but never looked into it.

 

[Ithilethiel]

Found this recipe on Feast of Starlight. Enjoy...

http://www.feastofstarlight.com/2015/04/22/the-hobbit-inspired-cram/

 

[Desert Loon]

I like the idea of including nuts and cranberries. I made some apple leather last summer with homemade applesauce and walnuts I'd harvested from neighbors' trees and that was good for hiking too. Thanks for the link - I'll have some fun with Feast of Starlight now!

 

[Barliman]

Haven't seen cram, but there was a "Lembas" recipe in The Last Whole Earth Catalog that I made around '71.
I never made it again. 🤣

 

[Halasían]

Haven't seen cram, but there was a "Lembas" recipe in The Last Whole Earth Catalog that I made around '71.
I never made it again. 🤣

Someone made 'lembas' for the line party when Fellowship of the Ring premiered twenty years ago. It tasted like compressed dusty cardboard.

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

That seems rather appropriate. In fact, I recall having a taste of something like that -- but when leaving the theater. . .🤔

 

[Aldarion]

Cram is likely an analogue of either a trench cake or else sailor's bread:

 

[Barliman]

Someone made 'lembas' for the line party when Fellowship of the Ring premiered twenty years ago. It tasted like compressed dusty cardboard.

Sounds like the used the recipe from The Last Whole Earth Catalog.
I was as disappointed in the Lembas as I was in the movies. Well, maybe not, since there was no Lembas recipe in Tolkien's writings, so the Lembas was 100% guesswork.