“The Portuguese Widow” follows the misadventures of charming, half-Portuguese Nan Baldaya Benedict, twice widowed at barely 21 years of age. Regency Bath is taken aback by Nan’s cosmopolitan household: the retinue of faithful Indian ayahs and bhais, Kentish maids and footmen, and the French chef. Then, horrors! Her late mother’s scandalous history is raked up. A move to London results in the fortune hunters discovering her nabob’s fortune, the grandes dames looking down their noses at her, and an encounter with the wicked Lord Curwellion, a notorious rake.

Inevitably, the warm-hearted Nan becomes embroiled in other people’s lives: the gentlemen include the fashionable baronet Sir Noël Amory, the handsome diplomat Lord Keywes, and the grim-visaged Colonel Vane. The ladies range from the shy, sweet Cherry Chalfont to the hilariously eccentric Mrs Urqhart, who describes herself as “the widder of an India man.” Proper English ladies have nothing to do with theatrical persons, but Nan plunges herself into a theatrical venture led by the stout and fruity-voiced Mr Perseus Brentwood and the lugubrious Mr Emmanuel Everett. Few of these encounters are likely to do anything for the reputation of a lady anxious to establish herself creditably. And of course, there’s the unfortunate episode of the duel…

Featured Recipe

Japonica Jelly

“This is a very uncommon preserve, as it is not generally known that the fruit of pyrus Japonica (the Japanese quince) makes delicious jelly.”

Wash the fruit, cut into quarters without peeling or coring, cover with water and boil until soft, but not squashed. Strain through jelly-bag, add 1 lb. sugar to each pint of juice and boil till it jells when tested. It is a bright red color when done.

Source: Cabotia, TAS. The Australian Woman’s Mirror, Vol.3, no.36, (2nd August 1927) (via Trove)

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Japonica Jelly

“Japonica jelly is similar to quince jelly in flavour.”

    * 3 lb/1.5 kg japonica fruit  * 4 tablespoons lemon juice

    * 6 pints/3 litres water  * sugar

Wash the fruit but do not peel or core. Cut them into pieces and put into a pan with the lemon juice and water. Simmer for about an hour until the fruit is soft. Strain through a jelly bag and measure the juice. Allow 1 lb/450 g sugar to each pint/500 ml juice. Heat the juice gently, stirring in the sugar until dissolved. Boil hard to setting point. Pour into small hot jars and cover. This tastes particularly delicious with milk puddings.

Source: Mary Norwak (1929-). The Complete Book of Home Preserving. London, Ward Lock, 1978. CKBK,

https://app.ckbk.com/recipe/thec56953c07s001ss008r017/japonica-jam

—From “Unusual Fruit: Rosehips & Japonica”, What We Ate,

https://whatweateaustralia-nz.blogspot.com/2023/08/unusual-fruit-rosehips-japonica.html


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