The magnificent history of the maligned and misunderstood fruitcake

By: Jeffrey Miller, Colorado State University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: November 7, 2025

Words: 976

Last Updated: 2 weeks, 3 days ago

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Nothing says Christmas quite like a fruitcake – or, at the very least, a fruitcake joke.

A quip attributed to former “Tonight Show” host Johnny Carson has it that “There is only one fruitcake in the entire world, and people keep sending it to each other.”

It’s certainly earned its reputation for longevity.

Two friends from New York have been exchanging the same fruitcake since the late 1950s. Even older is

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