Q: My question is about pope ladies. They're made from a nutmeg-flavored, sweet yeast dough that's formed into fat little gingerbread men shapes, with currants for buttons, and a little dough nose. My family always has them on Christmas morning with marmalade but we don't know where they originated. One article we read said they're eaten in England on New Year's Day, but I've asked people who come from England and nobody has heard of them. Do you know anything about them?

Lynne: The dough boy meets the gingerbread man. I have never heard of them but you might go online and search in food history. There's lots of Web sites listed and I would bet you'll find that pope ladies originated in the Medieval period or the Renaissance period. You might even start a dialogue in a food history chat room.

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