Diamond Jubilee lamprey pie custom saved by Canada

Canada will export lampreys from the Great Lakes to England to help maintain a centuries-old tradition of baking them into pies for the Diamond Jubilee. (Rick Bowmer/Associated Press)A shortage of lampreys in western England is threatening a royal tradition in the city of Gloucester, and in a Diamond Jubilee year, no less.

For centuries, bakers in Gloucester have used local lampreys to bake pies for the royal family to mark jubilees, coronations and other monarchical milestones, the Telegraph reported Monday.

But the eel-like fish - considered by many a delicacy - is now endangered due to water pollution in Gloucester's River Severn, according to Endangered Species International.

As a result, Gloucester will have to turn to Canadian lampreys, drawn from the Great Lakes, to make their special pies, the Telegraph reported.

The monarchy's fondness for lamprey pie dates back to at least the 12th century, according to Whatscooking.net, a food website. The City of Gloucester presented the royal family with a specially baked pie every year for Christmas, a costly tradition that was suspended between the mid-19th century and 1953, when Elizabeth was crowned queen.

Marc Gaden, the communications director of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, will present the Canadian lampreys to Gloucester on May 4th.

Lampreys have been "extremely destructive" since they invaded the Great Lakes in the early 1900s, the commission says.

Using a sucking disk and sharp teeth, they attach themselves to host fish and feed on their body fluids, often killing them.

Their aggressive feeding behaviour is responsible for the collapse of fish species, including lake trout, that once were the foundation of the Great Lakes fishery, the commission says.

We want to hear about your pie traditions. Do you have a special or traditional pie recipe that you'd bake up for the Queen to celebrate her Diamond Jubilee? Share it with us in the comment field below, or send it via email to yournews@cbc.ca. We'll compile your recipes into a special Diamond Jubilee pie entry to feature in May.


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