marmalade

alright, i need to get one thing straight.

i was recently at the borough market. we were in the neal's yard dairy when i pointed to a lovely looking block of fruit jelly & said: "MARMALADE!" the lady behind the counter looked at me
funny. "that's not marmalade, dear."

certain in my conviction, i pointed at it again. "oh. it's not?"
"no, that's membrillo. would you like to taste it?" she handed me a piece which i greedily gobbled.
"MARMALADE!" it was exactly the very same substance i had been imagining made paddington bear sticky. it was what mum put into her christmas thimble cookies. it was delicious & sweet & went really well with peanut butter. or on toast. it was my marmalade.
however, that was wrong. apparently, in this country, marmalade is MASHED UP ORANGE PEELS. i don't like orange peels. it tastes bitter & slightly odd. you put it on bread that has been massacred in the toaster, rather than nice warm soft bread that doesn't cut up the insides of your mouth when you bite it.

so much do the brits like their marmalade they even have studies on how to eat it best. (i have my own theory on this -- eat my marmalade, er, membrillo. here is a study on how it is best consumed.
i seem to be having difficulties reconcilating things recently. especially my idea of things vs. how they really are. below, a photographic demonstration.

my idea of marmalade:


what marmalade actually is:

my affinity with paddington bear has been ruined.

in other news, my sister (el presidente don julio) has arrived in the uk. i promise not to feed her any 'real' marmalade.