Bread Pottages, Sops

In their earlier form, sops appear to have been small pieces of bread dipped into cups of wine at table, where they could be eaten with a spoon, or possibly the fingers. St John’s Gospel describes how Jesus predicted his betrayer as ‘He it is to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it’. From a practical point of view, sops were one of the most useful adjuncts of pottages. The combination of hot flavoursome broths with oatcakes, bannocks or leavened bread produced tender, nourishing and virtually instant meals such as everyday brewis, and the high quality sops. Some sop dishes were made with simple cubes of white bread.