Many traditional holiday dishes are referenced in holiday carols and stories, but fruitcake and mincemeat are sometimes sources of confusion.

Some traditional holiday foods are familiar favorites. Some are . not. Where does mincemeat come from? And how long can a fruitcake last, really?

Fruitcake

“Fruitcakes are made with an assortment of candied fruit and fruit rind, nuts, spices and usually liquor or brandy,” according to the food Web site Epicurious.com.

At Dutch Oven Bakery, 219 Duff Ave., the fruitcakes include “cherries, pineapple, pecans, dates and brandy,” said manager Diana Glidden.

The amount of cake surrounding the “chunky ingredients” can vary from a moderate amount to only enough to hold the fruit and nuts together.

“Ours have more fruit and nuts – the good stuff – in them,” Glidden said.

Baked slowly, fruitcakes are covered in brandy-soaked cheesecloth after they cool. If they are occasionally moistened, fruitcakes have potential to be kept for years.

“I know they at least last a month,” Glidden said. “We don’t put any preservatives in ours, so I would guess one month to six weeks.”

Let the re-gifting begin.

Mincemeat

Mincemeat is “a rich, spicy preserve made from fruit (especially cherries, apricots, apples, pears, raisins and citrus peel), nuts, various spices and brandy or rum,” according to Epicurious.com.

Traditionally, mincemeat contained actual meat, but now is usually a combination of the fruits and (drumroll, please) beef suet, which is the “solid white fat found around the kidney and loins” of cows.

The ingredients are combined, covered and allowed to age for a month for the flavors to develop. Mincemeat is available in jars from supermarkets to be used in pies, tarts, puddings and cookies.