Funnel cakes made their first appearance in Anglo-Norman medieval cooking manuscripts under the name “mincebek” or sometimes “mistembec” or “cryspes.”
These words come from France; the French phrase “mis en bec” means “put in spout,” which relates to the way funnel cakes are made.
In the beginning, funnel cakes, or fritters, were made by pouring yeast or sourdough batter into a bowl with a tiny hole in the bottom.
The finished cakes were sprinkled with salt and served with syrup.
During the 19th century, funnel cakes were sold as a novelty during Christmas and New Year’s, mostly at church fairs and holiday markets.
