We start our story with one of the oldest civilizations on earth, the Australian Aborigine.

This ethereal race were one of the first to discover the mystic properties of trifle and even today archeologists are discovering cave paintings, dating back thousands of years, depicting the importance of custard based desserts.

The concept of 'dream time' was a state of being developed by the Aborigines brought on by the inclusion of sherry or other alcoholic beverages in the preparation, giving rise to the ancient ritualistic chants of 'huuuuuuuueee' 'ooyabugger' and 'ulukkinatme' often sung in the style of a pub singer, which can still be heard today in the early hours of the morning on the streets of Australia.

Unfortunately for the aborigines the demise of the trifle was soon to come, sponge fingers were not invented until the early part of the twentieth century, necessitating the use of witchety grubs and dung beetles as base ingredients. This however reduced the popularity of trifle to Antipodeans who soon adopted the safer option of 'peach melba' which was originally a dish introduced by the New Zealand Maoris and did not contain invertebrates of any description.

Although the use of trifle has reduced dramatically over the years, it still holds a position of high esteem to this race of people and their ceremonial traditions still bear witness to the importance of this timeless dessert.

NEXT IN THE SERIES 'THE DRUIDS, STONEHENGE AND WHIPPED CREAM'