I don't think you'll find Kendal mint cake on a supermarket shelf near you.

It's a local (British) food and normally doesn't travel well, partly because it looks to be pretty tricky to translate its description from British English to American English, never mind about into other languages. For one thing, flour free and candy slab-like, it is not instantly recognisable as cake.

There are just three venerable old producers of this mysterious stuff in the town of Kendal itself and not many (or indeed any) others across the rest of the globe.

Where exactly is Kendal? Well, this ancient market town in Cumbria in the north west of England region sits just off junction 36 of the M6 motorway and, as the first major town you come to from the south of England it has been described by some as the gateway to the Lake District.

Prior to its mint-cake fame, Kendal made its first fortune as the top 14th century English wool trading town.  Its most famous daughter is Catherine Parr, who was born there in 1512 and who became the sixth and last of King Henry VIII's wives.  Maybe the fact that she prospered and outlived the king suggests that fortitude and endurance abound in the air and in the water in those parts!

At its most basic, Kendal mint cake is a slab of crumbly, minty sweetness, made by boiling sugar, glucose sugar, water and peppermint oil together then pouring the mixture out to cool before breaking it into bars.

The key to success is to stir ceaselessly throughout the boiling phase - the stories around the origin of the product suggest that Joseph Wiper's botched attempt to makeglacier mints turned into the invention of grainy Kendal mint cake.

The producers have expanded on the traditional recipe over the years and there are now a couple of variants:  white sugar and brown, rum and butter and an option with a chocolate coating - nothing too outlandish though.  No lavender perfumed or tutti-frutti bars and not, as far as I can tell, a which chocolate jacket ot be seen. Maybe mountaineers, polar explorers, field ration fans, ramblers, hikers and recreational walkers are conservative folk at heart and value high energy values over current confectionery fashion.

Now, it does strike me that there is one notable omission from this long list of Kendal mint-cake consumers and that is:  parents with new born babies.

These are exactly the guys who might most appreciate an instant sugar high.  That first sleep -deprived, world-upside-down fortnight doesn't leave much time for elaborate catering and eating-on-the-go snack foods can be invaluable.  It's not just for new mums, but also works for new dads on extended fetching, soothing and fielding duty.

The sugar, which makes up the bulk of Kendal mint cake, delivers around 800 calories per cup and peppermint oil provides a punchy and zingy wake-up lift.  One nibble should be enough to get a parent through that umpteenth night waking adn babay feed and the fact that you're essentially gnawing on a solid slab of sugar means that even the sweetest toothed are unlikely to be able to manage a multiple bar binge.

If you fancy trying some for yourself or making some as a new mom present but can't find a supplier who can ship to you without breaking the bank, you could try making a taste-alike for yourself.

Although you can probably get glucose from a chemist or the home baking section at the supermarket, it is perhaps easier to substitute milk (which you're bound to have to hand in the fridge) for the glucose.  That means you're going to be making something a bit like fudge.

Take two and a quarter cups of sugar (white or brown or a blend), half a cup of milk and some good quality peppermint oil.

Dissolve the sugar in the milk over a low heat and then bring the ixture ot a rollingboil and stir, stir, stir until a little of the mixture turns into a soft ball when plopped into cold water.  Remove the pan from the heat, add a shake of peppermint oil and keep stirring until you feel the "fudge" thickening up. Some cooks use an electric whisk, but I tend to work it entirely by hand - it's a mini workout!

When you're done stirring, pour the mixture into a well-oiled shallow tray, allow to cool and break into smallish bars or squares.  It can help to make neater bars if you mark score lines across the slab before it is completely cold. To make clearing up easier, a prompt quick dip into boiling water will clean any leftover sugar off the pan.

Kendal mint cake keeps for ages and would make for an unusual home made baby shower gift.  Oh, and I almost forgot to mention that in its original and pure form, it's a fat free food!