Nuttier than a fruitcake.

Or a ”fruitcake project,” as in one that’s dumb or ridiculous.

And, would anyone have the guts to re-gift a fruitcake?

After all, the much-maligned holiday foodstuff is the butt of jokes across the country and the white elephant gift few seem to want.

But a little research will instill a historical appreciation for this holiday standby.

A fruitcake is a dense, heavy baked cake usually made with some form of candied fruit, and generally some form of liquor, to make a long-lasting food item. The cakes date back to the Roman empire, where they were made mostly with seeds. In the Middle Ages, fruitcakes were made sweeter by using honey and a little tastier with the help of different spices.

Throughout early American history, a fruitcake was a very popular holiday gift because a heavy lacing of rum or brandy kept them from spoiling. During the Colonial days, the cake’s durability allowed it to be shipped and transported over the rough and largely unimproved road system.

During the Civil War, fruitcakes were a highly-appreciated ”support the troops” item on both sides and were standard fare year-round in many care packages. The cakes provided a welcome change in a soldier’s diet that featured hardtack and sowbelly, and they also supplied much-needed vitamin C. So, they probably helped prevent scurvy.

A ”plum cake,” as a fruitcake was commonly called, was a particular favorite. The comments in an 1894 cookbook mentioned that it ”is a fine, rich cake, easily made and not expensive. If kept in a cool tight place, a tin cake box is best, this cake will keep a long time before getting stale.”

During World War II, a popular slogan was ”Send a salami to your boy in the Army.” (Say this with a New Jersey or Brooklyn accent and it makes sense.) The preserved meat, along with the durable, rugged fruitcake, were some of the food items recommended for mailing overseas to service members.

Today, the fruitcake’s patriotic tradition seems to be fading. Since the start of the Iraq war, the Central Oregon ”Caring For Troops” project has sent donated items in care packages to deployed service members all over the world. So far, scurvy among the troops hasn’t been an issue, and the project hasn’t sent a single fruitcake.

”We send just about anything: fingerless bicycle gloves, jerky, baby wipes, snack items, DVDs, etc., but we’ve never had a fruitcake donated,” said Diane Brock, project vice president. ”If we got a small enough fruitcake we’d probably send it. If the recipient didn’t like it, he could find somebody who would eat it.”

(This answered an initial query. Apparently, you can re-gift a fruitcake if you’re in a war zone, wearing Kevlar and heavily armed. It might be a welcome change from the military’s MREs. Or at least a change.)

While the fruitcake is apparently firmly entrenched in our holiday traditions, good luck finding one that isn’t mass-produced. Fruitcakes are readily available in grocery stores. But in the fruitcake law of supply-and-demand, locally, there is virtually no demand.

The West Side Bakery and Cafe quit baking fruitcakes this year, according to store owner Michael Edwards, because few people will buy them.

”Last year, we were stuck with so many after the holiday season,” Edwards said. ”We baked 30 and sold two. I ended up giving them to the employees.”

Linda Hickman, owner of ”The Cake Lady” in Bend, said a fruitcake is ”not a standard running option.”

”I’ve been in this business for 39 years, and during that time I’ve probably done four fruitcakes,” Hickman said. ”On Monday, I asked every customer who came in if they’d buy a fruitcake. Nobody would.”

This echoes what Steve Morse, owner of Nancy P’s Baking Co., found out. The bakery has had no requests for fruitcakes so far this year, Morse said, and they aren’t baking any.

Apparently, the fruitcake is doomed to continue its role as the joke of holiday foodstuffs, but it will probably always be around during this time of year. After all, it’s lasted this long.

Note: Old recipes, such as these fruitcake recipes, called for baking in wood-burning ovens without thermostats. Temperatures and cooking times varied. Generally, a fruitcake is done when it is fully set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.