Dining with the Victorians

A Delicious History

Nonfiction, History, Modern, 19th Century
Cover of the book Dining with the Victorians by Emma Kay, Amberley Publishing
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Emma Kay ISBN: 9781445646558
Publisher: Amberley Publishing Publication: October 15, 2015
Imprint: Amberley Publishing Language: English
Author: Emma Kay
ISBN: 9781445646558
Publisher: Amberley Publishing
Publication: October 15, 2015
Imprint: Amberley Publishing
Language: English

From traditional seaside holiday treats like candy floss, ice cream and fish ‘n’ chips, to the British fascination for cooking and baking, the Victorian era has shaped British culinary heritage. Victoria’s austere attitude after an age of Regency indulgence generated enormous cultural change. Excess and gluttony were replaced with rigid tradition and morally upright values, and Victoria’s large family became the centre of the cultural imagination, with the power to begin new traditions. If Queen Victoria’s family sat down to turkey on Christmas day, so did the rest of the nation. Food was a significant part of the Victorians’ lives, whether they had too much of it or not enough. The destitute would be fed gruel in the workhouses – the archetypal words of Dickens’s Oliver are imprinted on our minds: ‘Please, sir, I want some more.’ The burgeoning street traders spilling over from the previous century devolved into a whole new culture of ‘mudlarks’, trotter boilers, food slop traders and sewer ‘toshers’, to name but a few. Wealthy Victorians feasted to excess on the newly emerging trend for breakfast, lunch and tea. Public dining became de rigeur, and, like the outdoor ‘pique-nique’, introduced both controversy and a new way of eating. Victorians also struggled against many of these trends, with the belief that the control and denial of food were akin to healthy moral values. This was the era of cooking, educating and training in food management, combined with the old world of superstition and tradition, that changed British society forever.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

From traditional seaside holiday treats like candy floss, ice cream and fish ‘n’ chips, to the British fascination for cooking and baking, the Victorian era has shaped British culinary heritage. Victoria’s austere attitude after an age of Regency indulgence generated enormous cultural change. Excess and gluttony were replaced with rigid tradition and morally upright values, and Victoria’s large family became the centre of the cultural imagination, with the power to begin new traditions. If Queen Victoria’s family sat down to turkey on Christmas day, so did the rest of the nation. Food was a significant part of the Victorians’ lives, whether they had too much of it or not enough. The destitute would be fed gruel in the workhouses – the archetypal words of Dickens’s Oliver are imprinted on our minds: ‘Please, sir, I want some more.’ The burgeoning street traders spilling over from the previous century devolved into a whole new culture of ‘mudlarks’, trotter boilers, food slop traders and sewer ‘toshers’, to name but a few. Wealthy Victorians feasted to excess on the newly emerging trend for breakfast, lunch and tea. Public dining became de rigeur, and, like the outdoor ‘pique-nique’, introduced both controversy and a new way of eating. Victorians also struggled against many of these trends, with the belief that the control and denial of food were akin to healthy moral values. This was the era of cooking, educating and training in food management, combined with the old world of superstition and tradition, that changed British society forever.

More books from Amberley Publishing

Cover of the book The Honda Valkyrie by Emma Kay
Cover of the book Torquay Through Time by Emma Kay
Cover of the book Paranormal County Durham by Emma Kay
Cover of the book Brewing in Cheshire by Emma Kay
Cover of the book Thomas Telford Through Time by Emma Kay
Cover of the book The Birth of The Chocolate City by Emma Kay
Cover of the book The Great Western Railway Volume Two Bristol to Plymouth by Emma Kay
Cover of the book Merthyr Tydfil Through Time by Emma Kay
Cover of the book Penzance in 50 Buildings by Emma Kay
Cover of the book Mission to China by Emma Kay
Cover of the book In a Manner of Speaking by Emma Kay
Cover of the book Derbyshire Extremes by Emma Kay
Cover of the book From Duncansby Head to the Solway Firth: The Fishing Industry Through Time by Emma Kay
Cover of the book River Dove by Emma Kay
Cover of the book Plymouth at War Through Time by Emma Kay
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy