{"id":10217,"date":"2025-12-10T07:40:58","date_gmt":"2025-12-10T07:40:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.lshtm.ac.uk\/library\/?p=10217"},"modified":"2025-12-10T07:53:06","modified_gmt":"2025-12-10T07:53:06","slug":"a-festive-feast-in-wartime","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.lshtm.ac.uk\/library\/2025\/12\/10\/a-festive-feast-in-wartime\/","title":{"rendered":"A Festive Feast in Wartime"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Ella Tomlin, Archives Apprentice<\/p>\n

Perhaps the most enticing part of the festive season is the food it brings; from the traditional Christmas roast to the delightful cakes and pastries which fill the supermarket shelves this time of year! Walking around your local Tesco in December it might seem impossible that it hasn\u2019t always been the extravagant season we recognise, but back in the Second World War, when rationing was the norm for the British public, recipes had to be adapted for minimal fat, egg and even sugar use. So, if you\u2019re looking for a theme for your 2025 festive menu, why not check out some of our Wartime favourites found within the Nutrition collection of our archives.<\/p>\n

Peppermint sticks<\/h2>\n

Nothing screams winter like a good old stick of peppermint! While the original refreshing candy is made from sugar and peppermint extract, this Ministry of Food recipe utilises golden syrup instead. Though using a pound of syrup to \u2018make the most of your sugar ration\u2019 feels somewhat counter-economical, if you happen to have an excess this season why not treat your loved ones with this Victorian Christmas favourite?<\/p>\n

\n
\"Recipe
Recipe for Peppermint Sticks<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\"Making
Sugar recipe booklet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Soy Gingerbread<\/h2>\n

If peppermint\u2019s not your style, perhaps you\u2019d prefer some soy based gingerbread? Written in Czech and published by the \u201cMinisterstvo v\u00fd\u017eivy\u201d (the Ministry of Nutrition), this card from our collection explores the use of soya as a substitute for both flour and meat products such as eggs in a variety of recipes. The spotlighted recipe roughly translates to \u2018Tasty Gingerbread\u2019. <\/p>\n

\n
\"Recipe
Recipe for Soy Gingerbread<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\"Soy
Soy recipe booklet in Czech<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Christmas recipes<\/h2>\n

Not to be overlooked, of course, is the 1945 Ministry of Food\u2019s \u2018Xmas Recipes\u2019 featuring Christmas classics. Alongside the Christmas Pudding and Mincemeat recipes, this booklet offers the slightly sinister sounding \u2018Mock Cream\u2019 and \u2018Mock Marzipan\u2019, the perfect way to bring a side dish of mystery to your Christmas!<\/p>\n

\n
\"Christmas
Christmas recipe booklet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Marmalade and other orangey gifts<\/h2>\n

Lastly, if you\u2019re looking for a perfect last-minute gift, look no further than leaflet no.13 \u2018How to use Bitter Oranges\u2019. With little more than some Seville Oranges, you can whip up some Marmalade, Curd or even Crystallized Orange Rind for those hard-to-buy-for friends.<\/p>\n

\n
\"How
Bitter orange recipe booklet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

You can find more Ministry of Food recipe leaflets from our Nutrition Collection, just search our online catalogue<\/a> or contact the archives@lshtm.ac.uk<\/a> to find out more.<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Ella Tomlin, Archives Apprentice Perhaps the most enticing part of the festive season is…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":347,"featured_media":6004,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27649],"tags":[21038,64537],"class_list":["post-10217","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-archives","tag-nutrition","tag-wartime-recipes","odd"],"yoast_head":"\nA Festive Feast in Wartime - Library, Archive & Open Research Services blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.lshtm.ac.uk\/library\/2025\/12\/10\/a-festive-feast-in-wartime\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A Festive Feast in Wartime - 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