Mock Turtle Soup

mock turtle soup a surprising item of English cuisine, celebrated in Alice in Wonderland (where Tenniel’s illustration of a mock turtle encapsulates what would need several sentences of prose to explain). Real turtle dishes, including turtle soup, using turtles from the W. Indies, were expensive items which put a stamp of luxury on important dinners, from the mid-18th century up to recent times. So, almost as soon as such dinners began to be served, the search was on for an inexpensive substitute. The solution was to use calf’s head, which has a texture like that of turtle meat, and to employ various little tricks to simulate the flavour and colour.