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A Nursery Meal

Appears in
How to Cook The Victorian Way with Mrs Crocombe

By Annie Gray and Andrew Hann

Published 2020

  • About
Children were usually cooked for by their nurse, but on occasion the kitchens may have provided for them. The Victorians believed children should not be fed strong food, lest it excite them, leading to behavioural problems. White meats and bland flavours were preferred, with a great deal of dairy and white bread, which were both considered easily digestible.

Pap was the most basic of nursery foods, ubiquitous from weaning through to young childhood. It was usually made with water, but could be made with milk. A typical recipe was one or two pieces of bread crust or two to three tablespoons of crushed rusk or unsweetened biscuit, simmered briefly in water, then puréed with a teaspoon of sugar. Queen Victoria was weaned onto bread and milk – simply boiling milk poured over pieces of white bread. Porridge was another alternative. All were usually eaten for breakfast.

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