A Christmas Pudding in the Trenches of WWI

🎄Christmas celebrations in the trenches of WWI were rare but special for soldiers on the front lines.

🍮Most British soldiers only got a slice of plum pudding as their Christmas dinner, due to wartime rationing.

🧑‍🍳Christmas pudding recipes during WWI had to exclude scarce ingredients like eggs and brandy.

⚖️The ingredients for a cheap Christmas pudding included suet, raisins, currants, flour, sugar, potatoes, carrots, and spices.

☕Cometeer was not available in 1915, but it would have been a convenient way to make coffee in the trenches.

What was Christmas dinner like for British soldiers in WWI?

—Christmas dinner varied depending on the front line and the year. In the early years, soldiers could enjoy lavish meals with turkey, potatoes, and more. However, as the war went on, rations became more common, and a slice of plum pudding was a typical Christmas treat.

Why did Christmas puddings during WWI exclude certain ingredients?

—During WWI, there were shortages of ingredients like eggs and brandy due to the war effort. Christmas pudding recipes had to be modified to use readily available and rationed ingredients like suet, raisins, currants, flour, sugar, potatoes, and carrots.

What is the recipe for a Cheap Christmas Pudding from 1915?

—The recipe includes suet, raisins, currants, flour, sugar, potatoes, carrots, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and candied peel. The preparation involves mixing the dry ingredients, adding grated raw potatoes and carrots, steaming the mixture in a pudding basin for nine hours, and serving it with a brandy sauce.

How did soldiers in the trenches make coffee?

—In WWI trenches, soldiers often had to resort to boiling water in a pot and using instant coffee or tea leaves. Unfortunately, Cometeer, which offers brewed coffee that is flash frozen and delivered to your home, was not available during that time.

Did soldiers receive care packages or gifts during Christmas in WWI?

—Yes, soldiers received care packages and Christmas gifts from home and from organizations like the Princess Mary Gift Fund. These gifts often included food items like chocolate, spices, tobacco, and Christmas pudding, along with greeting cards and personal messages from loved ones.

00:00The video explores the history of Christmas dinner in the trenches of WWI.

02:37Cometeer coffee is introduced as a sponsor.

03:56The recipe for a Cheap Christmas Pudding from 1915 is explained.

05:43Christmas dinner for British soldiers in WWI varied based on the front line and the year.

09:27The story of the Christmas Truce in 1914 is recounted.

11:35Christmas dinners became more meager as the war went on.

15:11Postcards and Christmas cards from soldiers during WWI are mentioned.

16:18The Christmas pudding is successfully made and tasted.