"" Writer's Wanderings: Titanic Passengers Enjoy Last Meals

Friday, April 13, 2012

Titanic Passengers Enjoy Last Meals


Meals aboard the Titanic varied according to your class ticket. First Class passengers of course enjoyed the greatest variety, followed by Second Class. Third Class on board the Titanic were actually treated much better than on most other ships where they had to bring their own food for the voyage. White Star actually provided meals for Third Class.

A menu card from the Titanic lists all of the Third Class meals together. Breakfast consisted of oatmeal porridge and milk, smoked herring, jacket potatoes, ham and eggs, fresh bread and butter, marmelade, Swedish bread, tea and coffee. Lunch (called dinner) was the main meal of the day. It included rice soup, fresh bread, cabin biscuits, roast beef, brown gravy, sweet corn, boiled potatoes, plum pudding, sweet sauce, fruit.

The last meal of the day for Third Class was actually a high tea that included cold meat, cheese, pickles, fresh bread and butter, stewed figs and rice, tea. A late supper is listed which included gruel, cabin biscuits, and cheese.

The Second Class passengers were eating a bit better but not quite as good as First Class obviously. Second Class had more choices and finer foods. Their menu included consomme tapioca, baked haddock with sharp sauce, curried chicken and rice, spring lamb with mint sauce, roast turkey with cranberry sauce, green peas, puree turnips, boiled rice, boiled and roast potatoes, plum pudding, wine jelly, cocoanut sandwich, American ice cream, assorted nuts, fresh fruit, cheese, biscuits (the English call cookies biscuits), coffee.

First Class passengers would have started their last day with a breakfast menu that included over 25 items. Among them: oatmeal (wonder if it was different from 3rd Class?), several varieties of fish, grilled mutton kidneys and bacon, steak and mutton chops to order, omelettes, and a variety of breads, scones, and pastries.

Evening dinner was the crowning event however with a ten course meal served in the First Class dining saloon that night of April 14, 1912. The menu lists the following:

First Course
Hors D'Oeuvres
Oysters
Second Course
Consommé Olga
Cream of Barley
Third Course
Poached Salmon with Mousseline Sauce, Cucumbers
Fourth Course
Filet Mignons Lili
Saute of Chicken, Lyonnaise
Vegetable Marrow Farci
Fifth Course
Lamb, Mint Sauce
Roast Duckling, Apple Sauce
Sirloin of Beef, Chateau Potatoes
Green Pea
Creamed Carrots
Boiled Rice
Parmentier & Boiled New Potatoes
Sixth Course
Punch Romaine
Seventh Course
Roast Squab & Cress
Eighth Course
Cold Asparagus Vinaigrette
Ninth Course
Pate de Foie Gras
Celery
Tenth Course
Waldorf Pudding
Peaches in Chartreuse Jelly
Chocolate & Vanilla Eclairs
French Ice Cream

A different wine would have been served for each course. After the tenth course fresh fruits and cheeses were offered followed by coffee and cigars, port wine, and, if desired, distilled spirits.

It is amazing that any of them would have been able to move to get to life boats even if there had been enough. Of course I doubt that most diners ate everything on the menu. These were probably similar to today's cruise ship menus where you choose from a selection of courses. Today's cruise dining rooms have never, to my knowledge, served ten courses!

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