Wednesday 21 November 2018

100 Years of Food - 1960s

To recognise the decade lovingly remembered as the 1960s, Sue brought up the term 'technology'. It would seem that it was in the 60s when convenience foods hit the shelves. As I recall growing up Mom wasn't using much in the way of convenience food as yet but apparently here in Britain they had just discovered kiwi fruit from the Antipodes. I just learned that this word doesn't refer to Australia/New Zealand, but is a term referring to the point on the opposite side of the planet going through the centre of the Earth. So, if you were standing in Sydney the Antipodes could mean the US (or some ocean nearby). Hmmm...

Where were we? Kiwi fruit. Sometime when I was married to H1 my in-laws gave us a Fruit of the Month club gift (from Harry and David - are they still around?). I'd never seen such lush fruit. However, the box of kiwis went to waste as I'd never encountered them before and I couldn't think of eating something so 'hairy'. My boss at work was appalled that I had let something so relative expensive rot. He brought one to work one day and peeled it for me. I was full of remorse - I still am, 30 years later.

So, back to the 1960s Britain. Apparently pavlova was also all the rage. I don't think I ever met a pavlova back home in the US. We obviously didn't keep up with the food fashions. Sue's sidekick-in-the-background, Dorothy, had a friend make the pavlova bases for us. It's not really to my taste, being whipped egg whites with sugar that's baked and crunchy. If it all goes wrong and you don't have Hersey kisses shaped mounds, crush it all up with fruit and whipped cream and call it Eton Mess. We didn't have a mess, we had pavlova with tinned peaches, kiwi and whipped cream and I quite liked the very small portion I had. On my own I would just do the fruit and cream. But I hear that was big in the 1980s, apparently, fruit and condensed milk.




I wonder if we'll look back on the 2010's and discover we followed food-fashions without realising it? 

4 comments:

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Shelley, oh yes, food fashions are a "thing!" I hate reading about food trends--at one point everyone is raving about something, then that thing is "sooooooo over!"

Shelley said...

Jean - Having been bitten by the Frugal Bug in my early 30s, but the time I had the money to keep up with fashions / home decor / trendy foods, I had other priorities. It took me a while but I finally recognised that labelling something 'superfood' is just a marketing ploy (those advertising types have a lot to answer for). These days my goal is to have healthy food (eat the rainbow), a clean-ish house and presentable clothes that keep me warm/cool as needed and don't shed micro-fibres. I suppose I am vulnerable to the latest eco-friendly ideas, but I take some of those with a grain of salt. (Except climate change, that I take very seriously, and am grateful to be old).

Unknown said...

Less of the reference to "old" - I believe that I am even older and suspect that you and I will continue to see and possibly suffer the effects of global warming for many more years to come (hopefully!).

Shelley said...

Hi Vivien! I never can remember if you are one year older or younger than I. I just know I have to use a magnifying mirror to put on brooches and fasten fiddly necklaces these days. Makes me feel ancient! I'm hoping that governments will wise up and figure out how to stop climate change, but I'm not holding my breath. But I also hope for many more years.