Beyond the Figgy Pudding: Victorian Food and Dining in the World of Charles Dickens
Presented by Carl Raymond
Ornamental fruit Lanhydrock, Cornwall. ©National Trust Images John Millar
It wouldn’t be Christmas for many without the images of the steaming holly-bedecked Christmas pudding and roast goose with sage and onion stuffing made famous in Charles Dickens’s immortal holiday tale. In fact, it was A Christmas Carol that arguably established a number of Christmas traditions we celebrate to this day, including caroling and turkey in addition to goose for the holiday dinner. But, food in the world of Dickens wasn’t always so merry, as many will remember in thinking of poor Oliver Twist and his bowl of gruel. In between, there were meals of marrow pudding, steak and kidney pie, cod with oyster sauce and a grand variety of cakes and pastries of which even Queen Victoria would approve. In this illustrated talk, writer and food historian, Carl Raymond will take us on a tour through highlights of Dickens’ stories, focusing on how he portrayed food and what is said about his most famous characters. Also, Carl will provide a general overview of Victorian food and dining, as well as some insights on how Dickens himself felt about what was on the table.
Carl Raymond is a food historian, writer and museum educator. He has worked at the Merchant’s House Museum as well as King Manor Museum in education and programming. Carl trained at French Culinary Institute as well as the Institute for Culinary Education and holds a diploma in Culinary Arts.
He has taught recreational cooking classes throughout New York City and has lectured on food history for the Merchant’s House Museum, the National Arts Club, the Metropolitan Opera Guild, St. George’s Society, Historic Royal Palaces and the English Speaking Union. He was a contributing writer on SAVORING GOTHAM: A Food Lover’s Companion to New York City (Oxford University Press) and is at work on his own book, a culinary history of the Gilded Age.
A part of Royal Oak Foundation’s new digital lecture series.
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Top Image: A Christmas pudding. ©National Trust Images William Shaw