Spanish Flu: Food for Thought

Discover the culinary history of the Spanish Flu with the Archives' new online exhibit.

By Megan Lockhart, Archives Technician

One hundred years ago, the year was 1920. When we think of the 1920s, we often think of the glamorous years portrayed on Hollywood screens. Flappers, newsboy caps, silent films, and prohibition are usually the first things that come to mind. However, people living in the year 1920 were struggling with something we are familiar with today, a global pandemic. The Spanish Flu was a flu that spread worldwide and lasted from 1918 until the end of 1920. This was during a time when the world was lacking the medical advances we have today. One-third of the world’s population ended up being infected by the end of the pandemic. Like today, quarantine measures were put in place and people began wearing masks when out in public.

Not only was there a pandemic in 1918, but there was still a war on, the First World War. Food resources such as meat, dairy, eggs, and flour were reserved for the war effort and soldiers overseas. Hoarding food was illegal. Many families had to make do without many staples in their kitchens and this led to innovative alternatives being used in recipes, and even the creation of several vegetarian and vegan recipes that are still popular to this day. As a result, the Spanish Flu years have a remarkably interesting culinary history.

A recipe for "Camouflage Roast" from our exhibit "Spanish Flu: Food for Thought"

Seeing empty grocery store shelves and some staples becoming difficult to come by now due to panic buying, it’s astonishing how similar our situation is today in some ways. Many people have begun cooking more at home and are taking up baking. What a better time than now to interact with history in your own kitchen at home? This was the inspiration behind our new exhibit: e of the recipes that can be found in cookbooks from the late 1910s and early 1920s and shares the stories behind the culinary creations. During our research for the exhibit we were fascinated by the alternative eating habits people were taking part in, one such example is “nose to tail” eating, meaning all parts of the animal were consumed or used in some way. This is a remarkable example of food waste reduction, something we in current day society should consider more in our own lives. Nose to tail eating was not a new concept in the 1910s, traditionally indigenous people used all parts of an animal for food or other resources. 

The exhibit is interactive, with a menu listing a variety of food items from the time. Each item links to a printable recipe for people to try at home! Our archivists have already made some of the recipes at home themselves and shared our experiences on our Instagram page (@OxfordCountyArchives).

To check out the exhibit visit the “Exhibits” section of our webpage. We want you to try the recipes at home too! Let us know if you tried one and how it turned out by sharing it on Instagram and tagging us or sending us an email: archives@oxfordcounty.ca.