The Working Man's Supper

[@Lithilic]

I think a heavy meal at noon when sitting at your desk is a recipe for a nap, but I will say from my experience working on the farm that if you did not fill up during lunch it was very hard to maintain your energy during a day of hard labor. So this eating pattern makes a lot of sense for the context.

[@michaelthayer5351]

Having worked as both a teacher and in a factory I can definitely agree. In both circumstances breakfast was very light, a banana or toast or something like that. As a teacher you are more active than a standard office clerk, but it's not all too physically demanding so you can have a light lunch and a substantial dinner. But when I was working in a factory I noticed that that didn't work and even my wife told me I couldn't just have a sandwich at lunch anymore that I needed something more substantial. I still have a decent dinner though.

[@terminallumbago6465]

So I guess really it depends on what type of activity you’re doing. A heavy meal before sitting around can tire you out, but it has the opposite effect if you’re moving around and doing physical activity.

[@mmthomas3729]

When I was growing up in Mobile Alabama, lunch for the office and construction workers downtown was 2 hours. My father would come home to a hot meal, take a nap on the den couch, then go back to work.

[@jamesellsworth9673]

My farming uncles ate their main meal at noon. They then took an hour to rest and went back to work until work was done.

[@Roddy556]

​@@mmthomas3729I hate that lol. I want to get my work done and go home.

[@12stepsbeyondtheeventhorizon]

It's difficult for me to put into words how much I love this channel. This is the epitome of comfort content.

[@augustsmith9553]

Yes - Townsends is just candy But wholesome, like remembering happiness

[@smileysatanson3404]

Perfect to watch while eating honestly

[@philcollins5457]

Agreed. I just had a really rough day, but Townsends made it a little more bearable.

[@ketanhein]

Same for me. I love this channel so much, and as one who often cooks at home, many of these recipes look so delicious and fairly simple.

[@Simon-beast]

Well spoken

[@CP-tm7be]

My grandfather on my mom's side had a farm in Minnesota, and he followed this almost exactly. At that time, nobody was a "specialty" farmer. He and grandma did everything. Grew corn for sale, grew hay for their beef cows, had a milk cow for the farm, etc. So he'd get up, milk the cow at 5:30 AM, come in around 6:30 for oatmeal and a cup of Folgers coffee, back out to work until around 11, then a big lunch with vegetables, pork chops, mashed potatoes, etc., then a nap on the couch for an hour or so (do NOT disturb), then back out to work until dark. In the summer, when dark wasn't until 9, a small break with a cup of coffee and a butter and bologna sandwich might happen. Then at the end of the day, a small meal; a roll with jam, maybe soup or some hot dish (and maybe on a weekend, a wedge of pie) then to bed. Rinse, repeat. When we'd visit, we'd all be eating toast, eggs and bacon on Saturday morning, and he'd have his bowl of oatmeal with warm cow's milk he'd milked that morning (occasionally with a bit of hay floating on top) and brown sugar or honey. Not too different a routine than the last century or so, apparently.

[@karaamundson3964]

Love this

[@PinchTheBarb]

Which part of MN?

[@cherilynnfisher5658]

Fueling the body's furnace with caloric needs to match expected energy output made perfect sense back then. If you think about how a fire is "fed or starved" of fuel or oxygen. . . This old eating pattern could go back way further than anyone imagines!

[@andrewjay7962]

​@@cherilynnfisher5658hence the saying "food is fuel"

[@justicedemocrat9357]

I bet grandpa went to town on your grandma after dinner hehehe.

[@amywright2243]

I'm an 80s kid who grew up in Kentucky. Supper was our big meal, but we also had "bedtime snacktime" which was often a glass of cold milk with a piece of leftover cornbread crumbled into it, then eaten with a spoon. We called it Crumble In and it sounds a lot like this recipe! I like thinking we were just doing the same thing our great grandparents probably did.

[@davidcox3076]

70s and 80s kid here. My mom still enjoys cornbread in milk as a snack. And I've made the same assumption as you, that's it's been passed down for generations because it's simple and quick.

[@kennymonty8206]

We ate this once in a while too. It's really just porridge. But, it's good.

[@utsteinproductions]

I work PM hours (Noon to 8pm) and oddly follow an 18th century meal plan. Small breakfast, large lunch, snacking or small meal before bed. Never gave this thought till this series.

[@lightskitty]

I do this too, with oats for breakfast, they're lovely with honey and butter.

[@terryt.1643]

I grew up in a big family, that is also how I was raised. Now I have coffee and toast after I wake then after a morning walk, a breakfast of cereal or eggs, lunch is the main meal and a light supper of maybe banana and yogurt or a cup of soup with bread or crackers on a cold night. Been doing this for 75 years now.

[@MsBizzyGurl]

Yes. I do this as well.

[@eliasbram3710]

Around some parts of the world it is still like that. Biggest meal (and more important socially) was the lunch. It still like this in Brasil

[@notyourordinarydad4549]

This is pretty common in New England.

[@joko2882]

This video was very surprising to me. I live in a farmers family in Germany and we still eat like this today. A light breakfast, sometimes just coffee and water, definitely nothing savoury, lunch is a big warm meal where everyone comes too the table and dinner is cold, bread, sausage like salami or ham, sometimes fish and vegetables.

[@colbyboucher6391]

Well that's just it, it depends on the work culture. At the _vast_ majority of jobs in the U.S. you cram through your eight hours ASAP so you can get home. Quite a lot of people just eat something at their desks and continue working, even.

[@andyl8025]

Very interesting! So how does everyone come to the table at lunch if everyone is working in different locations? Do you all head home for a long break and then go back to work until late?

[@edwardmarshall2035]

​@@andyl8025lunch is light convenient and solitary. Some people only get 30 minutes for lunch so there's not enough time to spend it with family. Some people skip lunch altogether. I would sometimes skip lunch if I had alot of work to do.

[@joko2882]

@@andyl8025 Basically. Me and my siblings come home from school at around one 1 pm. My mother usually has made lunch by then, she always goes into the kitchen between 11 and 12 am after having done most of her work outside for the late morning. My father also either comes home around this time or if he already is somewhere on the farm, he comes too the house. We usually either find him somewhere and tell him that lunch is ready or we just write a message into the family chat. With my grandpa it's the same but he really can't use modern electronics so someone always searches for him if he is on the farm. Sometimes he just isn't because he either has a bit more work or he is delivering produce and will come home later. Then everyone eats till 2 pm or longer and then it's back too work.

[@joko2882]

@@edwardmarshall2035 not really, atleast not here. General culture in Germany makes lunch a quite big meal.

[@kathleengardiner7837]

Another possible reason for the light supper in the evening is that in northern countries during the winter it gets dark early and it’s nearly impossible to cook by fire and candle light. I’ve tried this and definitely can’t see what I’m doing. Much easier to eat something leftover or already cooked earlier in the day, like bread and cheese.

[@erric288]

You have to remember that with such a large mid-day meal, there would often be a siesta to nap and digest, and then a return to work, with a small dinner just before bed at 9 or 10PM. Modern industrial work days don't allow for this so the lunch was made smaller and more convenient. Also in the past folks often we working near their homes where a large meal could be prepared whereas in the modern era when working outside the home became the norm, smaller portable lunches became prevalent. Notice also how school is organized. In Italy for example, where the agrarian culture persisted longer, school ends around 1PM so children can join their family for their large "pranzo" lunch. In the US however, lunch is eaten at school, often in under 40 minutes, where schoolwork begins immediately after mimicking the modern workplace.

[@Test123test12-e]

School in the US is partly a day care center for kids that just happens to educate kids. Since most jobs are 9-5, the school schedule is built to accommodate this so it goes from 7:30 to around 14:30 or 3:30 so parents can use lunch time to pick up kids, go home to family or do some after school program for few hours to get picked up by parents. As bad as the US school time system is, there are actually worse ones out there.

[@Zeithri]

I just wanted to leave this comment, I've been following you for.... Not sure how long now! But I remember a time when you were faltering a bit about the future of your channel and it brings me joy to see that it's not only gone the opposite, but it's thriving! I see other YT channels mention you hither and dither and it's always a joy. Cheers for many more old style cooking days! \o/

[@augustsmith9553]

Yes - Townsends is just candy But wholesome, like remembering happiness

[@justicedemocrat9357]

Which other channels has mentioned this channel?

[@iandhunt80]

This channel just understands their core audience. Bravo. Plus the camera work, editing, everything. You've come a long way. Now I'm hungry.... thanks for the great content!

[@preshisify]

😷☕🦃

[@augustsmith9553]

I want to bake biscuits now

[@truthreigns7]

Where i live and how i was raised, we called our meals Breakfast (Morning meal), Dinner (mid day meal), and Supper (the evening meal). In addition i have heard this saying “Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper.” ― Adelle Davis

[@josephstevens9888]

I has a boss years ago who always called lunch dinner.

[@etaxalo]

Didnt know from who “Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper.” came from, i heard it from my great grandma and grandma all my life. i just put it in to the "farmers know" category since thats what they have been doing all there life

[@waynehendrix4806]

What they did during their life was THEIRS and not there. Please help to save the English language. 😉 @@etaxalo

[@mar117117]

We say "Eat breakfast alone, lunch with your friend and give dinner to you enemy."

[@truthreigns7]

@@mar117117 is that according to a certain time era, or a certain location?

[@DraemoraH]

Here in Brazil, at least in my region, the meal sizes depend on the weather. When it's extremely hot (like right now), we tend to eat ligther lunches, more salads. During winter, we eat more (and a lot of heavy soups) at dinner. I imagine that had its place, especially back then as well. Great video!

[@danielleherrmann3279]

I've noticed that to be common here in Minnesota, USA as well. It can get into negative temperatures during winter regularly so soups and roasts keep you toasty.

[@reshty9923]

Here in germany, lunch is the largest meal of the day for most people. I think it's intriguing to see the differences in food cultures around the world and throughout time :)

[@ilikeramyeon]

I'm just learning how to make bread dumplings or Semmelknödel so I can stop buying the dried box variety.

[@SmallBobby]

I thought I was alone here in America for only preferring a heavy meal during lunch and light meals for breakfast and dinner. I naturally preferred this way of eating after being on my own for some time, after leaving home and the school systems which forced me to eat with others and how others ate.

[@fartzinwind]

Every time i learn a fact about Germans, I'm more convinced i was switched at birth with a German family.

[@colbyboucher6391]

The way U.S. "lunch break" culture works that's... not really possible here any more.

[@sammyjo8109]

Living in Germany is where I learned the benefits of large lunch , small evening meal 55 years ago. Opposite in the US.

[@TheSantaCruzJokerShow]

Best comfort channel on KZbin

[@rockstarJDP]

I always wondered why people referred to their evening meal differently; supper, tea or dinner. I'm Welsh and we have so many different dialects that I assumed that to be the reason, like the same way everyone has their own word for the tv remote 😂 thank you for answering a question I've long pondered over!

[@karaamundson3964]

My bf's grandmother, a very dignified woman, referred to the last meal of the day as "supper." "Would you like to come over for supper?" Clarified the distinction between "dinner" & "supper" for me forever after.

[@LeftyAmigo]

The fact that we get free videos from Townsends on KZbin is priceless ... Keeping the knowledge and entertainment alive. 👏👏👏👏👏

[@Dust_88]

What makes you think it's free?

[@ralstini6126]

First time I've caught one this early! Really love the focus on the working man's day to day. Keep it up guys!

[@occamraiser]

I grew up in the UK in the 1960s/70s. The meal eaten at school was sometimes referred to as lunch, but usually dinner. The hour out of lessons was always called dinner-time and the meals schools served were suitable to be the main meal of the day. People who ate a large meal at 6pm (or there abouts) were in the minority in those days. You're describing the 20th Century more than you suspect.

[@silvermine2033]

Watching this as I take my frozen processed breakfast burrito out of the microwave.

[@codyjackson1875]

Better than what most had back then.

[@JimneyCriquet]

Better than pea pudding lol

[@Hazama27]

Lunch/dinner being the largest meal just makes sense from a practical standpoint. Food is for energy and you don't need much energy to sleep, but you sure need it to toil in the fields and factories.

[@Ea-Nasir_Copper_Co]

"A melancholy juice" also tells us that whoever wrote this believed pigeon eaten at night would unbalance the humours and possibly lead to illness. Many food and drink choices of the time were based on the humoral theory of medicine.

[@Miss_Kisa94]

Wasn't that medieval? I think they knew a little more than that in the 18th century. Although they didn't really understand germ theory yet.

[@kwanchan6745]

they are talking about indigestion I can imagine tough wild pigeon inducing indigestion and vivid dreams try going to bed with a tummy full of cheese and apples....always works for me to induce vivid dreams

[@eekee6034]

Given what we now know about pigeons as disease carriers, and given the ovens may have run at a lower temperature, they weren't wrong about the result. I don't know exactly how much lower-temperature ovens could be, but I've heard of Tudor dishes which, in a modern oven, would come out as hard as bricks unless they're baked for much less time; less than half the time stated in the recipes.

[@Cyrathil]

​@@Miss_Kisa941799 is pretty late for 'medieval'. Washington had bloodletting used as part of treatment for pneumonia. We could possibly quibble about whether the rationale was the humor theory, but it's still probably the case that holdovers stuck around whether adherence did or not.

[@neck_acrobatics]

@@Miss_Kisa94 Humorism was the prevalent theory of medicine in Europe since Ancient times (~500 BC) up until the 18th century,

[@Nagassh]

Always interesting seeing videos like this since in my family in the North East of England the older meal names are still used alongside the evening meal being tea. Causes no end of confusion when talking to people when my dinner is their lunch and their dinner is my evening tea etc, though at least we can agree on breakfast. Supper is invariably a light meal but rarely eaten.

[@e.prybylski5665]

My great aunt, who was born in the late 1800s and died in the 1990s called the noontime meal 'dinner' her whole life. She was married to a New England farmer, and it very much showed.

[@Elizabeth-n3v2u]

My Granny did the same, though she was born in the early 30s and was the child of southern sharecroppers.

[@Ericb1957]

In the North East of England (UK), it is also very common to call lunchtime 'dinner' even today, funnily enough. Pease pudding is also a regional dish here, most of the UK hasn't heard of it but it's one of my favourite comfort foods.

[@leoniesableblanc]

Love these videos. And they were right, a light supper is better for your digestion! This time of year it’s lovely to come back and re watch some of my favourite videos of yours. They just soothe the soul in these troubled times.

[@SlentVce]

It depends on your line of work. I work at home. Id be knocked out if i ate a good meal for lunch lol

[@daughteroftheblackmadonna8936]

I grew up reading the Little House books. Dinner time was midday, especially in Farmer Boy. Bread and butter was often eaten for supper.

[@jackieyoung3359]

The huge lunch and tiny supper is still very much a thing in many European cultures with kids coming home from school and adults coming home from work to gather as a family for a big lunch.

[@andyl8025]

How is it possible to have a big lunch if all of the adults are working during the morning? When is there time to prepare the big lunch? Maybe prepared the evening before?

[@LEGOBoy922]

@@andyl8025 Taking a shot in the dark, it's likely that there's a much larger lunch break and/or not as many people in a household having to a 9-to-5.

[@123oneshotonekill]

Well not really. Our main meal is around midday but it’s usually not hugely complex and easy to make in 30 minutes.

[@mar117117]

Depends on who you ask. In my country A: it is a cultural thing. It is common to have a 1 h lunchbreak during which workers go to a restaurant together (you get discounted prices in lunchtime). Some workplaces even have their own cook/restaurant/cantine. B: mothers get a 3 year "parenting" leave. I don't wanna get into the "women belong to kitchen" thing but yeah, if you have 2 children, that is 6 years of free lunches for you.😂

[@steel8231]

I think it's kinda wild how out of hand stories about people's diets in the past were. Like people forget herbs and salt were common in Europe, and most of the stories about the rarity of meat (as well as stories about not bathing) only apply to Victorians.

[@Vandelgard]

This is very true indeed different cultures where as u go south had different climates too.. History just shows how different mediterranean cousine is now too compared to the English

[@colbyboucher6391]

"and most of the stories about the rarity of meat (as well as stories about not bathing) only apply to Victorians." I mean, bathing sure, but meat? You're telling me some serf that might own some chickens for eggs is gonna be eating meat on a regular basis somehow?

[@terminallumbago6465]

@@colbyboucher6391 They fished and hunted, some reared a pig. Meals considered “poor” back then were actually healthier for you than the ones eaten by the rich.

[@cahallo5964]

​@@terminallumbago6465Moderm people forget about how common game and salted/cured meats were in the past, the meat we eat today was rare or ocasional (beef and chicken mostly) but game birds and such were plenty, for example.

[@MinnesnowdanSniper]

Seed cakes are what I remember from The Hobbit; the hobbit has them made ready for his own mealtime- the Dwarves show up for the Unexpected Party and they are all eaten.

[@m.a.6478]

Over here in Switzerland this meal plan is quite normal. Breakfast before we start working is rather small, we have a second breakfast at ~9 AM called "z'Nüni" where we also eat something small, then the biggest meal of the day for lunch around 12, then supper with something small around 7 PM. If you are working hard, then you have an intermediate meal around 4PM called "z'Vieri" or "z'Abe". I think it is quite a European thing to have a proper break at noon for eating instead of just eating a sandwich in between two strikes of a hammer or in front of a PC.

[@augustsmith9553]

You Swiss are CRAZY

[@brutaseus5886]

makes a lot of sense why they were eaten with ale, or how most suppers would have ale, as it would likely help relax the body and put the worker into a comfortable sleep. I for one have a glass of whisky when im up late or am too energetic for bed and i fall asleep like a baby. Great video as always!

[@mbr5742]

In germany Dinner/Lunch (Mittagessen) was still the big meal in working class households in the 1980s/90s. Shifts often ran 6:00-14:00 and when father came home he wanted a big meal. School ran 8:00-13:00 and so either you waited (it took me almost an hour due to the public bus while father had 15min) and ate together or at least pupils and mother did. And Saturday/Sunday the family often sat down around 12. Breakfast and Suppen (Frühstück und Abendessen) where small stuff

[@Kuhmuhnistische_Partei]

Why in the 1980a/90s? That's exactly how it was during my school time and I was born in 1996. It's more or less still the same when I visit my mother. We wake up, have some bread and tea (because East Frisia) for breakfast, 11am we have some coffee, 1 pm we have lunch and then we have supper with bread in the evening.

[@mbr5742]

@@Kuhmuhnistische_Partei Because post that time frame I do not know if people still do it. Since I now work 9-17 and therefor eat my major meal late

[@mccallosone4903]

man, with all the crazy bad news in the world, your channel is a blessing. thanks for the hard work bud, my stress level -10

[@kellym9190]

I can’t help but continue to be charmed by your romantic retrospection on the concepts of meals like this 😊

[@maddieb.4282]

Thanks Violet 😂

[@Pieces_Of_Eight]

The link between the avoidance of heavy evening meals and overnight digestion is a brilliant, thank you for continuing to explore their relationship with food. Thrilled to see wiggs making an appearance too, along with varied levels of wiggs available to suit different circumstances. Looking forward to baking some some extra flavorful seed cakes in the approaching holiday season. Cheers!

[@cornpop3159]

You had breakfast, Dinner and Supper back then. 80%-90% of the food intake was Dinner (Lunch today). Supper was a bit of left over Dinner, or maybe a slice of pie. Breakfast was anything lying around, like biscuits, made once or twice a week for the week.

[@SquarePegs]

I love videos like these. Learning things about how our ancestors existed and thrived always fills my day. Thank you, John and the whole Townsends team!

[@Spartanixxx]

Carroway Seed apparently helps with digestion, i assume they understood this fact and if the premise is easily digestible like some of the writing you found suggests, it makes perfect sense why they show up so often.

[@yuyunull]

Ale and condensed calories in the form of bread makes an excellent digestif for a working man. It was likely enough to fight muscle soreness or enable them to work the next day. Good stuff.

[@sd-ch2cq]

I knew some old people who ate a hot meal at noon and bread in the evening. Their explanation was that this setup was easier on the wife (she could do the dishes in the afternoon instead of having to do it late in the evening)

[@Vegem1ghty]

It's always so comfortable to tune into this channel. It's the perfect way to end the day for a comfortable rest

[@gmkgoat]

I like how he's like "well, the recipe calls for an eggshe- eh screw it I'm not doing that"

[@preshisify]

😂

[@gisellem927]

My great grandma called lunch,supper and dinner (the late meal) supper. Her parents were born in Kentucky, so they used a lot of the old American terms for things. Supper is derived from the European root word for soup.

[@heavyq]

I love this channel. I don't even care what the video is about. It's so calming listening to the explanations and music.

[@schunter20]

People this passionate about history are a rare gem.

[@Kuhmuhnistische_Partei]

Me, a German: "So nothing would've changed, okay". I maybe eat two slices of bread for breakfast with some tea. Lunch should be the main meal for me in an ideal world and supper (German: Abendbrot, literally "Evening bread") is usually just bread again or some other light meal. Although it really depends how it fits into my day. I often don't have the time during noon to actually have lunch, so I often postpone it to 5-7 pm and don't have supper at all. And it can also vary what and how much I eat for breakfast. Like on some days I will make some fried eggs on bread or muesli or something.

[@ToEuropa]

Thanks for another great video. I've wondered what seed cakes are since I first saw them mentioned in "The Hobbit" or "The Lord of the Rings". I'm definitely going to make some. By the way, "melancholy juice" would have made a great name for a 90's rock band.

[@scottreese684]

Rather than 18th century, we opted for old country comfort last night. Sheila’s family is primarily German descent. (Mine is 50%) we did wiener schnitzel and spaetzle in cast iron with mushroom gravy. 21 century fast food can’t compete.

[@MayumiC-chan9377]

love this channel! i am happily my husband turned me on to historical foods and life

[@augustsmith9553]

Tell your husband Then do him a favor Stay with him - don’t leave

[@MayumiC-chan9377]

@@augustsmith9553 i would never leave my husband

[@tokencivilian8507]

Love this series of working man's meals, feasts, etc.

[@darlenebradley6756]

Very interesting topic! I am going to give this a try (but probably not this week considering Thanksgiving). I have been inspired to a much simpler way of living from watching this channel and look forward to each episode. I hope these continue for a while to come!

[@flameguy3416]

4:15 funnily enough, meat is very easy on the stomach since our body absorbs most of it, leaving a very tiny amount actually being converted to waste product.

[@RebeccaTreeseed]

I follow my Free Food Diet: what can I pick from my garden today? That translates to mostly soups and salads. I dehydrate same and it gives me winter soups. Sprouts and mini greens all winter. I bake bread, biscuits, crackers and make flatbreads. I started growing soft wheat a few years ago, better for flatbreads. I make vegetable relishes and slather relish on everything. Pickled peppers. It's a simple process, mainly vegetables. A dab of meat in the pot. My parents and grandparents ate from huge gardens, but the dab of meat was mostly wild game or backyard chickens. Mom traded eggs for raw milk. We made butter too.

[@stellarconcealment]

British here and our family has our 'dinner' (biggest meal) at lunch, and a light supper in the early evening.

[@Tony.Serval]

The production on your channel is just insane.

[@JohnnyManu40]

A couple things to add on, from experience living a rougher life in the bush, and having jobs where the lunch was supplied. 1. Outhouse visits at night are not exactly everyone's personal preference. So anything that reduces the need to unload is a good thing, both for safety and sleep. 2. If you know you have a guaranteed lunch each day that easily fills your belly; you won't be spending as much on the breakfast and supper you might have normally spent more on.

[@KAMiKAZE-T.V.]

I love your channel so much bro thank you for what you do

[@QuietLifeintheForest]

I have been watching your channel since 2012, and I just have to say thank you so much for all of your content. It is some of the most relaxing, entertaining, educational media that I watch.

[@lbarnhill5493]

With the exception of Sat. & Sun. mornings, where he would have eggs, bacon, toast and coffee; my grandfather would have a bowl of hot or cold cereal for breakfast. At lunch he was served meat, potatoes, bread and vegetables. Supper was soup and sandwich, or left overs.

[@Asta0125]

From a Native perspective, Cherokee people usually had food in the morning, and a large meal throughout the evening, with lunch being small, and most meals being portioned by the corn dumpling. Henry Timberlake and William Bartram in their journals record Cherokees as dining for quite short amounts of time but eating hearty breakfast, usually a small lunch, and a large dinner! Timberlake was in fact not very happy about the diplomat's feast he received as he found the food to be "immensely overcooked" and lacking in seasoning. The difference he might not have known about was that in communal settings for council dinners and larger feasts, salt, black pepper and other seasonings were put on food personally, not only as a method of rationing it, but to accomodate the tastes of the town since people were aware dozens of people could be eating from the same pots and baskets of beans. So a working man's supper in Cherokee though it would largely vary on seasoning, would begin with a boiled corn dumpling served with beans and usually either fish soup, or boiled venison if it was the hunting season. Dried and smoked meats could be prepared into soups later like stock blocks, and the variety of beans and squash would fill in the vegetables. The reason for this large dinner was also because "dinners" also led into the celebrations for the night where songs and dances would be performed, often going until two or three in the morning, as observed by Mr. Timberlake. Bartram found the dancing to be entertaining and fun, while his military counterpart didn't find the music very enjoyable. I love these videos and I adore studying the aspects of life that we don't consciously think about like routine and expectations regarding food and dining.

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

Salt and black pepper being available to put on food personally is interesting; I always thought of that as being a uniquely Western thing.

[@TheAaronChand]

Same idea in India where my ansctors where from during the 18th century the dish Nahari or meat Curry or Stew was orginally created by the to be a heavy hearty high energy food eaten by labour's as a breakfast dish In colder climates Nahari a heavy working class breakfast or lunch in 18th century India

[@TheAaronChand]

if your eating Lamb or Goat Nahari in the morning as a breakfast it fills your stomach because Goat and Lamb are heavy meats

[@nywherebuthere]

That thumbnail legit made me salivate. Much love Townsends and Co

[@encozine]

Last time I heard the word supper at English classes. I'm glad I get to remember it to this day.

[@cosmicbrambleclawv2]

"What do you think of when I say 'supper'?" I think that youre making me hungry even though I just ate 😂

[@preciousseong]

ita always about fall/winter time where i find myself watching this channel, when the weather is colder and im always in search of anything cozy and comforting

[@MsBizzyGurl]

That was a lotta caraway seeds for this reduced recipe!

[@aputin654]

Right? It looked like the whole-half eggshell 🤣

[@92bagder]

After a big breakfast you typically feel lethargic for the rest of the day

[@dpeasehead]

Rumor has it that anchovies were much larger in Franklin's time.

[@joeyhardin1288]

Thank you! Happy Thanksgiving!

[@boygirlandadad5814]

How wonderful! Love this channel. ❤

[@janerkenbrack3373]

There's a mnemonic that goes: Eat your breakfast alone, share your dinner with a friend, and give your supper to the poor. This was to stress eating your main meals early. Of course I understand that this doesn't work for the practices during your time.

[@olddawgdreaming5715]

Thanks for sharing with us Jon. This is valuable information that would help many folks today to live by those thoughts and eliminate many for our digestive and over weight problems along with diabetes and nightmares. Stay safe and everyone enjoy a great Thanksgiving Day with families and friends. Fred.

[@Sovietghostdivision]

I'm glad this channel exist

[@majorfallacy5926]

It's interesting that spiced bread seems to have been common in America but somehow went away, while it's still popular here in central europe

[@KairuHakubi]

boy we don't think about that, but when sleep is at a premium, you don't have AC, you don't have white noise machines, your bed might have bugs in it.. you can't risk nighttime indigestion. no pepto-bismol, _no toilet paper._ you've really gotta try to think like an airline and not upset anything.

[@tireflipper8000]

I thoroughly enjoy your videos. It is so nice to think about a place in time that seems simpler and free. Hard work and hearty meals. I really appreciate the escape. 🙏🏼 thank you 🙏🏼

[@TH-tl6sy]

My Oma and Opa, their entire life had, musli or oatmeal for breakfast, supper type meal for lunch and dinner was just soup or open faced sandwiches of ryebread and sausage, maybe with some pickles or pickled beets or slice of cheese or two. Eggs and bacon type breakfast was the odd weekend thing.

[@blackleague212]

lol my KZbin friend, you look great, glad to see you making videos and still alive! ❤ fan of yours for a long time

[@minniemingo2350]

Suppers of the 18th are closer to what we usually considered a supper here in Poland for years

[@SpookyHerself_]

I love this series!

[@lakrids-pibe]

Bread in ale - or as we say in Denmark: *Ølle-brød.* Stale, shredded rye bread of the dense, dark kind we like en Denmark, soaked in ale or small ale. Ad a little sugar, and if you're lucky a little cream

[@hrani]

This sounds fairly similar to the Nordic meals and mealtimes. Light breakfast at eight, hearty lunch sometime between 10 to 12, big dinner between four and six, and then a light supper sometime between eight and going to sleep!

[@redrackham6812]

They were right about a large meal before bed being bad for digestion. Ask most gastroenterologists today, and they will tell you that it is not good to eat a large meal before going to sleep.

[@LunarisDream]

I don't really get it, though. It would be expected that the body, while resting during sleep, can also digest without issue. Rest and digest, as the saying goes. I usually eat very little during the day and have a large meal right before bed. Haven't noticed any indigestion, and I wake up full of energy for the day without breakfast and lunch.

[@punteroism]

​@@LunarisDreamSo digestion can make you lethargic (sleepy) as it pulls blood away from the rest of your body. But when you are digesting your digestive system will increase acidity and release bile. Which is fine when upright or reclined. But when completely prone will migrate to burn the LES valve that seperates your stomach and esophagus. Which will in turn over tome develop a hiatal hernia and can turn into GERD, and if allowed to progress can turn into barrots esophagus. It can also lead to SIBO and other digestive problems. Additionally our bodies were made for periods of fasting hence the studies on ketosis. I would recommend reading about intermittent fasting and multi day fasting too.

[@X-SPONGED]

​​@@LunarisDreamyou digest easy during the daytime (morning-noon) once you've passed that point, the body prepares for sleep and metabolism slows. By making your final meal a heavy one, you're changing the body's dynamic and forcing it to produce more hormones than it should which throws your whole chemistry off balance and makes your body work harder when it shouldn't. This is a very bad explanation of the actual science so I suggest you do your own research if you feel confused about my explanation.

[@josephteller9715]

@@punteroism our bodies are NOT made for fasting, thats nonsense. Anyone who has diabetes has been told very differently by medical professionals. Fasting messes with your blood sugar levels and damages the system. 3 Meals, 6 hours apart, preferably of roughly equal calorie value, though if you have to have one that is larger or has a higher carb quantity make it the morning meal rather than the evening (so no pasta at night or bread heavy meals).

[@stanbrown915]

Down Texas way our famous working mans dinner is Pinto Beans and fried Potatoes with White Bread for soppin

[@ilikeramyeon]

I'm wondering if that peas pudding is the same as the nursery rhyme, pease porridge hot pease porridge cold, pease porridge in the pot 9 days old.

[@stormnr2]

Frühstücke wie ein König, Esse zum Mittag wie ein Kaiser und zum Abend wie ein Bettler.

[@Ducaso]

A very agrarian meal for the working laborers. Tied to the geographical climate and the availability of resources. Beer (of some form) is a very common source of easy liquid calories, and of course you have wheat bread too. It’s fascinating to see diets change and adapt as the working world does the same.

[@railmaverick]

This is such an amazing view of history. Thank you.

[@elyjane8316]

Once I left school, I have eaten this type of meal plan. No we are both retired, we have our main meal at lunchtime, with sone fruit at tea time. Nb: my mutti (German mother) made caraway cake for my papa in the 1960s, no alcohol...

[@ChristophHuber-z8r]

In Germany it is still like this: Lunch is the main meal of the day and supper ("Abendbrot", lit. "evening bread") is just bread, cold cuts, cheese and such things, maybe a salad. There seems to be a shift in Germany too towards supper as the main dish though, maybe due to changes in work and school days (barely anyone is at home around midday). When I grew up (not even 20 years ago) lunch was still the indisputable king of meals. And for many people in Germany it still is.

[@jameshiggins-thomas9617]

The luncheon-dinner-supper habit is an interesting one in both time and place. I was caught off-guard when I traveled to Europe many years ago and had opportunity to sup with a local family. I was used to the big American dinner as the last meal but they had their big meal earlier and ended with a light supper (generally breads, cheeses, and sausages). I went to bed hungry for a while before I could adjust 😂

[@deanmccormick8070]

My family's traditional rainy day supper (from the farming days) was potato soup with toasted bread.

[@justarandomboi865]

Eating supper while watching supper, perfect

[@ritzkola2302]

My great grandma said said all the time. She passed in 2013 and I’m a 90s baby.

[@ericbarlow6772]

The French words diner and souper, which both mean to eat gives us the clues to the older meaning of dinner and supper in English. Diner is a big meal that typically consists of multiple courses. This was the meal that was served at midday when people came in from the fields after a few hours of work. This was designed to be eaten over a couple of hours and give everyone a huge boost in morale and energy for the rest of the day. Souper is a light meal at the end of the day. Because we didn’t do much after sunset without modern artificial lighting, it was a simple meal that could be eaten fairly quickly before retiring for the night.

[@nuclearfrog306]

imagine showing an 18th century commoner hot dogs and boxed mac n cheese. they'd probably never complain about their mush ever again

[@shilohm1671]

I work at an assisted living facility and they serve the meals like this. Breakfast is grits or oatmeal, lunch is a big meal and dinner is light.

[@catherine59226]

I enjoyed this video! Thank you.

[@Jennifer-qo4kz]

Thank you. Just love learning about that time in history. Great great channel! 👍🏻

[@FaceEatingOwl]

Is the picture at 1:32, of farmers leaning against a shock of sheafs, from Tess of the D'Urbervilles? Im currently reading it and it reminds me of that scene in the book. Love the videos, brilliant as always, Jon et al.

[@summonersumnerus4364]

Are you familiar with a Ploughman's lunch from England? The name is fairly recent but the meal itself is ancient :)

[@WillMoon]

Reminds me of the culture shock I had when I lived in Austria as a kid. The Austrians got two hours off school for lunch, so us exchange kids had a field day going all over Graz to try out different kinds of food. Most of the time we were able to hop on the Straßenbahn and make it home for an actual lunch. Dinner was always tiny, like soup or a salad, some with breakfast... fried eggs and cheese with some fruit, that was it.

[@GrandmaSandy]

Thanks so much for another great video full of inspiration and something yummy for dinner, but always something we can afford