Please or to access all these features

What we're reading

Find your new favourite book or recommend one on our Book forum.

Piccalilli in fiction

5 replies

TarnishedMoonstone · 31/12/2024 13:46

Weird, I know. DH and I were discussing piccalilli, and I was saying that I first encountered it in fiction, probably a 1970s or earlier children’s book, where a character has to eat something disgusting and can only force it down with large amounts of piccalilli. At the time of reading I only had the haziest idea of what this substance actually was.
Now it’s really bugging me that I can’t remember any more details about this literary moment. Can anyone help, please?!

OP posts:
ThePineappleSeahorse · 31/12/2024 13:47

It’s from James Herriot’s All Things Bright and Beautiful.

ThePineappleSeahorse · 31/12/2024 13:49

Chapter 39 to be exact.

Chapter 39
James revels in his marriage to Helen and the domestic bliss she brings to Skeldale House. After a calving, Mr. Horner invites him into a breakfast of bread, butter, jam and 100% fat bacon that is eaten cold. Only by spooning tons of piccalilli on it, is James is able to gag it down.

TarnishedMoonstone · 31/12/2024 14:23

Thank you so much @ThePineappleSeahorse - that’s exactly it! Haven’t read those for a VERY long time, being a vet myself. What a great site MN is for this sort of thing.

OP posts:
ThePineappleSeahorse · 31/12/2024 14:29

You’re very welcome. As soon as I saw your thread title I immediately thought of that scene even before I’d read your question. And you’re right, MN is so useful for those little queries about books, movies and similar.

YesExactlyYes · 31/12/2024 14:55

Ha ha, I too thought of James Herriot on seeing the thread title.

Such lovely cosy books to read in winter, even if sad in places.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page