Food that sounds great in books but is disappointing in real life

[BlowDryRat]

As a child I was very into reading the Famous Five and begged my mum to buy me ginger beer. It was a disappointing experience. It tasted horrible!

Ditto cakes made with chestnut flour (The Wolves of Willoughby Chase) and the butterbeer at the Harry Potter studio tour.

Sarsaparilla (from the Oor Wullie books).

Was boggin'

I have a craving for porridge after reading this thread.

Dragon fruit

I used to read FF books and think that the awful food they took to their midnight feasts! I'd have rather stayed in bed. Pineapple chunks - ok those are edibles. But condensed milk and kippers. Eugh.

I made myself sardines on toast after reading about it in Enid Blyton. It was rank.

I my children insisted I made them green eggs (scrambled eggs with green dye) and sliced ham. That Sam I am has a lot to answer for.

On the other hand, when Mr. Toad is jailed and the Jailor's daughter brings him hot sweet tea and hot buttered toast with the butter melting to form golden circles on the plate beneath.....that is my favourite literary meal. I first read it as a child during the War, when there was strict butter rationing.

Ginger beer in a Moscow Mule is delicious but I wouldn't drink it without the vodka.

In books when I read them catching a trout and cooking it over a fire and serving with wild mushrooms I think it sounds delish.

But I loathe fish and mushrooms and would boak if I actually had to eat it.

I agree on American snacks they are not nice at all.

Yes, the strange love of condensed milk from boarding school books... but I guess it was a case of anything sweet was a winner, back in the day.

I had the same experience with ginger beer!

Root beer. I spotted some in the American Table at a school international day - always read a kit it, seen it in films... 🤢🤢🤢

@Sobloodyexhausted

I think the Turkish Delight was a symbol for something more moreish!😂😂😂 What a bad boy CS Lewis must have been.

I reckon that CS Lewis choose Turkish Delight was just a rare luxury at that time (because it comes from overseas), I mean Edmund sold out his siblings for it, so it had to be something very tempting and understandable why he did that. It'd have been really bad it if was for boiled sweets (whereas I think Edmund wasn't supposed to be bad just gave in to temptation).

There as a Turkish delight bar wasn't there (purple wrapper I think) - which I didn't mind, but I had 'proper' Turkish delight later on in life and I really liked that.

Agree with the lemon juice and sugar in water being a disappointing lemonade. I did wonder how the lemonade I liked managed to evolve from that concoction because it was so different. Even "traditional" lemonade is different. (Of course, there is the possibility I made it wrong...)

Sardines were a midnight feast staple but I find them underwhelming in real life.

The roast beef Ravelston has in Modigliani's in 'Keep the Aspidistra Flying' always makes my mouth water but in real life I have never had decent roast beef in a restaurant.

@eddiemairswife

On the other hand, when Mr. Toad is jailed and the Jailor's daughter brings him hot sweet tea and hot buttered toast with the butter melting to form golden circles on the plate beneath.....that is my favourite literary meal. I first read it as a child during the War, when there was strict butter rationing.

Isn't that the reason there is so much focus on food in Enid Blyton books? That she was writing them at a time when rationing was a very clear memory.

So while the food mentioned might seem a little bland by today's standard it was a total luxury at the time of writing

Yes to root beer ,back in the early 80,s they served it in McDonald's and I remember quite liking it ,,they sell it in Aldi now and it isn't how I remembered 🤮

I’ve always wondered what Lucky Charms is taste like? I imagine disappointing!

The Danny the Champion of the World reference has just reminded me of the year it inspired me to do roast pheasants for Christmas dinner. They were rank and full of shot.

@toffeebutterpopcorn

I remember dad going off to some exotic holiday and saying that there was people climbing trees to pick coconuts, clambering down, chopping the tops off and giving them to thirsty buyers.

He had always read about how delicious it was, how satisfying...then realised it tastes 🤢

On my honeymoon to St Lucia everyone was drinking just cut underripe coconuts. So Ofcourse we joined in. Holy shit they were boggin. Exactly how I imagine cat piss tastes.

Slightly going in the opposite directions (sorry OP) but this book is fantastic. All the recipes are based on food and drink mentioned in children's literature.

@OppsUpsSide

I’ve always wondered what Lucky Charms is taste like? I imagine disappointing!

The DC get their own box of Lucky Charms on their birthday. They're very tasty as long as you let it sit for a bit to let the milk soften the marshmallows.

Kitten rolypoly pudding? Best left to Samuel Whiskers!

Root beer tastes, for me, just like old fashioned Germoline ointment. Anyone remember that?

I love some of these! Ginger beer, sardines on toast, turkish delight - lovely! My disappointment was American too - sloppy joes - ok, I knew they would be sloppy but just, not nice.

Ooh thanks @BlowDryRat I might have to bite the bullet and order some!

Also both macaroons (Enid Blyton style) and macarons are very disappointing.