British troops deployed in South Africa were in for a treat from Queen Victoria in 1900 — a tin of chocolate with a message wishing them a happy new year.
A 121-year-old tin of chocolate that was commissioned by Queen Victoria for British troops fighting in South Africa.Image: National Trust/Victoria McKeown/REUTERS
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A 121-year-old tin of chocolate commissioned by Britain’s Queen Victoria has been found with its original contents — chocolate and wrapper — in the attic of an English manor, the trust that manages the property has revealed.
The chocolate was discovered in a Boer War helmet case at the 500-year-old Oxburgh Hall in Norfolk, which served as the ancestral home of the 8th Baronet, Sir Henry Edward Paston-Bedingfeld, who fought in the Second Boer War.
Over 100,000 such tins with half-pound (226-gram) bars of chocolate were commissioned by the Queen for troops deployed in South Africa in 1900. Each soldier and officer was to receive a box that read "South Africa 1900" and "I wish you a happy New Year" in the Queen's handwriting to boost morale.
While many soldiers preserved their tins, only a few survived. It was even rarer to find one with the chocolate intact.
"Although it no longer looks appetizing and is well past its use by date – you wouldn't want it as your Easter treat – it is still complete and a remarkable find," said the National Trust’s Cultural Heritage Curator Anna Forrest. The trust manages Oxburgh Hall.
The bar of chocolate was discovered in a Boer War helmet case in the attic of a manor in Norfolk, UKImage: National Trust/Victoria McKeown/REUTERS
"We can only assume that the 8th Baronet kept the chocolate with the helmet as a memento of his time in the Boer War," she added.
Fought between 1899 and 1902, the Second Boer War pitted British troops against two independent South African states run by the Boers or Afrikaans-speaking farmers.
Three of Britain’s main chocolate manufacturers – Cadbury, Fry and Rowntree – were commissioned to produce the chocolate. However, they were run by the Quakers, who opposed the war.
British dishes to delight kings and queens
Dine like a queen: theses dishes will turn your royal wedding party into a truly regal celebration. Inspired by the monarchy, these dishes are widely recognized throughout the UK but may be less well-known elsewhere.
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Sausage Rolls
No British party is complete without sausage rolls. A small sausage wrapped in a blanket of dough — a perfect party snack enjoyed throughout the nation. This grub has even popped up in menus seen at Buckingham Palace and can be found at stores throughout the UK. Meanwhile, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are rumored to be spending GBP 25,000 ($35,000) on sausage rolls alone at their wedding.
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Gleneagles Paté
A favorite of the Queen's — especially when she retreats to her summer residence in Scotland, Balmoral, where she gets daily fresh deliveries of seafood from the waters of the North Sea. This fish dish features layers of smoked salmon, trout and mackerel as well as copious amounts of butter and dill. It is served cold as an appetizer, although some people may brave it for breakfast.
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Coronation Chicken
This dish comes in as many shades of yellow as you can imagine — depending on how much curry powder you use. It was invented for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 using cold, cooked chicken and a curry mayonnaise cream sauce as the main two ingredients. You can put your own spin on it and add fruit such as raisins or apple chunks. It can be eaten as a salad or used as sandwich filling.
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Beef Wellington
A tricky dish to prepare, Beef Wellington is a popular item on the menu across Britain. It is unknown whether it was named after the Duke of Wellington but is always a royal delight nonetheless. After coating a filet steak with paté, it is wrapped in puff pastry and baked. The trick is in retaining the moisture of the steak and preventing it from making the pastry soggy. A regal balancing act!
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King Edward Potatoes
Our contribution for vegans and vegetarians: the coronation of King Edward VII in 1902 coincided with the introduction of this namesake potato variety. It is unknown, however, whether the monarch himself enjoyed the spud. The potato lends itself particularly well to roasting, which is a popular way to prepare vegetables in the UK. Add some olive oil, rosemary and salt and serve while piping hot.
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Victoria Sponge
The Brits certainly have a sweet tooth — which could explain the state of their dentistry. Victoria Sponge is a delectable delight named after Queen Victoria (1819-1901). The Empress had a reputation for enjoying pound cake for high tea. With the invention of baking powder, royal bakers managed to make it rise. Cut in half, Victoria Sponge is filled with rich cream and strawberry jam.
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Eton Mess
Though not necessarily a royal delight in and of itself, this is likely a dessert that many of Britain's elite who attend Eton College in Berkshire grew up with. Again, there's a theme of strawberries and cream here, featuring broken pieces of meringue, raspberries and a bit of mint as well. An adult version, "Drunken Eton Mess" uses blackberries soaked in vodka. What's not to like?
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Battenberg Cake
The royals' worst-kept secret: they're Germans. Their lineage goes back to the German House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, However, there is also the Mountbatten branch of the Royal Family, direct descendants from the German House of Battenberg. This dessert is named after them: a fluffy sponge cake with a thin apricot jam filling. The checkered cake is then covered in Marzipan and enjoyed with tea.
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Trifle
Cream, custard, yogurt, strawberries and loads of sugar. Why would you do dessert any other way? Trifle is hugely popular as a formal dessert dish, and for Queen Elizabeth's diamond jubilee in 2012, chefs and wannabe chefs came up with new trifle recipes to celebrate the monarch. You can also add a thin pastry base drenched in sherry at the bottom to make this delicious treat even more fun.
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Lemon and Elderflower cake
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle chose to have a lemon elderflower cake decorated with buttercream as their wedding cake. It will be baked by Claire Ptak, founder of London's hip Violet Bakery. Elderflower, a popular ingredient in British desserts, is having a bit of a moment right now. Whether the cake will be as elaborately ornamented as William and Kate's wedding cake in 2011 is yet to be seen.
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Pimm's Cup
No summer party in Britain is complete without Pimm's. While most Brits enjoy gin and tonics on a hot day, a pitcher of Pimm's is far more refreshing and won't go to your head as fast. That's why Pimm's is also known as the traditional Wimbledon drink. You need cucumber, lemon, mint and perhaps some strawberries. Add to that equal amounts of ginger ale, lemonade and Pimm's, a gin-based liqueur.
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All three manufacturers refused payment and left the chocolate unbranded, according to the Reuters news agency. Upon the Queen’s insistence, they branded some of the chocolates but not the tins.