Beef Tea, Wine Whey or Calf’s Foot Jelly? Invalid and Convalescent Cookery in Twentieth-Century Ireland

Abstract

Especially prior to the twentieth century, invalid and convalescent cookery constituted an integral part of health care provided at home, as in many cases recovery of health was to be achieved by consuming appropriate food rather than through an application of medicine. Interestingly, in Irish culinary discourse convalescent cookery was still commonplace until the 1970s. This research, based on a qualitative content analysis of selected Irish culinary texts published from 1910 to 1970, aims to provide an overview of invalid and convalescent cookery in Ireland in the twentieth century. Exploring the prevalence of recipes and tips for home treatment of invalids in twentieth-century Ireland, this article attempts not only to add to the growing body of scholarship centred on feeding the sick at home but also in a broader context to contribute to the work on Irish culinary history and Irish women’s history.

Keywords

• invalid cookery
• convalescence
• diet
• irish culinary history
• medicinal properties of food
• domestic science
• irish cookbooks