By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
What's The JamWhat's The Jam
  • Home
  • Latest News
    • UK News
    • World News
  • Super ViralHot
  • Lifestyle
    • Health and Fitness
    • Photography
    • Property
  • Humor
  • Celebrity
  • Weird
  • Videos
  • All Topics
    • Babies and Kids
    • Celebrity
    • Comedy and Humor
    • Documentary and Reportage
    • Fails
    • Health and Fitness
    • Holidays and Travel
    • Influencers and Models
    • Latest Videos
    • Life Hacks
    • Lifestyle
    • Nature and Wildlife
    • Pets and Animals
    • Photography
    • Property
    • Real Life
    • Sport
    • Strange and Bizarre
    • Super Viral
    • UK News
    • World News
Search
  • Health and Fitness
  • Holidays and Travel
  • Nature and Wildlife
  • Pets and Animals
  • Photography
  • Babies and Kids
  • Comedy and Humor
  • Fails
  • Real Life
  • Strange and Bizarre
  • Submit News
  • Customize Interests
  • Bookmarks
  • Newsletter
  • Who Are We
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Write For Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact
© 2023 What's The Jam. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Asparagus served on Christmas Day traditionally means you’re rich, says boffin
Share
Notification Show More
Aa
What's The JamWhat's The Jam
Aa
  • News
  • World
  • Viral
  • Funny
  • Weird
  • Celebrity
  • DIY
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Videos
Search
  • Home
    • News
    • World
    • Super Viral
    • Videos
  • All Topics
    • Babies and Kids
    • Celebrity
    • Comedy and Humor
    • Documentary and Reportage
    • Fails
    • Health and Fitness
    • Holidays and Travel
    • Influencers and Models
    • Life Hacks
    • Lifestyle
    • Nature and Wildlife
    • Pets and Animals
    • Photography
    • Property
    • Real Life
    • Sport
    • Strange and Bizarre
  • Quick Links
    • Customize Interests
    • Bookmarks
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of use
    • Write For Us
    • Advertise
    • Contact
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Write For Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact
© 2023 What's The Jam. All Rights Reserved.
Asparagus on Christmas Day once symbolized wealth, says food historian Annie Gray. She also reveals that beef, not turkey, was the traditional British festive meat.
UK News

Asparagus served on Christmas Day traditionally means you’re rich, says boffin

Charlie Watton
Last updated: 2024/12/23 at 11:14 AM
Charlie Watton
Share
4 Min Read
Annie Gray. (Jam Press/Melissa Rodrigues/Jersey Heritage)
SHARE

Asparagus served up on Christmas Day traditionally means you are rich, according to a boffin.

Food historian, Annie Gray, says the long vegetable was a sign of wealth.

The odd addition was used by hosts wanting to show off their riches.

READ MORE: BP to reopen petrol station that now doesn’t sell… petrol

- Advertisement -

She said: “Asparagus is, to our eyes, an odd one.

“Essentially, this is about showing your wealth, for asparagus needed to be forced, using hotbeds, and so was only open to the wealthy.”

Annie also revealed that Christmas traditionalists could scrap turkey for more authentic British meat, like beef.

Asparagus on Christmas Day once symbolized wealth, says food historian Annie Gray. She also reveals that beef, not turkey, was the traditional British festive meat.
Annie Gray. (Jam Press/@DrAnnieGray)

She revealed the tips in her book ‘At Christmas We Feast: Festive Food through the Ages’.

Specialising in history from 1600 to the present day, Annie has looked in depth at what made up our Christmas dinner from medieval times to now.

- Advertisement -

It turns out Brits were opting for beef back in the day when settling down for a feast on Christmas day.

It was seen as the meat to eat when celebrating, being a symbol for all things British.

Turkey wasn’t introduced until the 1520s, an exotic import from the Americas.

- Advertisement -

The meat that we now know as the traditional main of a Christmas dinner, didn’t become the popular choice until the 20th century.

Despite her love of history, Annie also believes that we could opt for what we fancy instead of what we ‘should’ be eating at Christmas.

Annie Gray told What’s The Jam: “By the end of the seventeenth century, beef was a real symbol of Englishness.

Asparagus on Christmas Day once symbolized wealth, says food historian Annie Gray. She also reveals that beef, not turkey, was the traditional British festive meat.
Annie Gray’s book, The Bookshop, the Draper, the Candlestick Maker: A History of the High Street. (Jam Press/@DrAnnieGray)

“And Britain as a whole was often represented by the figure of John Bull as a butcher versus, for example, emaciated French men eating frogs’ legs.

“Most people couldn’t afford to eat any meat regularly, let alone beef, so it was also prestigious.

“It was the meat for celebrations – not just Christmas, but big, community events like coronation feasts.

“Plum pudding was also a symbol of Britishness, regarded as a bit weird by other nations.

“The two things went together both symbolically and practically – think of the pudding like a chutney, complementing the heft of the beef.

“Turkey was introduced from the Americas in the 1520s.

“It was easily domesticated and somewhat tastier than some of the other big feast birds – things like peacock and swan.

“It was also in season over winter, for that reason it became associated with Christmas.

“It was very popular, especially associated with the middle classes by the Victorian era, but never had the prestige of beef.

“It didn’t become the main meat of choice until meals reduced in size in the twentieth century, while ovens got bigger.

“All of those films featuring glistening Thanksgiving turkeys didn’t do any harm, either.

“’We could do with letting go of should and must and just eat what we fancy.

“Too many of our modern notions of tradition seem to just cause stress and angst to whoever is in charge of the cooking.

“The most enduring Christmas food tradition is simply one of having food you love but might not normally eat through price or accessibility – a treat to yourself and anyone else you want to invite to share it.”

READ MORE: Sorry-looking community Christmas tree mocked by locals

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • X

Have a story to tell? Hello@whatsthejam.com
TAGGED: Christmas, cooking, festive season, food, news, shocking, uk

Sign Up For Daily Newsletter

Be keep up! Get the latest breaking news delivered straight to your inbox.
[mc4wp_form]
By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.
Share This Article
Facebook Twitter Copy Link Print
Share
What do you think?
Love0
Sad0
Happy0
Sleepy0
Angry0
Dead0
Wink0
Previous Article BP is transforming its Hammersmith station into a high-power EV charging hub, ditching petrol pumps entirely. Drivers can charge 100 miles in just 15 minutes! BP to reopen petrol station that now doesn’t sell… petrol
Next Article A children’s book, overdue by 31.5 years, was finally returned to Crediton Library. Librarians joked about canceling their Bahamas trip due to axed late fines! Overdue library book returned after 31-and-a-half-years
Leave a comment Leave a comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Stay Connected

235.3k Followers Like
69.1k Followers Follow
11.6k Followers Pin
56.4k Followers Follow
136k Subscribers Subscribe
4.4k Followers Follow
- Advertisement -
Ad imageAd image

Latest News

Rosie Woolway spotted playful fox cubs during a sunset stroll on Dartmoor, spending 45 magical minutes watching them frolic in the wild after her shift at work.
Playful fox cubs spotted frolicking by nature lover on country stroll
Nature and Wildlife 30 May 2025
Doctor finds whole enoki mushroom in patient's colon during scan - warns to chew properly as tough chitin cell walls make it pass undigested, earning nickname 'see you tomorrow'.
Mushroom found growing in patient’s gut by shocked doctor
Health and Fitness 30 May 2025
Bride who fell for undertaker attends funerals for two years to get noticed - finally weds him and arrives at ceremony in a hearse with 'Till death do us part' sign.
Bride who arrived at wedding in hearse went to funerals for two years to catch undertaker’s eye
World News 30 May 2025
Hannah Shirley the pygmy hippo is now the world’s oldest at 51 years old, living a pampered life in California with spa days, pool time and plenty of snacks.
Pygmy hippo oldest in the WORLD after turning 51-and-a-half
World News 30 May 2025

You Might also Like

Rosie Woolway spotted playful fox cubs during a sunset stroll on Dartmoor, spending 45 magical minutes watching them frolic in the wild after her shift at work.
Nature and Wildlife

Playful fox cubs spotted frolicking by nature lover on country stroll

30 May 2025
Doctor finds whole enoki mushroom in patient's colon during scan - warns to chew properly as tough chitin cell walls make it pass undigested, earning nickname 'see you tomorrow'.
Health and Fitness

Mushroom found growing in patient’s gut by shocked doctor

30 May 2025
Bride who fell for undertaker attends funerals for two years to get noticed - finally weds him and arrives at ceremony in a hearse with 'Till death do us part' sign.
World News

Bride who arrived at wedding in hearse went to funerals for two years to catch undertaker’s eye

30 May 2025
Hannah Shirley the pygmy hippo is now the world’s oldest at 51 years old, living a pampered life in California with spa days, pool time and plenty of snacks.
World News

Pygmy hippo oldest in the WORLD after turning 51-and-a-half

30 May 2025
Brazilian student graduates alone after claiming to be only one to pass course - Isadora Rezende celebrates solo with speech, oath and videos to 22K followers.
Super Viral

Young woman, 21, graduates alone after being ONLY student to pass her course

30 May 2025
Woman shocked as Too Good To Go pizza arrives loose in plastic bag - viral TikTok sparks refund and apology after hygiene concerns over £3.70 order.
World News

Woman ordering £3.70 Too Good To Go bag in hysterics over bizarre pizza ‘packaging’

30 May 2025
Brits were seen sprinting for sunbeds after queuing an hour at a Lanzarote resort, turning a peaceful holiday morning into a hilarious dash for prime poolside spots.
Holidays and Travel

Brits sprint to secure best poolside spots even after queuing for an hour

30 May 2025
Dad-to-be brings TV and Xbox to hospital for birth, sparking backlash on TikTok - but partner reveals it was all to comfort her, not game, during labour stay.
Super Viral

Dad-to-be slammed for bringing own TV and Xbox to labour ward

30 May 2025
//

What’s The Jam is your one stop website for the latest viral and weird news from around the world.

 
Have a story to tell? Hello@whatsthejam.com

Quick Link

  • Customize Interests
  • Bookmarks
  • Write for Us
  • Newsletter
  • About Us

Top Categories

  • UK News
  • World News
  • Latest Videos
  • Lifestyle
  • Super Viral

Sign Up for Our Newsletter

Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!

[mc4wp_form]

What's The JamWhat's The Jam
Follow US
© 2023 What's The Jam. All Rights Reserved.
Go to mobile version
adbanner
AdBlock Detected
Our site is an advertising supported site. Please whitelist to support our site.
Okay, I'll Whitelist
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?