Victorian era appetizers were greatly influenced by the season and the place. The food was cooked according to the season and the place. Much of the food was supplied from the indigenous plants and animals. The food was also stored for future use. During the Victorian era, very simple methods of cooking food were employed.
The Victorian era started in 1830, during the reign of Queen Victoria. During the Victorian era, the food that was being served at the weddings was served on the silver platters with lace, orange flowers, and green leaves.
Dutch ovens, frying pans, boiling pots and roasting spits were some of the vessels which were traditionally employed for the purpose of cooking. The range of appetizers grew with the passage of time. The main reason for the same was the improvements in housing and transportation system which enabled a great variety of food to be prepared in a more traditional way.
The menu for each day was almost decided. The breakfast was served between 8-9 am. It mainly consisted of corn bread, cold bread, stew and boiled eggs. This menu was almost fixed to be served on Mondays. During the Victorian era, dinner was considered as the most important meal of the day. It was usually served between noon and three.
Tea was served in the evening. It was regarded as a very light meal. During the Victorian era, tea was often considered as the supper and was mostly served before retiring. Desert was served mostly post dinner and before tea. It comprised mostly of puddings, pie, custards, stewed fruit, and cheesecake.
The vegetables during the Victorian era normally included the spinach (with hard boiled egg slices on top), potatoes (boiled, fricasseed), corn pudding, peas, boiled cauliflower and stewed carrots. Beverages included hot chocolate, coffee, tea, fruit wines and cordials, ale, shrub; rum etc. soups also formed an important part of the menu during the Victorian era. Many varieties of soups were available. Most common amongst them were pepper pot, pea, oyster etc.