As we all enjoy the three-day coronation weekend there's been a bombardment of images, recipes, videos, and news of the chosen dish to celebrate the King's crowning. It's a delicacy that has gripped all foodies due to its unique ingredients: the coronation quiche.
A concoction made up of a pastry case that is filled with egg, cheese, spinach, broad beans, and tarragon this dish was supposedly chosen personally by the King and Queen to mark the event. So, obviously, we had to have a go at making it and tasting it for ourselves. Have a read of what we thought here.
However the dish also spurred a lightbulb moment in many a patriot as they realised that coronation chicken, a creamy curry-based recipe that has chicken, sultanas or apricots, and flaked almonds as its main components was a meal created solely off the back of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953. Read more on that here.
So that got us thinking: how many more everyday dishes are there out there that were created for or inspired by a royal? The answer would be that it's more than you may think. With that in mind we've done our research and have scoured history to find some classics that you might be surprised to know have a connection to the royals.
Victoria sponge
This one may seem obvious as Queen Victoria was one of the most prominent queens in our history and until our late Queen Elizabeth II held the record for the longest-reigning monarch in British history having lasted 63 years and 217 days. But the Victoria Sponge was named – or rather renamed – after the final Hanoverian as its origins date back to the 15th century.
It seems the Queen Victoria was historically a great fan of afternoon tea and was particularly fond of a simple sponge. As the recipe for this simple sponge, sometimes known as a sandwich cake for its dual filling of jam and buttercream, evolved with the invention of baking powder in 1856 it was renamed the Victoria sponge to honour the reigning monarch at the time – and it stuck.
Battenberg cake
Another Victorian era delicacy, this pink and yellow checkerboard cake was created to honour the wedding of Queen Victoria's granddaughter, Princess Victoria of Hesse, to Louis of Battenberg in 1884. This cake, consisting of a light sponge with different sections held together by jam and encased in marzipan, was rumoured to be a favourite of the late Queen Elizabeth's too.
Charlotte Russe
A dessert that consists of a Bavarian cream filling that is delicately lined with ladyfingers and finished with maraschino cherries or berries, the Charlotte Russe is named after Queen Charlotte, King George III's wife and the sister-in-law of Czar Alexander I of Russia – hence the addition of Russe in this dessert's title.
Another cake named after this particular queen is also the Charlotte Royale – otherwise known as an 'icebox cake'. A type of bread pudding that can be served both hot and cold, it is made up of a casing made with bread or, if not bread, sponge, biscuits or crumbs, which is then filled with fruit puree or custard.
Margherita pizza
A cheeky comfort dish we all know and love this Neapolitan pizza classic – made up of mozzarella, tomato, and basil – dates back more than 100 years and was created in Naples to commemorate the visit of the Queen of Italy at the time, Margherita of Savoy.
As legend has it this naming occurred after a chef who was enlisted by the Queen to cater for her visit made three pizzas – pizza Napoli, pizza marinara, and pizza margherita. Safe to say the third hit the spot and remains as one of the most delicious treats around.
Beef Wellington
A juicy filet of beef wrapped in flaky pastry is a staple at many a dinner party. But where did its name and recipe come from? Well, according to Gordon Ramsay Restaurants Limited – the dish is a favourite of the revered chef – it is thought that the beef wellington was created in honour of the first Duke of Wellington.
The restaurant group wrote: "It is generally agreed that the dish was created in celebration of the first Duke of Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, and his victory at the Battle of Waterloo on June 18, 1815. The duke was given his title after defeating Napoleon Bonaparte the year before and not long after he became Prime Minister. Such an iconic character needed immortalising, so (naturally) they named a pastry ensconced beef dish after him."
The classic sandwich
Okay, not technically a royal, but it is thought to have been invented by the earl of a town in England called Sandwich – John Montagu. As the story goes in 1762 John Montagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich, "was playing cards and did not want to leave the gaming table to eat – he asked for a serving of roast beef to be placed between two slices of bread so he could eat with his hands." And so the term sandwich – eating meat or vegetables between two slices of bread – was established.
Bloody Mary
Okay, we know this isn't a dish...but it's a delicious brunch-favourite cocktail whose origin theories link back to a certain Tudor queen: Mary Tudor, Queen of England and Spain in the 1500s and otherwise known as Bloody Mary. She got that delightful nickname after persecuting her protestant opponents and burning them at the stake. It's thought this cocktail is named after her due to its red colour – thanks to the tomato juice – although there are many other stories that are pretty legitimate contenders.
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