A Hearty Tourist Breakfast at Sea: SS Empress of France Menu, 25 October 1949
SS Empress of France Tourist Class Breakfast Menu Card, Tuesday, 25 October 1949. Selections Included Fried Flounder, Smoked Cod, and Broiled Streaky Bacon. | GGA Image ID # 154cd56ad6
🍽 Review & Summary
This Tourist Class breakfast menu aboard the SS Empress of France (Tuesday, 25 October 1949) reflects the practical, hearty style of postwar transatlantic dining. Unlike the elaborate First-Class spreads of earlier decades, this menu is more restrained, yet still diverse enough to satisfy different palates. It balances familiar American-style dishes (corn flakes, bacon, eggs, coffee) with British and Canadian influences (fried flounder, smoked cod in milk, soda scones).
It is clearly a working traveler’s breakfast—straightforward, comforting, and sustaining for a long day at sea.
🍳 Featured Entrées of the Day
Fried Flounder with Lemon – A light but elegant entrée, offering passengers a delicate fish breakfast option, freshened with lemon. This was the refined centerpiece of the day’s menu.
Julienne of Tripe Creole – The most adventurous item listed, prepared with peppers, onions, and Creole seasoning. For those willing to try something unusual, this dish stood out as the chef’s “special.”
Menu Items
Fruits and Juice
- Chilled Grape Fruit
- Apples
- Pineapple Juice
- Compote of Prunes
- Stewed Apples
- Stewed Raisins
Cereals
- Rolled Oats
- Oatmeal Porridge
- Corn Flakes
- Grape Nuts
- Wheat Flakes
- Puffed Wheat
Fish
- Fried Flunder with Lemon
- Smoked Cod in Milk
Eggs and Meats
- Eggs: Boiled, Fried, Turned, Scrambled
- Broiled Streaky Bacon
- Fried Sausages
- Julienne of Tripe Creole
Breads & Scones
- Griddle Cakes with Maple Syrup
- Rolls: White and Brown
- Toast: White, Brown, Raisin
- Muffins: Corn and All Bran
- Soda Scones
Condiments
- Marmalade
- Jams
Beverages
- Tea
- Coffee
- Cocoa
- Nescafé
- Cream
- Milk
⭐ Special & Engaging Items
Smoked Cod in Milk – A traditional British breakfast preparation, comforting but quite foreign to American palates.
Soda Scones – A classic Scottish quick bread, heartier and less sweet than American biscuits.
All Bran Muffins – A nod to health-conscious diners in the postwar era, when “regularity” foods were heavily marketed.
Nescafé – Still a relatively new brand in 1949, representing modern convenience at sea.
📜 Unusual or Potentially Confusing Items for Americans
Julienne of Tripe Creole – Tripe is the stomach lining of cattle, and though commonly eaten in Europe, it would have seemed unusual—even off-putting—to many Americans of 1949. The Creole seasoning added spice, but the base ingredient may have been a curiosity.
Smoked Cod in Milk – While perfectly normal in British kitchens, the idea of serving fish soaked in hot milk might have startled North American travelers used to breakfast bacon and eggs.
Soda Scones – Not the sweet bakery scones that Americans think of today, but a savory quick bread leavened with baking soda.
🥖 Variety & Balance
The menu achieved a practical balance:
Fruits & Juices: Grapefruit, prunes, pineapple juice, stewed apples.
Cereals: Rolled oats, corn flakes, puffed wheat, Grape-Nuts (already a staple brand by 1949).
Fish: Two strong options (flounder, cod) instead of an overwhelming array.
Eggs & Meats: Flexible egg preparations, bacon, sausages, and the tripe Creole for variety.
Breads & Cakes: From raisin toast to corn muffins and griddle cakes with syrup, ensuring both savory and sweet choices.
Beverages: Traditional tea and coffee alongside instant Nescafé, reflecting both old-world rituals and modern convenience.
💡 Engaging Detail
By 1949, Tourist Class had become the most popular transatlantic option, offering solid food and clean accommodations at affordable rates. This menu reflects that balance—no truffles or champagne, but plenty of comfort fare to please a broad audience.
The inclusion of fried fish and tripe shows that the shipping line still took pride in presenting a touch of culinary variety, even outside the luxury of First Class. And the presence of Nescafé—still relatively new after its World War II popularity with Allied troops—marks a cultural shift toward speed and efficiency in food service.
