10 First-Class Dishes Served On The Titanic & 10 Disappointing Ones Offered In Third Class

Dining on the Titanic

The Titanic was a historically significant ship, but also an exceptionally interesting dining space as well. From elegant French food to the lackluster meals in third class, it’s fascinating to see how much food on this great ship varied. With that in mind, here are 10 delicacies served to the richest diners, and 10 unfortunate ones offered up to the peasants.

Delicious meal with drink and some appetizers. Jennifer Burk on Unsplash

1. Oxford Marmalade

Produced in Oxford by Frank Cooper, Oxford Marmalade was a rich, high-class preserve popular with wealthy diners. It was enjoyed by many of Titanic's first-class passengers and is another preserve said to have been on board. The product's wide distribution was helped by the high speed of the railway links of the time, with direct connections to Liverpool and the White Star Line, a luxury brand and key ingredient to support its rich and distinctive flavor.

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2. Findon Haddock

Findon Haddock is a lightly cold-smoked fish that came from Findon near Aberdeen. It was considered a first-class dish on the Titanic. The flavor of the smoke, using peat and a variety of green woods, provided a rich and unique taste for the haddock and was much enjoyed by passengers.

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3. Vienna and Graham Rolls

Vienna and Graham rolls were baked fresh daily on board Titanic. Vienna rolls, which were round with a five-pointed pattern on top, were crusty. Graham rolls, made with Graham flour, had a hearty, nutty flavor. Both of these fresh breads added to the opulent dining experience in first class.

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4. Salmon, Mousseline Sauce, Cucumber

The first-class salmon with mousseline sauce and cucumber was very delicate. Mousseline sauce consists of mayonnaise, whipped aspic, and cream. This sauce gave the salmon a juicy and silky texture. Thinly sliced cucumber had a refreshing taste that cut through the creaminess of the salmon.

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5. Sauté of Chicken Lyonnaise

The chicken was tender and braised in a rich tomato sauce. There was the added sweetness from the Portuguese onions. Chopped parsley was sprinkled on top, adding a fresh finish to the dish.

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6. Punch Romaine

This was a Roman-style punch that was served to cleanse the palate. The chilled lemon water was frothed up with whipped egg whites and lightly flavored with rum. Today's recipes often add Champagne, but the White Star Line's 1911 original recipe called for none, in order to keep the drink light and crisp.

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7. Pâté de Foie Gras

Pâté de Foie Gras that was on the first-class menu of the Titanic consisted of slices of goose liver. It was served in a mold of aspic that gave the dish its chilled, jellied texture. The buttery flavor made for a smooth mouth-feel. It was quintessentially a fine dining dish.

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8. Éclairs

Chocolate & Vanilla Éclairs were first-class standard menu desserts. The pastry was filled with custard and real vanilla pods, rather than the whipped or double cream we are more likely to use today. The resulting éclair combined crisp light pastry with smooth vanilla-flavored custard, topped with sweet chocolate.

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9. Chartreuse Jelly

Peaches in Chartreuse Jelly was a first-class dessert on the Titanic. It was served in a decorative mold and lined with slices of fresh peaches. The filling was a sweet peach marmalade jelly.

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10. Filet Mignons

Filet Mignons Lili was an elaborate first-class dish served on the Titanic. Tender filet mignon, served in wine butter sauce, was topped with a slice of pâté de foie gras and garnished with truffles. It was served over a bed of Pommes Anna.

Now that we talked about some of the delectable foods in first class, here are 10 offerings from third class.

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1. Oatmeal and Porridge

A very common dish for a passenger in third class was oatmeal and porridge. Oatmeal or porridge was a hot, filling, comforting dish. It was a common, cheap, and plain dish compared to the extravagant food from first class.

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2. Bread and Butter

Fresh bread and butter was one of the simpler dishes served to steerage passengers on the Titanic. This filling and familiar meal was a simple staple that was much less refined or diverse than the food served in first class on the ship.

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3. Rice Soup

Rice soup was a simple, bland food served to third-class passengers on the Titanic. Consisting of little more than rice boiled in water or broth, it provided warmth and some basic nourishment, but little flavor or substance. The rice soup, like the no-frills steerage meals in general, was a world away from the extravagant food served in first class.

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4. Cabin Biscuits

Cabin biscuits were the third-class staple onboard the Titanic, but they were no gourmet treat. Hard, dry, and difficult to chew, these dense, heavy crackers were designed to be durable rather than tasty.

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5. Coffee

Coffee was one of the usual items for third-class passengers on the Titanic. It was generally poor and weak, often so diluted as to be watery and so bitter as to taste unpleasant. Rations were small, so it was at best a mild stimulant, and at least it was hot.

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6. Gruel

Gruel is a thin porridge made by boiling a cereal in water. It was among the plainest of the food that was served to third-class passengers on the Titanic. Flavorless and without substance, it was filling, if not nourishing. It represented the extreme contrast between first-class and steerage meals.

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7. Cheese

Cheese was a simple source of protein available to the third-class passengers. Served plain and unaccompanied, it was an unexciting alternative to the many courses available to those dining upstairs.

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8. Pickles

Pickles would have added a tangy, acidic flavor to the otherwise very plain fare in Titanic's third class. Served as small portions, pickles would have been a way to punctuate long stretches of bread, biscuits, and simple food. Pickles were not luxurious, but they did add variety to the table.

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9. Sweet Corn

Sweet corn was one of the easier vegetables served to the third-class passengers on the Titanic. It was often boiled and unsalted, providing a bland but nutritious and filling side dish to the meals. It wasn't anything like the fine cuisine the first-class passengers were served, but sweet corn added a bit of sweetness to an otherwise bland diet.

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10. Brown Gravy

Brown gravy was served with a number of third-class meals on the Titanic. This gravy, made from the drippings of cooked meat, was thin, simple, and had a hearty flavor. As such, it was a bland and unremarkable accompaniment to meat and potatoes, but added some warmth and comfort to the unembellished fare.

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