the essential
During the occupation, many products were rationed. On the occasion of Heritage Days, the Deportation Museum showed what daily life was like during wartime.
Heritage is not just about buildings, even if they are very beautiful. Heritage is also memory, and the Deportation Museum has not failed in offering, in addition to its permanent exhibition (and a very interesting temporary exhibition on “Homosexuality and Deportation”), an evocation of daily life in times of war. And as always, the first concern is food, some products are no longer accessible, most are rationed. “There were ration cards differentiated according to age and sex, a child was entitled to 100 g of bread per day, a forced worker to 250 g,” reveals Camille, the museum manager, in front of a captivated audience. “We had to be creative and use common sense.” Understand, replace everyday products with ersatz. Thus, sugar gave way to saccharin, cabbages and potatoes were compensated by rutabagas or Jerusalem artichokes.
The Bread “War”
And what was most lacking was bread. It was rationed, when there was some, and even then, it was black bread, made from buckwheat or corn. Two flours that were also used to make “pastries”, made for the occasion “as in the old days”, by the central kitchen, buckwheat truffle, which looks like chocolate, but without the taste, pastet… Not disgusting, a bit filling, but when you eat it every day, eventually… Meat? It is also rare, and it is the development of the famous Kub broth… And inevitably, the diet is deficient. “It is estimated that for an adult, 2,400 calories/day are needed, the ration tickets issued by the Vichy government barely reached 1,300 calories.” And again, when the products were available…
So, we had to be creative, with forgotten recipes that can be found in the cookbooks published by Sylvie Campech.
Music, despite everything
And then, in times of war, we need to “escape” from time to time, and although forbidden, musette balls were still held, discreetly, in country barns, or in city courtyards. To evoke these timeless moments, it was the Accordion Club of Lourdes that offered to perform a few waltzes and other pasos. Because music soothes the soul, and in wartime tempos, we really need it…
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