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INTERNATIONAL: SEA AND OCEAN DISASTERS: Part 1 - Hindenburg Dining and Menus
MENUS and PHOTOS AT BOTTOM
Cooking aboard the Hindenburg
presented a unique set of challenges. Of course, when dealing with an enormous
balloon full of highly flammable gas, open flames were strictly forbidden. The
galley of the ship was fully electric, from stoves to ovens. A head chef had a
team of five assistants to help with all the duties of serving three meals a
day to a hungry crew of 60 along with the 40 or so passengers. Roughly 440
pounds of meat and poultry were brought aboard, along with 800 eggs and 40
gallons of milk, among other supplies. Even though the average Zeppelin voyage
only lasted three days, extra food was carried, in case of delays due to storms
or other dangerous weather conditions.
No breakfast menus exist for
the Hindenburg trips, as voyagers dined on the now-ubiquitous “Continental”
style breakfasts—a spread of pastries, eggs, meats and fruits. As both German
and American passengers flew on the ship, breakfast eggs could be prepared in
two ways: soft-boiled in the shell for Germans, scrambled or fried for the
Americans. Bread was baked freshly every day. Lunch and dinner had proper
menus, so we know exactly what the passengers ate. Travelers on the airship
were well-heeled, well-traveled individuals, often sports or film stars or
leaders in the increasingly powerful Nazi government. As such, they dined on a
glamorous mix of French, German and English cuisine. Lunch was always a first
course of soup or salad (different types of consommé were especially popular),
followed by some kind of roast meat with a couple of vegetable sides, a tart or
cake and coffee. On the ill-fated last day of the final trip, lunch was English
style roast beef with turnips, stuffed tomatoes and roast potatoes, with a
French-style rice pudding for dessert.
Dinner was more elaborate,
with separate fish and cheese courses added to the proceedings. Halibut with
mousseline sauce and roast capon were on the menu for the final dinner, along
with traditional German pumpernickel and rye breads.
The Hindenburg had its own wine cellar, full of bottles of German Rieslings and
Mozelles. And for after dinner drinks, the ship featured a fully stocked,
elaborately decorated bar, directly next to the most popular room on the ship:
the smoking parlor. How did they get away with a smoking section on a hydrogen
ship, you might ask? The room had a double door airlock, and was kept
pressurized at a higher level than the rest of the ship to keep flammable
hydrogen from entering the room. The bartender’s main job wasn’t just pouring
cocktails – he was also the first line of defense for the ship in case any
tipsy passengers wandered in with flaming cigarettes!
About the Menus (photos were difficult to find so I did my best to replicate)
Tuesday, May 4th, 1937
Mittagessen (Lunch)
Kraftbrühe Gutenberg (Consommé Gutenberg)
~~~
~~~
Englische Hochrippe (English Prime Ribs of Beef Kohlrabigemüse with Young Turnips)
Gefüllte Tomaten (Stuffed Tomato)
Pflaumenkartoffel (Plum Potatoes)
~~~
Richelieu Pudding (Richelieu Pudding)
~~~
Mokka (Demi-Tasse)
Abendessen (Dinner)
Legierte Cremesuppe (Cream Soup)
~~~
Frischer Schweizinger (Fresh Whole Swiss
Stangenspargel mit rohrem Schinken – zerl. Asparagus with Smoked Westphalian Ham & Melted Butter)
Stangenspargel mit rohrem Schinken – zerl. Asparagus with Smoked Westphalian Ham & Melted Butter)
~~~
Farciertes Kalbskotelette (Veal Cutlet Farci
mit Malta Kartoffeln with Malta Potatoes)
mit Malta Kartoffeln with Malta Potatoes)
Gurkensalat in Sahnen-Marinade (Cucumber Salad in Cream Sauce)
~~~
Gemischtes Kompott (Mixed Compote)
Wednesday, May 5th, 1937
Mittagessen (Lunch)
Kraftbrühe Germinal (Consommé Germinal)
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Junter Lammbraten (Roast Lamb with Prinzessbohnen (with Princess Beans)
Bäckerinkartoffel (Baker’s Potatoes)
Kopfsalat (Lettuce Salad)
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Diplomaten-Crème (Diplomat Crème)
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Mokka (Demi-Tasse)
Abendessen (Dinner)
Tapiokasuppe mit Gemüsestreifen (Tapioca Soup with Julienne Vegetables)
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Heilbuttschnitte gekocht (Boiled Halibut)
Mouseline Tunke (Mousseline Sauce)
Salzkartoffel (Salted Potatoes)
~~~
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Brüssler Mastpoularde mir Gemüse (Capon a’la Brussels with Mixed Vegetables)
~~~
Gemischte Käseplatte (Assorted Cheese Platter)
Pumpernickel-Knäckebrot (Pumpernickel Crisp Bread)
Westfälisches Schwarzbrot (Westfalian Dark Rye Bread)
Capon or chicken with mixed vegetables
Tapioca Soup with Julienne Vegetables (modern version not using julienned veggies)
Mokka
Cucumber Salad in Cream Sauce
Assorted Cheese Platter
Baker’s Potatoes
Diplomat Crème
Boiled Halibut
Pumpernickel Crisp Bread
Westfalian Dark Rye Bread
Consommé Gutenberg
Stuffed Tomato
Fresh Whole Swiss Asparagus with Smoked Westphalian Ham & Melted Butter
Consommé Germinal
Roast Lamb with Princess Beans
Richelieu Pudding
Mousseline Sauce
Cream Soup
Veal Cutlet Farci
Mixed Compote
