Okay so yesterday I got this wild idea after watchin' some old black-n-white cooking show clip online. Wondered – how different was grub back in the 1930s versus the stuff we wolf down today? Like, which one's actually… better? Ugh, so many questions. Had to actually try this myself.
The Deep Dive Into Old Cookbooks
First thing – hunt down what people really ate back then. Hopped online but man, old recipes are weird. Everything measured in "cups of butter" or "lard the size of an egg." Seriously? Went down a rabbit hole for hours digging through archive scans. Found this basic 1930s family dinner plan:
- Stew (cheap cut of beef, potatoes, carrots, onions – simmered for like 3 hours)
- Homemade Bread (just flour, water, yeast, salt)
- Boiled Cabbage (yup… just boiled cabbage)
- Milk (whole, obviously)
Simple. Brutally simple. Also… kinda dull? But okay, challenge accepted.
Tracking Down Weird Ingredients & Actually Cooking
Hit the grocery store for the 1930s menu. Grabbed the cheapest beef chuck I could find – it looked tough as shoe leather. Flour, yeast for the bread… easy enough. Cabbage? Check. Whole milk? Got it. The weird part? How few things were actually in the cart. Like, 10 items max, including basics. Felt weird not tossing in snacks or sauces.
Back home, the real fun started. That stew needed constant watching. Stirring so it wouldn't stick, skimming fat. Meanwhile, made the bread dough – kneaded it til my arms felt like noodles. Let it rise forever. Boiling the cabbage? Sniffed up the whole kitchen with that kinda… wet sock smell? Ugh. Started cooking at like 4pm. Sat down to eat after 7pm. Starved. And sweaty.
The modern meal? Total opposite. Grabbed stuff for:
- Pre-marinated Chicken Breast (just pop it in the oven)
- Microwaveable Rice Packets (90 seconds, boom)
- Bagged Salad Mix (dump in bowl, add dressing)
- Vitamin Water
Checkout was fast. Cooking? Almost non-existent. Oven on for the chicken, nuke the rice, dump the salad. Less than 20 minutes start to finish. Felt almost… guilty? Like, is this even cooking?
The Eating Test (& Sticker Shock)
Tasted them both back-to-back. No fancy plating, just honest chow.
1930s Plate: That stew meat? Chewy. Really chewy. Needed serious jaw work. But the broth was crazy rich – real beef flavor punched ya. Bread? Crust was good, inside kinda dense but tasted… honest? Like just flour and effort. Cabbage? Blah. Just wet cabbage. Milk? Filled ya up fast. Overall? Heavy, filling, simple flavors. Felt like it stuck to your ribs forever. But man, my stomach felt… solid afterwards.
Modern Plate: Chicken? Tender, sure. Flavored alright (that pre-made sauce did the work). Rice? Fine, fluffy. Salad? Crispy, dressing tasted zippy. Vitamin Water? Sweet and fruity. Everything tasted… distinct. Easy to eat. Light. Stomach didn't groan after. But honestly? Felt kinda… hollow? Like, where was the oomph?
Biggest shock? The cost. Added up the receipts later. Pound of cheap beef stew meat, flour, yeast, cabbage? Under $10 for the whole 1930s dinner. That one pre-marinated chicken breast? Almost $6 just by itself! Modern meal cost like $18 total. Felt ripped off.
The Aftermath & My Gut Reaction
Alright, verdict time? It’s messy. 1930s wins on cost and feeling full for hours. That meat and bread combo? Serious fuel. But the effort? Ugh. Hours lost. And the taste – basic, sometimes boring (RIP my tastebuds eating plain cabbage). Modern wins on speed and convenience, big time. Flavors were brighter, more variety on the plate. But costs way more, doesn't stick with ya, and honestly? That plastic rice pouch felt kinda… sad.
My stomach basically said: The old stuff felt like real food, slow and heavy. The modern stuff felt like… fast fuel. Light but forgettable. Which is "best"? Depends! Need fuel and got time and pennies? Go old school. Need speed and flash? Modern wins. But honestly? Neither felt perfect. Then my stomach was like… "Can I have pizza now instead?"
