JUMP TO RECIPES

Recently, I acquired some World War II-era magazines from the UK. Reading articles about the war from those in the midst of bomb blasts has been educational. The advertisements, too, are for many brands not known in the USA.

HOVIS and Wheat Germ Flour

Near the back of a 1941 issue, I found a small ad for a product called HOVIS asking, “Have you seen the HOVIS booklet of wartime sandwich suggestions?” Of course, this led to a search for the mysterious HOVIS and wartime sandwich fillings.

It turns out that HOVIS was a manufacturer of flour made for baking bread. Not just any flour, but a flour based on a patented method of including the wheat germ without destroying its nutrient value. Richard “Stoney” Smith developed the ingenious method of steaming wheat germ in a way that made delicious brown bread that wasn’t gritty.

Eventually, there was a contest to name the patent and product, and the name HOVIS (based on the Latin “hominis vis,” “strength of man”) won. The rest is history. HOVIS sold its flour and baking tins specially marked with the company name to bakers throughout the country. The freshly baked loaves arrived in the early morning hours just like the milkman’s deliveries.

Sandwich Suggestions

In 1941, the company donated a Spitfire to the RAF, named Hominis Vis. It also did its part to help those on the home front by producing booklets such as “Sandwich Suggestions for the Shelter.”

I already knew the taste in sandwiches during the 1940s was radically different and more varied than what most of us know today—such as peanut butter with chili sauce, salt and pepper, or bologna with pickle relish, mustard and peanut butter. When the going gets tough, the tough get going with whatever they might have in the cupboard!

A Filling Fit for Christie & Herriot

Not being able to read the HOVIS suggestions, I decided to try a sandwich filling mentioned in Agatha Christie novels from the Yorkshire Dales, otherwise known as “Herriot Country.” Anyone familiar with the beloved vet and author of All Creatures Great and Small will recognize the name.

During the war, potted beef would have been an excellent use of available meat. It could be made using tough cuts of meat. It would have stretched a pound of meat to satisfy appetites throughout the week. It was a great make-ahead option that stored well even without refrigeration (which is not recommended today, however). And, potted beef was a supremely portable food that could be carried to war jobs or even on picnics.

Making Your Own 1940s-Style Sandwiches

After a good bit of research and home trial, I am including here the adaptations I made for wheat germ bread and potted beef. The potted beef recipe is quite adaptable—you could add any seasonings you like to the beef either as it cooks or just before potting it. For example, you could add bouillon, yeast extract, onion or regional ingredients as the beef cooks. Seasonings like salt and pepper, ground clove or other dried spices could be added in the final blending. I chose a very basic version of just salt and pepper, and added a small amount of butter at the end. This is a great make-ahead option for busy weeknights or weekday lunches.

The wheat germ bread is delicious! It makes the kitchen smell heavenly, and the crust is somehow crispy and slightly chewy at the same time while the inside is soft as store-bought white bread. It is a brown bread that is wonderfully tender. One filling combination that works with it is to spread a thin layer of jam or jelly over the bread slices, then add potted beef to one slice and top with the second slice. Another is to spread potted beef on one slice of bread, then top with pickles and a second slice of bread. These are good open-faced, too. The combinations may sound weird but they are good! Which wartime sandwich fillings would you try?

References

Picture Post, Vol. II No. 5. May 3, 1941. London: Hulton Press, Ltd., p. 34.

“You cause the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate, that he may bring forth food from the earth and wine to gladden the heart of man, oil to make his face shine and bread to strengthen man’s heart.”

Psalm 104:14-15