In January 1940, the British government introduced food rationing. The scheme was designed to ensure fair shares for all at a time of national shortage. The Ministry of Food was responsible for overseeing rationing. Every man, woman and child was given a ration book with coupons. These were required before rationed goods could be purchased.

Basic foodstuffs such as sugar, meat, fats, bacon and cheese were directly rationed by an allowance of coupons. Housewives had to register with particular retailers. A number of other items, such as tinned goods, dried fruit, cereals and biscuits, were rationed using a points system. The number of points allocated changed according to availability and consumer demand. Priority allowances of milk and eggs were given to those most in need, including children and expectant mothers.

The British government promoted vegetable patches as a way of reducing reliance on food imports while also improving the nation’s overall health. Since ‘war demands better physique and health than peace’, officials were convinced of the need to effect fundamental changes in the nation’s eating habits.

In this video, Dan Snow experiences some of the food options for those on the home front in Britain during the Second World War.

First on the menu is some good ol' spam essentially a brand of salty processed canned pork. He then tries some bread and powdered eggs, a less than impressive substitute for normal eggs, which were considered a luxury if you didn't have hens at home.

Next, Dan tastes another, quite frankly, grim substitute dripping. This was a flavourful fat that is rendered from cooked beef and was used as a spread on bread.

After trying some disgusting pig's trotters, Dan finishes off his ration tasting with a "fake" apricot flan (actually made with carrots sweetened with jam).

Do you think you could have got by eating these rations? Let us know in the comments.

Discover the past on History Hit with adfree exclusive podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsely, Mary Beard and more. Watch, listen and read history wherever you are, whenever you want it. Available on all devices: Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, Android TV, Samsung Smart TV, Roku, Xbox, Chromecast, and iOs & Android.

We're offering a special discount to History Hit for our subscribers, get 50% off your first 3 months with code YOUTUBE: http://www.access.historyhit.com/

#historyhit #worldwartwo #rations #dansnow