A book written and set in England in the 1930s mentions someone
ordering an orange and adorning it with sugar. Later she spoons juice
out of it. One other person is mentioned as having the same treat.
I'm guessing that the orange is halved and sprinkled with sugar,
because I've often eaten grapefruit that way, with a specially pointed
spoon for extracting the pulp.
The part that makes me hesitate is that the eaters are referred
to as spooning out the juice - just the juice, not the pulp. We
spooned up the grapefruit pulp, then picked up the rind and squeezed
the remaining juice into the spoon.
Does anyone recognize this treat? (I'm inquiring in connection
with a project involving food in literature.)

A R Whitaker wrote:
>
> A book written and set in England in the 1930s mentions someone
> ordering an orange and adorning it with sugar. Later she spoons juice
> out of it. One other person is mentioned as having the same treat.
> I'm guessing that the orange is halved and sprinkled with sugar,
> because I've often eaten grapefruit that way, with a specially pointed
> spoon for extracting the pulp.
> The part that makes me hesitate is that the eaters are referred
> to as spooning out the juice - just the juice, not the pulp. We
> spooned up the grapefruit pulp, then picked up the rind and squeezed
> the remaining juice into the spoon.
> Does anyone recognize this treat? (I'm inquiring in connection
> with a project involving food in literature.)

Are you reading dear Stella's Cold Comfort Farm by any chance? Very
innovative book that, on several counts... I'm sure it's the
conversation in the cafe, in which there is also the first use of the
word 'homosexual' in English literature.

As for the eating of oranges with the spoon, I always felt that the
reference to spooning the juice up meant that they'd eaten the rest of
the orange and there was only juice left. It used to be quite a common
way to eat oranges in 'polite company', like eating pears with a knife
and fork (to which there is a classic reference in Alan Garner's The Owl
Service').
--
Kate XXXXXX
Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons
http://www.diceyhome.free-online.co.uk
Click on Kate's Pages and explore!

Kate Dicey > wrote in message >...
> A R Whitaker wrote:
> > A book written and set in England in the 1930s mentions someone
> > ordering an orange and adorning it with sugar. Later she spoons juice
>>
> Are you reading dear Stella's Cold Comfort Farm by any chance? Very
> innovative book that, on several counts... I'm sure it's the
You're right, that's where I saw it.
> I always felt that the
> reference to spooning the juice up meant that they'd eaten the rest of
> the orange and there was only juice left. It used to be quite a common
> way to eat oranges in 'polite company', like eating pears with a knife
> and fork
Now that you describe it, I'm sure you're right. Cold Comfort
Farm was made into a movie, but I don't recall that particular scene.
Many thanks for the response. Our "literary foods" project goes
forward one more step!

A R Whitaker wrote:


> Many thanks for the response. Our "literary foods" project goes
> forward one more step!


Glad to help! If I think of any more food references, I'll let you
know.
--
Kate XXXXXX
Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons
http://www.diceyhome.free-online.co.uk
Click on Kate's Pages and explore!