# hardtack and salt beef **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 27, 2020, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardtack-and-salt-beef/850398 "2020-03-27T03:55:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardtack-and-salt-beef/850398/1 "2020-03-27T03:55:02Z")
There are a lot of Tall Ship sailings, and some try to recreate the garb, duties etc of the days of Wooden ships and iron men. But do any of them try to feed the crew on hardtack, salt beef, peas, etc? ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardtack-and-salt-beef/850398/2 "2020-03-27T12:26:26Z")
I dunno, but those SCA types are nuts. You can see the popularity of the grog (rum, bad water, and lime juice) ration. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardtack-and-salt-beef/850398/3 "2020-03-27T19:04:43Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > There are a lot of Tall Ship sailings, and some try to recreate the garb, duties etc of the days of Wooden ships and iron men. > > But do any of them try to feed the crew on hardtack, salt beef, peas, etc? If they did, I imagine it wouldn’t be quite the same as the real thing (nobody wants to suffer constipation or scurvy.) They’d probably add some fiber to the tack, maybe take Vitamin C supplements on the side. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardtack-and-salt-beef/850398/4 "2020-03-27T19:17:39Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > If they did, I imagine it wouldn’t be quite the same as the real thing (nobody wants to suffer constipation or scurvy.) They’d probably add some fiber to the tack, maybe take Vitamin C supplements on the side. Well, the peas will add fiber and even a tiny bit of vitamin C, but yes, I’d imagine they’d have supplements. Maybe Lime cocktails? ---
**Author:** ![CelticKnot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/celticknot/32/3392_2.png) [@CelticKnot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CelticKnot)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardtack-and-salt-beef/850398/5 "2020-03-27T20:27:54Z")
Does anyone else have “Cheeseburger In Paradise” running through their head after reading this? “Warm beer and bread They said could raise the dead Well it reminds me of a menu At a Holiday Inn…” ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardtack-and-salt-beef/850398/6 "2020-03-27T21:49:25Z")
> [@CelticKnot](#): > > Does anyone else have “Cheeseburger In Paradise” running through their head after reading this? > > “Warm beer and bread > They said could raise the dead > Well it reminds me of a menu > At a Holiday Inn…” Yeah, but it has “sailors need meat” and jeebus, those Iron men gots lots of meat. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardtack-and-salt-beef/850398/7 "2020-03-27T21:53:58Z")
> [@](#): > > hardtack, salt beef, peas **makes note on COVID shopping list** ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardtack-and-salt-beef/850398/8 "2020-03-27T22:23:57Z")
> [@susan](#): > > **makes note on COVID shopping list** Shackleton also took some sugar, salt, nut bars, powdered milk, and Bovril. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardtack-and-salt-beef/850398/9 "2020-03-27T22:49:17Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > Shackleton also took some sugar, salt, nut bars, powdered milk, and Bovril. Alas that I have no seal oil to mix with these! ---
**Author:** ![Backwater\_Under\_Duck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ba8739/32.png) [@Backwater\_Under\_Duck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Backwater_Under_Duck)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2020, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardtack-and-salt-beef/850398/10 "2020-03-28T01:40:39Z")
Naw, it would be Slim Jims and saltine crackers. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2020, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardtack-and-salt-beef/850398/11 "2020-03-28T03:29:05Z")
The Purity Bakery in Newfoundland still makes and sells hardtack, and “fish and brewis” was still regular one most household menus, including my mother-in-law, although it’s been some years now. > **[Why We Do it: Hard Tack Bread | The Overcast](https://theovercast.ca/why-we-do-it-hard-tack-bread/)** > > What is up with Newfoundlanders and hard tack bread: Terri Coles explores where it came from and more. ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2020, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardtack-and-salt-beef/850398/12 "2020-03-28T13:57:22Z")
Pardon my ignorance, but what is SCA? ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![Alpha\_Twit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpha_twit/32/265_2.png) [@Alpha\_Twit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpha_Twit)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2020, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardtack-and-salt-beef/850398/13 "2020-03-28T14:13:27Z")
> [@VOW](#): > > Pardon my ignorance, but what is SCA? > ~VOW [The Society for Creative Anachronism](http://socsen.sca.org/what-is-the-sca/) I’m guessing is the organization being referenced. The SCA groups I’ve seen must be relative lightweights. One of their groups hits the area and pizza deliveries skyrocket. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2020, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardtack-and-salt-beef/850398/14 "2020-03-28T16:37:51Z")
> [@Alpha\_Twit](#): > > [The Society for Creative Anachronism](http://socsen.sca.org/what-is-the-sca/) I’m guessing is the organization being referenced. > > The SCA groups I’ve seen must be relative lightweights. One of their groups hits the area and pizza deliveries skyrocket. Yeah, they vary, but the SCA certainly can do a entire event with period 'feasting" I have done it. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2020, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardtack-and-salt-beef/850398/15 "2020-03-28T19:04:08Z")
How long has the SCA been around? IIRC, I first heard of them in the early 1970’s. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2020, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardtack-and-salt-beef/850398/16 "2020-03-28T19:13:04Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > How long has the SCA been around? IIRC, I first heard of them in the early 1970’s. From Alpha Twit’s link: > [@](#): > > The SCA started in 1966 when a few friends who were history buffs and science fiction/fantasy fans hosted a big outdoor party in Berkeley, California. The invitation stated that a Tournament would be held on the first of May, summoning “all knights to defend in single combat the title of ‘fairest’ for their ladies.” ---
**Author:** ![RioRico](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@RioRico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RioRico)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2020, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hardtack-and-salt-beef/850398/17 "2020-03-29T19:34:55Z")
There’s a reason they were called “scurvy naves”. Modern enactors hopefully drink strong citrus margaritas.