I’ve been reading a book set during Poland during World War II, and it periodically mentions “artificial honey” as something the characters were either eating or trading for other food. But honey wasn’t the only facsimile food, also listed are coffee, gravy, and puddings. Food was likely scarce for some during those times, and what of it there was was likely going to the frontlines. I just wonder what some of these substitutes were made of and how close they actually tasted to the real thing. Honey seems like a hard flavor to fake.
Doing a google search, I came across a modern recipe for fake honey that includes: Maltitol Syrup (a manmade sugar), Natural and Artificial Flavor (whatever they may be), Acesulfame K (an artificial sweetener), and Malic Acid (factory made). Is this the same honey they were rationing during WW2?
Acesulfame k hadn’t been invented yet, so I think that’s out. Many of these “manmade” items are only slight alterations or synthetic versions of naturally available compounds. I find several cites for honey replacing white sugar, and I have heard of (but find no recipes) for using molasses to make a honey substitute.
I found several recipes in"Dick’s Encyclopedia of Practical Receipts and Processes." They involve sugar, cream of tartar and various essential oils derived from plants[rose,peppermint] Somecall for the addition of real honey to the sugar solution, I suppose, to add the nuanced flavors that only real honey can provide.
I have a couple of books about food rationing in wartime Britain and there are many examples of ‘mock’ foods (for example ‘mock banana pie’ which was made IIRC mostly from parsnips poached in milk) I can’t remember any reference to honey, but as a lot of this would not have been imported anyway, so might not have been quite so scarce here as some other foods.
I’ve heard of fake honey being made from sugar syrup flavoured with Meadowsweet ( http://www.purplesage.org.uk/profiles/meadowsweet.htm ) flowers - another name for which is ‘Meadwort’, and although ‘mead’ is an archaic word for ‘meadow’, where this plant commonly grows, there is apparently also some indication that in the context of this plant it also refers to the flavour of honey (mead also being the name of an alcoholic drink made from honey). But I don’t think it has been used in commercial production.
Roasted Chicory root was used as a coffee substitute in Europe. Before instant coffee was created there was bottled Coffee and Chicory Essence in square dark bottles with a Moorish character and a camel on the label. I think it is still available.
BTW, I have made ersatz coffee myself from roasted dandelion roots and it is fantastic - better than real coffee, IMO (although obviously not more like coffee than coffee itself, just more enjoyable in terms of flavours and aromas) - makes you pee like a racehorse though.
Yup, this was the usual “ersatz” coffee used during WWII in Germany. The colloquial name for this fake coffee was “Muckefuck”, by the way. You can still by chicory coffee in Germany nowadays.