This Vintage Dessert Was One Of The Last Eaten On The Titanic

The story of the RMS Titanic's final hours before it sank in the Atlantic Ocean has captivated society for decades. Movies have been made and books have been written highlighting the people who set sail on this ship's maiden voyage. However, what people ate and drank on the Titanic that fateful April night is equally intriguing, including the peaches in Chartreuse jelly dessert served to first-class passengers. It may sound like haute couture, and during this post-Victorian era, it was. But it might surprise you to learn it was nothing more than boozy Jell-O and fruit.

This sweet, which capped off an 11-course meal, was quite the centerpiece. It was prepared by poaching peaches to remove the skins before soaking them in a hot syrup seasoned with sugar and warm spices. Their texture was soft but not mushy so they could be sliced up and added to the jelly before it was completely set. 

The jelly was made using gelatin and Chartreuse, a monks-made French liqueur renowned for its vibrant green color. Aside from its unforgettable hue, Chartreuse has a taste that is herby and peppery and may give your tongue notes of mint and bittersweet tea.

The peaches in Chartreuse jelly dish served aboard the Titanic is not necessarily labor-intensive to make. It's actually quite easy; however, it does require a significant amount of time to allow the jelly to set in its mold, which can take anywhere from eight hours to a full day. If you want to recreate it for your next viewing of James Cameron's "Titanic," plan ahead. When it was made for the first class diners, this jiggly dish would have been presented in a grand manner, as would have been expected. But don't feel limited to a mold when you make yours. Individual servings can be quite elegant. Serve it with Italian meringue or ice cream for a velvety, creamy addition, and garnish with edible flowers or Nilla wafers for a crunchy element. This is a peach recipe worth trying before summer ends.

What else did the elite nosh on? While the Titanic's last meal consisted of multiple courses, according to The New York Times, historians note that these meals would typically take four to five hours to consume. To create this final feast, more than 100 cooks, a dozen pastry chefs, and five butchers were on hand to prepare it. Other dessert offerings served that night the unsinkable ship sank included Waldorf pudding, chocolate and vanilla eclairs, and French vanilla ice cream. And for those who had any room left, they could sip on coffee, port, cordial, or smoke a cigar.