Paris Siege Menu: A Christmas Dinner That Shouldn’t Exist
It was Christmas Day, 1870.
Snow quietly blanketed the streets of Paris, and inside an elegant restaurant, chandeliers glowed warmly over polished silverware. Guests sat down expecting a festive meal—something refined, something comforting.
But when they opened the menu, what they found was anything but familiar.
Stuffed donkey’s head.
Elephant consommé.
Kangaroo stew.
Roasted cat… served with rats.
It sounds like fiction. But this was not imagination—it was reality during the Siege of Paris.
In this article, we’ll walk through how one of the world’s most sophisticated culinary capitals was pushed to the brink, and how war transformed survival into something strangely theatrical, even grotesque.
1. The Siege Begins: Starving a City into Submission
The story begins with the Franco-Prussian War in 1870.
After a series of defeats, including the capture of Emperor Napoleon III, Paris found itself completely surrounded by Prussian forces. The strategy was simple but brutal:
Cut off all supplies—and wait.
No food. No trade. No communication.
Nearly 2 million people were trapped inside the city.
At first, officials tried to prepare. Livestock was gathered in public parks, and food was stockpiled. But the math didn’t work.
Eventually, the supplies ran out.
And that’s when things started to change.
2. From Beef to Horses… and Then to Pets
At the beginning, Parisians ate what they normally would—beef, pork, lamb.
But those disappeared quickly.
Next came horses.
Over 65,000 horses were slaughtered during the siege. What had once been transportation became food. Blood was used for puddings, meat for stews.
Then came donkeys and mules.
And eventually, even that wasn’t enough.
So people turned to their pets.
Dogs and cats were sold openly in butcher shops. In fact, authorities required labels to prevent fraud—ensuring people knew exactly what they were buying.
Cat meat was even nicknamed “rooftop rabbit.”
A dark joke… in a very dark time.
3. The Rise of Rat Meat: Survival Turns Into Luxury
Here’s where things take a strange turn.
As food became scarce, one animal remained abundant: rats.
At first, they were simply survival food. But soon, something unexpected happened—rat meat became expensive.
Not cheap. Not desperate.
Expensive.
Price Comparison During the Siege
| Food Item | Approx. Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Dog/Cat Meat | 20–40 centimes per pound | Often disguised as other meats |
| Fat Rat (dead) | ~50 centimes each | Considered a delicacy |
| Live Rat | ~1 franc each | Higher price due to freshness |
| Crow | ~5 francs each | Alternative poultry |
Wealthy Parisians began serving rat dishes in upscale settings. One famous preparation was a stew cooked in a rich sauce—presented like a gourmet meal.
Meanwhile, ordinary citizens stood in long lines just hoping for scraps.
Same city. Same siege. Completely different realities.
4. The Zoo Becomes the Pantry
By December, even more drastic measures were taken.
The Paris zoo ran out of food.
And so, the animals themselves became food.
Elephants. Kangaroos. Antelope. Wolves.
One of the most shocking moments involved two beloved elephants named Castor and Pollux. They were sold to a butcher for 27,000 francs—a massive sum at the time.
Elephant Meat Pricing
| Cut | Price Range |
|---|---|
| General Elephant Meat | 10–14 francs per pound |
| Elephant Trunk (premium) | 40–45 francs per pound |
Yes—elephant trunk was considered a luxury ingredient.
Even in starvation, hierarchy remained.
5. The Famous Christmas Menu at Café Voisin
On December 25, 1870, one restaurant became legendary: Café Voisin.
Its chef created a six-course Christmas menu using whatever exotic meats were available.
Christmas Menu Highlights
| Course | Dish |
|---|---|
| Starter | Stuffed donkey’s head |
| Soup | Elephant consommé |
| Main | Roast camel (English style) |
| Main | Kangaroo stew |
| Roast | Bear ribs with pepper sauce |
| Specialty | Roasted cat with rats |
| Cold Dish | Antelope terrine with truffles |
It was bizarre. It was disturbing.
And yet, it was served with fine wine.
Some praised it as culinary resilience. Others saw it as absurd denial—a performance masking the reality of suffering.
6. What This Story Really Means
This isn’t just a strange historical anecdote.
It’s a reflection of how war reshapes society.
When survival is threatened, norms collapse. But interestingly, inequality doesn’t disappear—it becomes even more visible.
Even in starvation:
- The poor searched for scraps
- The rich dined on “exotic” delicacies
And yet, there’s another layer to this story.
Humans adapt. Quickly.
What once seemed unthinkable became normal. Even refined.
And that’s both fascinating… and a little unsettling.
Whenever we talk about war and extreme economic crises,
a simple but unsettling question often comes to mind.
“What would happen to the price of something as basic as instant ramen if a war broke out today?”
At first, it sounds hypothetical.
But history has already answered this question—more than once.
During periods of war combined with severe inflation,
the prices of basic food items didn’t just rise slightly—
they skyrocketed, sometimes increasing dozens or even hundreds of times.
So in this article, we go beyond historical storytelling and ask:
War Inflation: How a $1 Pack of Ramen Can Turn Into $1,000
A complete guide to survival pricing and the worst inflation in history.
Through this lens, we’ll explore not just the past,
but a possible economic reality we might face again.
Paris Siege Menu Kori’s Take
When I first read about this, I couldn’t shake the image.
Outside—freezing streets, people struggling to survive.
Inside—chandeliers, wine glasses, and elephant meat.
It makes you realize something simple.
A normal meal… is actually a luxury.
And peace?
That’s the real privilege.
References
- Wikipedia – Siege of Paris (1870–1871)
- Atlas Obscura – Dining on zoo animals
- The Spectator – Christmas during the siege
- Mental Floss – Food shortages in wartime Paris
- Encyclopedia Britannica | Britannica
Paris Siege Menu Q&A
Q1. Was rat meat really expensive during the siege?
Yes, surprisingly. As food shortages worsened, rats became a valuable protein source. Well-fed rats were even considered delicacies and sold at higher prices than dog or cat meat.
Q2. Did people really eat zoo animals?
Yes. Many animals from the Paris zoo—including elephants, kangaroos, and antelope—were slaughtered and sold to restaurants and butchers.
Q3. Did this change French food culture?
In some ways, yes. Horse meat, for example, became more accepted after the siege and remained part of French cuisine for years afterward.
#SiegeOfParis #FoodHistory #WarHistory #FrenchHistory #ExtremeSurvival #CulinaryHistory #KoriWar #HistoricalFacts
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The battles may be over, but the lessons remain.
See you on the next front — KoriWar