Royal Navy Cocoa?

[UBoatRookie]

Hi all,

Somebody out there must know this. In all the books we've all read, it's clear that hot cocoa was a beverage choice on HM ships. My question is, exactly what concoction of cocoa was served? I can't picture RN Officers zipping open an envelope of Swiss Miss, or popping off the top of a can of Nestle' Quik.

So, on those cold nights patrolling the North Atlantic looking for UBoats to pummel, what was the steward in the Officer's Mess whipping up to offer the Bridge crew?

Thanks,

JD

[Torplexed]

From the BBC People's War archive.

"Navy cocoa was issued as large blocks of hard gritty chocolate bearing a pattern of impressions of a triangular flag. Scraped into thin flakes and boiled in evaporated milk it made a most satisfying and warming drink. I found that when I sensed that it was time for my mug of hot cocoa I could smell it by applying my nose to the tube, and soon afterwards one of the sparkers would bring it up to me. Any article of official issue was called Pusser's (from Purser's?) and cocoa was called Kye, so this drink was known as Pusser's Kye."

No Wuss Miss for the Royal Navy.:p

[lesrae]

Good answer Torplexed.

Originally Posted by Torplexed

...was called Pusser's (from Purser's?)...

Yes, Pusser is slang for Purser (in case the query was yours, and not in the original text) see also Pusser's Rum.

[UBoatRookie]

Originally Posted by Torplexed

From the BBC People's War archive.

"Navy cocoa was issued as large blocks of hard gritty chocolate bearing a pattern of impressions of a triangular flag. Scraped into thin flakes and boiled in evaporated milk it made a most satisfying and warming drink. I found that when I sensed that it was time for my mug of hot cocoa I could smell it by applying my nose to the tube, and soon afterwards one of the sparkers would bring it up to me. Any article of official issue was called Pusser's (from Purser's?) and cocoa was called Kye, so this drink was known as Pusser's Kye."

No Wuss Miss for the Royal Navy.:p

Wow, thanks for the info. Sounds . . . interesting. Sadly, it doesn't seem like it would be easily recreatable. Guess I'll have to settle for the packaged stuff. Your reference material sounds like a great source of information.

Thanks again,

JD

[Torplexed]

Originally Posted by UBoatRookie

Wow, thanks for the info. Sounds . . . interesting. Sadly, it doesn't seem like it would be easily recreatable. Guess I'll have to settle for the packaged stuff. Your reference material sounds like a great source of information.

Thanks again,

JD

Yeah...sounds like they were getting almost the raw product.

[TarJak]

To get close to it get a block of the darkest highest cocoa percentage chocolate you can find and grate that into a saucepan of evaporated milk and water.

Or just use the packaged stuff.