The New Forest Gypsies Diet

The diet of gypsies living in the forest would have varied depending on what food was available and the time of year. Food would be cooked and prepared in large pots over a camp fire using a Kettle Crane. The food cooked would have been fresh with a large variety of natural ingredients. Meat was caught using, nets, ferrets, catapults and dogs or bought from the local butcher. At one time squirrels, hedgehogs, hares, pheasants and rabbits would have ended up in the pot.

Fruits and berries would have been collected by the woman and children and made into drinks, jams and cooked in puddings. Herbs were also collected up and would be used in cooking, made into herb teas and used for making remedies to keep their families healthy. Gypsies were meticulously clean and would never use a bowl for preparing food with, if it had been used to wash in.

Click one of the recipes below to read more...

Pot of Shackles

Romany Sunday Lunch

New Forest Rasher Pudding

Hedgehog (Hotche Withchi)

Joey Grey (Soup)

New Forest Curranty Pudding

Rice Pudding

Apple Dumplings