Work Cited

Works Cited

Primary texts:

 Doyle, Conan. "The Blue Carbuncle", In The adventures of Sherlock Holmes. London: Penguin Books, 2011. Print.

---. The Sign of Four. London: Penguin Books, 2011. Print.

---, "The Adventure of the Mazarin Stone", In The Case of Sherlock Holmes. Ebooks@Adelaide, 2014. Web. The University of Adelaide.

<https://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/d/doyle/arthur_conan/d75ca/>

---, "The Naval Treaty". In MEMOIRS OF SHERLOCK HOLMES, Gutenberg, 2016, Web. Gutenberg. 

27th March 2017 <https://www.gutenberg.org/files/834/834-h/834-h.htm#link2H_4_0010>

---, "His Last Bow". In His Last Bow. London: Penguin Books, 2011. Print.

Secondly materials:

English Heritage. A BRIEF HISTORY OF CURRY IN ENGLAND: A DISH FIT FOR A QUEEN. 2016. Web. 27th March 2017. <http://blog.english-heritage.org.uk/a-history-of-curry-in-england/>

E2BN. Cook it!: History Cookbook. 2009. Web. 27th March 2017. <http://cookit.e2bn.org/historycookbook/23-116-victorians-Food-facts.html>

Paget, Sidney. "Phelps raised the cover " Victorian Web. 2013. Web. 27th March 2017. <http://www.victorianweb.org/victorian/art/illustration/pagets/192.html>

---. "Dressed like a common loafer" Victorian Web. 2013. Web. 27th March 2017.  <http://www.victorianweb.org/victorian/art/illustration/pagets/33.html>

Sherlock. Fat Mycroft's Breakfast - Sherlock: The Abominable Bride. Youtube. 2016. Web. 27th March 2017. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2pE1sAuezE>

Victorian Org. Food Habits of the Victorian Era. 2017. Web. 27th March 2017. <http://www.victorian-era.org/food-habits-of-the-victorian-era.html>

Werner, Alex, The Museum Of London Group, Ed. Sherlock Holmes: The man who never lived and will never die. United Kingdom: Ebury Press, 2014. Print.

Stokers, John. "The 'Bohemian Habits'of Sherlock Holmes". In Sherlock Holmes: The man who never lived and will never die. Alex Werner and The Museum Of London Group, Ed. United Kingdom: Ebury Press, 2014. Print.

Conclusion

Food and Sherlock Holmes

In conclusion, it seems that Doyle uses food to emphasise Holmes's deep interest in solving cases.  He sometimes goes pub (for example the Alpha Inn) but it is for investigating. The readers can hardly see the relationship between food and Holmes. Holmes seems to prefer a light meal and it helps to see his rationalism because having heavy meals to take a long time. For example, he has only ham and eggs for breakfast and the rude sandwich for lunch. Moreover, he seems to use the food for his disguise and it shows clearly that the highest priority for Holmes is solving cases. 

When I went to Sherlock Holmes Museum in London, I could not find foods in his flat. I know it is not real flat of Holmes, but I think it should be no foods around his chamber if someone tries to recreate his chamber. I found the dining table but there is any fake food on the plate.

The dining table in Sherlock Holmes Museum

In addition, Holmes is English Bohemian gentlemen. He is the "solitary" person and he belongs no club. Therefore, it seems to be natural that Doyle gives the readers to a description of eating at pubs/restaurants seldom. Missing detail of eating habit and not much description of eating make Holmes be an enigmatic man. Doyle uses descriptions of eating to make Holmes be an enigmatic and the man whose priority is solving cases. On the other hand, there are derivative cookbooks, the pub, and the restaurant of Sherlock Holmes series. It seems that the readers would like to enjoy Holmes's enigma and imagining the gap which is not given the detail in the narrative is one of the ways to enjoy Sherlock Holmes.

A Sandwich

(Sidney Paget, Dressed like a common loafer. Credit for Internet Archive)

'I only wish that you could come with me, Watson, but I fear that it won't do. I may be on the trail in this matter, or I may be following a will-o'-the wisp, but I shall soon know which it is. I hope that I may be back in a few hours.'
He cut a slice of beef from the joint upon the sideboard, sandwiched it between two rounds of bread, and, thrusting this rude meal into his pocket, he started off upon his expedition.
("The Beryl Coronet", 321)

This conversation and narration are different from the description of food which I already wrote about. In this scene, Holmes disguised and was going to go to investigate the case. He might know something about the case but it is still investigating at that time. It seems that Doyle uses Holmes's "rude meal" to emphasise his personality. Holmes's disguise is perfect as Watson says that "[h]e hurried to his chamber, and was down again in a few minutes dressed as a common loafer. with his collar turned up, his shiny seedy coat, his red cravat, and his worn boots, he was a perfect sample of the class" (321). Therefore, he seems to be not clumsy. He had a few minutes to do something, and he chose to disguise perfectly not cooking a nice meal. Or we can think in the other way. His disguise to lower class including "the rude meal". In both ways, we can see Holmes's priority. His priority is solving cases not eating a good meal.

Another Breakfast: Curried fowl

 “After breakfast, my dear Watson. Remember that I have breathed thirty miles of Surrey air this morning. I suppose that there has been no answer from my cabman advertisement? Well, well, we cannot expect to score every time.”

The table was all laid, and just as I was about to ring Mrs. Hudson entered with the tea and coffee. A few minutes later she brought in three covers, and we all drew up to the table, Holmes ravenous, I curious, and Phelps in the gloomiest state of depression.

“Mrs. Hudson has risen to the occasion,” said Holmes, uncovering a dish of curried chicken. “Her cuisine is a little limited, but she has as good an idea of breakfast as a Scotch-woman. What have you here, Watson?”

“Ham and eggs,” I answered.

“Good! What are you going to take, Mr. Phelps—curried fowl or eggs, or will you help yourself?” (“The Naval Treaty”)

(Sidney Paget, Phelps raised the cover, Creadit for Internet Archive)

In the illustration of Paget, it is difficult to find the curried fowl dishes. It might be still covered or the one in front of Holmes. It seems that Paget does not illustrate the food clearly because it is not the most important point in this illustration. We can see Watson and Mr Phelps's surprised face clearly.  Therefore it seems that  Paget would like to emphasises their surprise with this illustration.

When the readers see Holmes’s meal, it is often “breakfast”. In this case, Holmes went out to investigate and gets back after he solved it in the morning. Holmes seems to be so excited about the breakfast but actually he is excited “the blue-gray paper”, which his client was looking for, on the dish. It help to emphasise his biggest interest is the case not eating and Doyle uses the descriptions of food and eating to express Holmes’s personality.

When I read it first time, I was confused about Mrs Hudson. I thought she is “a landlady” of 221B Baker Street, Holmes’s flat but what she is doing here is like a housekeeper. As Holmes says that “[h]er cuisine is a little limited”, it helps to see Mrs Hudson serves the meals for Holmes usually. There is no detailed description about Mrs Hudson, however we can see her personality from those conversation between Mrs Hudson and Watson.

“No, sir. He has gone to his room, sir. Do you know, sir,” sinking her voice into animpresive whisper, “I am afraid for his health.”

“Why so, Mrs Hudson?”

“Well, he’s that strange, sir. After you was gone he walked and he walked, up and down, and up and down, until I was weary of the sound of his footstep. Then I hear him talking to himself and muttering, and every time the bell rang out he came on the stairhead, with “What is that, Mrs Hudson?” And now he has slammed off to his room, but I can hear him walking away the same as ever. I hope he’s not going to be ill, sir”

(Sign, 90)

Therefore, I think she is the landlady but she takes care of Holmes by her kindness and she serves ham and eggs, and curried fowl for breakfast this time.

When I read this narrative in Japanese, curried fowl was translated “chicken curry”. So I imagined like this type of curry. It is Japanese curry, and I think some people familiar with this curry as Katsu curry?

 However, I know it should be a curry in Victorian Era in England. According to English Heritage,

“Curry was almost as popular in the Victorian era as it is today thanks to Queen Victoria’s penchant for this spicy dish. Food blogger Sam Bilton investigates the origins of this classic Indian dish. Britain has had a foothold in India since 1600 thanks to the East India Company. Long term British residents in India became known as Anglo-Indians. As stories of the exotic food eaten by the Anglo-Indians filtered back home so the interest in Eastern culture grew, particularly during the 19th century”.

I was not familiar with Indian food when I was in Japan. I know there are many Indian restraint in my city, Yokohama, but I have tried one or twice in 18 years. I was surprised when I found so many kind of curry sauce in grocery store in London. Honestly I hesitated to try them because they are unfamiliar for me. I have been in London for about three years and now I like Indian curry.

It is one of my favourite Indian curries. I suppose Holmes’s breakfast is one of these kinds of Indian curries. 

English breakfast

I think “breakfast” is interesting words and interesting food. When I was a junior high school student in Japan, my English teacher taught us the origin of the words. Breakfast “breaks” a “fast” which people do with sleeping. In Japan, we call breakfast just “morning meal” if I translate in a direct way. Therefore, we do not have the idea of breaking fast with the meat at morning.

In the stories of Sherlock Holmes, Doyle merely gives the readers the descriptions of eating, but sometimes he gives it and it often nearly ends of the narrative. It means that Holmes almost solve the case and not in rush. It seems to emphasise Holmes's priority, solving cases and not eating, again. For example, Watson says that

A bath at Baker Street and a complete change fresh-ened me up wonderfully. When I came down to our room I found the breakfast laid and Holmes pouring out the coffee. 
‘Here it is, ‘ said he, laughing and pointing to an open newspapers. ‘The energetic Jones and the ubiquitous reporter have fixed it up between them. But you have had enough of the case. Better have your ham and eggs first’
(Sign, 81)

Watson is relaxed with having the bath, and Holmes seems to be relaxed with eating and drinking. Doyle does not give the description of Holmes’s eating in this narrative, but those descriptions help to imagine that Holmes enjoys his meal with his friend.

According to Joshi, “Breakfasts were not uncommon. A breakfast meal consisted of dishes such as fruits, scones, bull’s eye, bacon etc. Meat, fish, and poultry were common and fresh or canned vegetables were served with most meals” in Victorian Era. “Breakfast was an important meal. Even the simplest of middle class breakfasts consisted of bacon, eggs, ham, haddock, toast, coffee and fruits” (E2BN). 

Therefore, their breakfast is not “full” English breakfast and I think it emphasises Holmes’s rationalism of eating.

I associate breakfast with like white rice, miso-soup, grilled fish, and some kind of pickled vegetables. Of course, some Japanese prefer the western-style and they eat bread, eggs, and salad for breakfast. I feel the western-style food is modern and I did not know about “English breakfast” before I came to the United Kingdom for my study abroad. However, many people said me that “you should try English Breakfast! “.

Then I have tried some English Breakfast in the United Kingdom.

There was a dish of fruit but I forget to take a photo with it. I think the reason why I forget to take a photo of the dish of fruit as “English breakfast” is I do not have a habit to eat fruits with breakfast. In addition, a roasted tomato surprised me. I had never eaten a roasted tomato in Japan. I have cooked tomato for soup, sauce, some kind of heating tomato but no a roasted tomato. Sometimes I cook English breakfast by myself, and I usually put a roasted tomato on the plate.

I have tried other types of English breakfast in York.

It was the first time to eat “black pudding”. Honestly, I do not like this pudding. In Japan, we do not have this kind of “blood” pudding. And I noticed eating full English breakfast takes a long time because of the number of foods. I thought it is because Holmes does not take a full English breakfast and he often eats only ham and eggs.

In BBC’s SHERLOCK, there is a scene of breakfast in the Victorian era.

Doyle does not give the detail of Mycroft Holmes in the original stories, however, he likes eating in BBC’s SHERLOCK series. There are so many dishes and meets but those kinds of meets on the clip are not ordinary according to Joshi and E2BN. Mycroft says he already knows the truth of case but he would not like to investigate it himself because he would not like to walk and ask Sherlock to do.  It seems to be one of the dramatic interpretations to emphasise his richness and interest for eating food and it is same way of using food to describe one's priority.

The Alpha Inn and His Eating Habit

The photo of the pub which is appeared in the narrative.

There is a pub in the narrative, named The Alpha Inn and you can find it in Holborn.  In “The Blue Carbuncle”, he drops in the pub, the Alpha inn. It is needed to his investigate so he drops there and orders beers.  “In a quarter of an hour we were in Bloomsbury at the Alpha Inn, which is a small public-house at the corner of one of the streets which run down into Holborn. Holmes pushed open the door of the private bar, and ordered two glasses of beer” (193).

The photo of The Museum Tavern. Credit for their Facebook.

The Alpha Inn has explained it locates near the museum, and it supposes British Museum. There is the pub, The Museum Tavern, and you can find the article in the pub which says the Alpha Inn in the story is The Museum Tavern! It is a small pub and it very nearby British Museum (less than a minute to walk) so they are many tourists but you can try it.

Holmes often skips meals. However, it does not mean he is not interested in foods. In “His Last Bow”, Von Bork says that “Altamont [Holmes’s false name] has a nice taste in wines, and he took a fancy to my Tokay” (229). Therefore, Holmes is interested in wines and he has the favourite one, Tokay, the Hungary wine. Actually, we do not know his finances but his skipping a meal is not because of finance problem of course. It seems that his biggest interest is a mystery. Solving the cases has priority over health/starving for him. For example, as I already told it in the introduction, Holmes says that “Because the faculties become refined when you starve them. Why, surely, as a doctor, my dear Watson, you must admit that what your digestion gains in the way of blood supply is so much lost to the brain. I am a brain, Watson. The rest of me is a mere appendix. Therefore, it is the brain I must consider.” (Doyle, “The Adventure of Mazarin Stone”).

It is his thinking of himself. Even he starves; it does not matter for him. As he tells Watson that “My mind, […] rebels at stagnation. Give me problems, give me work, give me the most abstruse cryptogram, or the most intricate analysis, and I am in artificial stimulants. But I abhor the dull routines of existence” (The Sign of Four, 11) In addition, Holmes suggests Watson that “we turn out dinner into a supper, and follow up this clue while it is still hot” (“The Blue Carbuncle”, 193).

Those description seem to emphasise Holmes's the order of priority. Doyle shows the readers Holmes's first priority is solving cases, not eating.

There are not so many descriptions of eating or drinking in Sherlock Holmes series. I think it is because Sherlock Holmes is an English Bohemian man.

 According to John Stokers, "[m]ale English Bohemians can be said to divine into two: the solitary and the sociable. those who loved to relax in company had their preferred haunts, more or less respectable. [...] Holmes, unsurprisingly, appears to belong to no club at all and nor does he haunt public houses" (76) .
Therefore, Doyle gives the readers Holmes's eating description in restaurants/pubs merely.