This Unusual 1920s Campbell's Canned Soup Flavor Contained Calves' Head Meat

Campbell's Soup has been mass-producing America's favorite soups — including its famous Chicken Noodle, Cream of Mushroom, and Tomato Soups — since it was founded in Camden, New Jersey in 1869. As the company evolved, so too, did its lineup, with flavors like Oyster Stew, Pepper Pot, and Chunky Philly-Style Cheesesteak having their moments in the spotlight before ultimately being discontinued. (Truthfully, we wouldn't mind seeing them make a glorious return). Another unusual variety that was once a member of the great Campbell's Soup lineup was Mock Turtle Soup, whose star ingredient was calves' head in lieu of traditional turtle meat. 

According to the brand's advertisement from May 1923, the Mock Turtle Soup was, "a triumph by Campbell's famous chefs!" Traditional turtle soup, often made with a stock of turtle bones, aromatic vegetables, and the turtle meat itself, predates Campbell's iteration, as it was a staple of Indigenous peoples' diets in North America and the Caribbean in the 1700s. At that time, green sea turtle was the turtle of choice for the soup, with sailors bringing them back to Europe to use in their own kitchens.

Terrapins, popular in the Mid-Atlantic's Chesapeake Bay area, were another popular choice for turtle soup — it was served at President Lincoln's second inauguration and was a favorite of President William Howard Taft during his White House tenure. Overfishing led to the green sea turtle's decline in population, and breaking down a whole sea turtle (or terrapin, which were also overfished) was laborious and time-consuming. Chefs and home cooks turned to the more affordable and available calves' head, which delivered the same texture as the sea turtle.

Calves' head is exactly what it sounds like — it's the head of a young cow (aka, veal), and known as tête de veau in French. It's been used in traditional cookery for centuries. It's typically seen in many French dishes, with the head in its entirety being boiled down and either served on its own or accompanied by a smattering of vegetables — or topped with the classic hard-boiled egg-based sauce, gribiche. 

Due to its gelatinous quality giving the soup a similar viscosity and richness, it made for the ideal swap for the real deal in turtle soup. Campbell's jumped on the mock turtle soup bandwagon, which was big at the time, and started producing for the masses. The mock version was just as popular — if not more so — than traditional turtle soup. Restaurants regularly had it on their menus and famed artist Andy Warhol, who so famously painted the Campbell's red label, once praised the soup as his favorite. 

Though Campbell's ceased producing its Mock Turtle Soup by 1960, Worthmore still makes a canned version, and there are still many restaurants offering up the real deal — especially in New Orleans. Chef Meg Bickford serves it at the lauded and historic Commander's Palace restaurant, where it's finished tableside with a splash of aged Sherry. Other restaurants serving up turtle soup in the Crescent City include Arnaud's, Galatoire's, and Muriel's. And while we anxiously await for the triumphant return of Mock Turtle Soup in Campbell's soup lineup, the "Bam!" man himself, Emeril Lagasse, features a recipe on his website.