In a bourgeois Hessian household at the beginning of the 19th century, the day was structured around three meals. At noon, Mittagessen was the only proper hot meal: a soup or a single dish of potatoes and garden vegetables. In the evening, Abendbrot (or Vesper) was cold and frugal — rye bread, quark, a bit of sausage, preserves. In the afternoon, especially on Sundays, Kaffeetafel gathered the family around a 'coffee' (often chicory) and a sheet cake: it was time for tales and visits. The pantry lived all year on garden fruits turned into jellies, syrups and purées to last through winter.

The Wild family ran the 'Zur Sonne' pharmacy in Kassel: at Dortchen's home, honey, cinnamon, cloves and dried flowers (elder, linden) were not mere treats but apothecary treasures. Cane sugar remained expensive and rare; honey and syrup sweetened and healed at once, and perfumed both the Sunday cake and the cough remedy.