Abstract
While rationing during First World War has been studied, the perception of what is necessary and what is superfluous between 1914 and 1918 remains relatively unexplored: is it still permissible to experience gustatory pleasure in times of war? Who sets the rules? This article examines representations and social practices linked to cakes and rolls, revealing the emergence of different conceptions of a moral economy in wartime, as well as a double discourse aimed at the German population, which were expected to contribute to the war efforts, and at the enemies to whom the shortages were to be hidden. It hypothesizes that to sustain the war efforts, pleasure and subsistence are closely linked, allowing to shed light on gender representations, social divisions, as well as identity rhetoric used to reinforce the national unity or discredit the enemy.