The Victorian era is known as a period of drastic change, both politically and socially, and it was ushered in by Queen Victoria herself, who influenced everything from fashion to literature. The Queen was known for her unique eating habits, and although today she is said to have favored brown Windsor soup, Queen Victoria probably never ate it during her life.

Brown Windsor soup is known to most Britons as a rather disgusting Victorian-era soup primarily because of its gravy-like texture. While the dish may have become famous thanks to rumors that it was “the very soup reputed to have built the British Empire” and it “regularly appeared on state banquet menus,” brown Windsor soup didn’t actually exist until the 1920s.

Since Victoria died almost two decades before the first mentions of brown Windsor soup, it’s unlikely that she ever ate the infamous dish. Rather, some chalk up the rumors to a mix-up between brown Windsor soup and potage á la Windsor, a stew that was served to Queen Victoria, or with brown Windsor soap, which the Queen was said to have used.