Various factors, however, have conspired to lift it from a food associated with penance to an everyday staple, and even a gourmet treat.

For a gourmet treat, take a short break to La Rioja, which has one of the best cuisines in Spain.

And since duck is a gourmet treat for many Asians, he said, "we sell many to the Chinese community in New York City."

It may not be a great gourmet treat, but children find it lots of fun.

Codfish was the staple with an occasional gourmet treat of salmon.

But yesterday's hardship food is today's gourmet treat.

A spokeswoman from Asda suggested a thin slice of creamy Wensleydale cheese to turn mince pies into a gourmet treat.

The Inter-Continental Hotel's chefs make simple duck and cabbage a gourmet treat.

It was a long way from a gourmet treat, but when you're eating by yourself, a lot of the time you don't care.

It was no gourmet treat; Ship One was mostly down to reconstituted rations.