The Medieval Foodie?

When you think of the Medieval Ages, you don’t generally think of the people of that time period being foodies, do we? But the medieval people, specifically the nobility, loved to try out new and exotic foods. This was a time when the world was expanding again and trade routes were opening up new cultures, including new foods, to the nobility of Europe.

We have all heard of the elaborate dinners at castles with cooked peacocks with their tail feathers put back in or the whole roasted pigs presented to the nobility during their feasts? There were many other odd and unusual foods served such as baked eels, grape puddings, cinnamon soup, garlic cheese, quince bread, candied horseradish, dishes flavored with rosewater and violets and a drink called hippocras. With all these amazing, elaborate foods, I would say that there were some pretty inventive cooks during that time! 🙂

Table manners and dining etiquette were very different during the Medieval Ages as well. Dining with the nobility meant that there would be several courses. There were no forks at the time. You would use your knife, spoon and fingers to serve yourself. Large napkins were common and often worn across the shoulder during meal times.