Medieval times menu drinks8/13/2023 The term “dessert” originated during the Middle Ages. A LOT of beer.Īt Westminster Abbey, each monk was given an allowance of one gallon of beer per day. Wine was regarded as the most prestigious and healthy choice, but the average person drank beer. In the Middle Ages, alcoholic beverages were always preferred over water, which could be contaminated. Then again, plump people were considered more attractive back then. Needless to say, middle ages food meant the common people were thin, while obesity was prevalent among monks and the upper classes. They consumed 6,000 calories/day on “normal” days, and 4,500 calories/day when fasting. Medieval monks were a little more like us. In the Middle Ages, food was consumed at about 4,000 calories a day for peasants, but they burned around 4,500 calories each day in manual labor.Ĭompare that to modern Americans, who eat about 3,000 calories a day but burn only 2,000. Monks in particular raised rabbits because the newborns were declared “fish” (or, at least, not-meat) by the church and thus could be eaten during Lent. Consumption of meat was forbidden for a full third of the year for most Christians.īut, there were ways around this. The church had strict rules around eating. Or, in lower-class households they ate straight off the table.Īt a big meal, spoons were provided, but it was bring your own knife.įorks for eating weren’t widely used until the early modern period. Instead, people used the bottom part of a loaf of bread. Or, they sat at the table and ate very little. Medieval Europeans typically ate two meals a day: dinner at mid-day and a lighter supper in the evening.ĭuring feasts, women often dined separately from men due to stupid social codes. In the middle ages, food and eating was very different. This gave rise to the “baker’s dozen”: a baker would give 13 for the price of 12, to show they weren’t cheating. Since bread was so central to the medieval diet, tampering with it or messing with weights was considered a serious offense. Legumes like chickpeas and fava beans were viewed with suspicion by the upper class, in part because they cause flatulence.īut the regular folks chowed down on them. Other parts of Europe cooked with lard or oils of olive, poppy, walnut, and hazelnut. What people cooked withīutter was a popular cooking medium in Northern Europe – but it was super salty (5–10%) so it wouldn’t spoil. Cheese was kind of a big dealĬheese was the most common source of animal protein for the lower classes, and many of the varieties would look familiar today, like Edam, Brie and Parmesan. Cow milk, not so muchĬow milk wasn’t popular because it spoiled so quickly. Almonds were commonĪlmonds were commonly used as a thickener in soups, stews, and sauces, and almond milk was hugely popular. These, along with the widespread use of honey, gave many dishes a sweet-sour flavor. Seasonings for upper-class peopleĬommon seasonings for upper-class people included verjuice, wine and vinegar with black pepper, saffron and ginger. So along with their grains, peasants ate cabbage, beets, onions, garlic and carrots. Beef, which required lots of land, wasn’t very big yet. Wild game was common, as was pork and chicken. Middle ages food for rich people included wheat and meatīoth of these items were expensive and prestigious. Grain provided 65-70% of calories in the early 14th century. Middle Ages food for poor people revolved around barleyīarley bread, porridge, gruel and pasta, for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Back in the Middle Ages in Europe, what you ate depended a lot on how rich you were.
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