I will tell you the 10 facts about medieval food. In this article, I will concern to discuss the history of food based on European culture during the middle ages from the fifth to the fifteenth century. Cereals remained the most important and popular during the early Middle Ages and even until now. Here are the other pieces of information about the amazing and less-known facts about medieval food.
Facts about Medieval Food 1: The Church Dietary Norms
The religion norms had a great effect on eating habits. Most of Christians were forbidden to consume of meat for a full third of the year including all animal products such as eggs and dairy products, but fish was an exception.
Facts about Medieval Food 2: Class Constraints Dietary Norms
At this period, the culture of stratification was strongly applied. Food was one of the important marker of social status. Moreover, the power of political power was applied not only by rule but also by displaying wealth.
facts about medieval food
Facts about Medieval Food 3: Dietary norms of Caloric Structure
The dietary norms of caloric content were varied based on the region, culture, time and classes. Most of people viewed that the diet tended to be high-carbohydrate such as cereals and alcohol (e.g beer). Meat was highly valued by all but it could not be reached by lower classes nor it was not allowed by the church.
Facts about Medieval Food 4: Regional Specialities
In the medieval period, food could be differentiated by the cereals and the oils that shaped dietary norms and crossed ethnic and, later, national boundaries. Tha variation food based on area caused by differences in climate, political administration, and local customs that varied across the continent.
Facts about Medieval Food 5: Meals
In Europe in this period, there were typically two meals a day. This system remained throughout the late middle ages.
Facts about Medieval Food 6: Etiquette
English bishop Robert Grosseteste advised the Countess of Lincoln in the 13th century “forbid dinners and suppers out of the hall, in secret and in private room, for from this arises waste and no honour to the lord and lady”.
facts about medieval food
Facts about Medieval Food 7: Food Preparation
In this era, all sorts of foods involved the direct use of fire. At that time, the kitchen stoves have not appeared until the 18th century. The cook tools such as ovens have been already used, but they were expensive to construct and only existed in fairly large household and bakeries.
Facts about Medieval Food 8: Kitchen in the Middle Ages
In the middle ages, mostly kitchen was combined with the dining hall. Then, in the Late Middle Ages, a separate kitchen area began to evolve.
Facts about Medieval Food 9: Preservation
During this period, the methods of food preservation were basically the same as had been used since antiquity and did not change much until the invention of canning in the early 19th century.
facts about medieval food
Facts about Medieval Food 10: Professional Cooking
In the middle ages, the professional cooking was trully limited. It was only in the big city.
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