Food in Medieval Europe

Food
things that people or animals eat

All people have to eat, and this fact was no different in the Middle Ages. Market streets were filled with people who sold food, both raw and cooked. However, not everyone had the access to this food, like peasants who suffered just to get enough food for their selves. Nobles and the rich had no trouble like that and had great feasts with his guests almost daily. The variety of food they ate and how they cooked could have been amazing to the people.

One of the main issues connected to food during the Middle Ages was the preservation of food. Unlike today, people did not have methods to freeze their food all year round (besides the winter time when the temperature was very low). Food, such as meat and fruit, would have gone bad with very little time (especially during the summer) , which meant preservation was needed to export those goods for the market of foreign areas, as some ingredients are only found in some parts of the world1.

One method used to preserve meats was smoking. Increasing the speed of evaporation of liquid inside of the flesh decreased the chances of it to become rotten or rancid. However, this method needed fuel which could have been scarce in certain areas2. Another method of food preservation was drying which was an alternative to smoking. It was cheaper and done mainly with fish, laying them under the sum after they were caught. But this method also had its limitations, needing several of sunny days and also had the risk of the meat rotting before it got dried3. This made salt one of the best methods of preservation, as it removed the moisture, making it hard for bacteria to survive in the meat4. The importance of salt has been seen in many ages, even having the saying ‘below the salt’ meaning people who were not as important5.

Food, in Medieval Europe, was found almost anywhere. Vegetables (onions, spinach, lettuce, etc.), fruits (apples, pears, grapes, etc.), and spices (cinnamon, pepper, cloves, etc.) were only found in certain areas, but were shipped around to different areas, spreading the variety of ingredients one person could lay their hands on6. Vegetables were eaten raw and cooked, mainly to add for soup and pottage. Fruits were not only eaten raw, but were also cooked into fruit tarts, pudding, and many more dishes. Also, grapes were squashed into wine and apples were made into ciders, fulfilling the thirst of many medieval diners7. Spices especially were popular to the noble class, as they enjoyed their meals with great tastes. Chamomile was one of the most favorable spices, not only for its taste, but its color of gold it created8.

A lot of meat was eaten, talking mostly about the variety they ate. Beef, pork, mutton, lamb and others were normally eaten, while game meats such as boar, stag, deer, and hare were hunted for medieval dishes. These game meats were also given to neighbors as a sign of a good relationship, showing how people loved to eat. Birds such as chickens, pheasants, ducks, and geese were eaten as we do today, but game birds included species such as swans, spoonbills, cranes and eagles, those which we would not eat today9.

Fish, both those that were found in the sea an in fresh water, were eaten such as salmon, eel, squid, lobster, cram, clam, flounder, and many more. Beavers were also counted as fish, due to living in water and their tails10. Fish were very popular, as meat and products made from animals (such as eggs, milk, cheese, etc.) were prohibited during Fridays to Sundays, and Lent and Advent. Fish was still allowed, causing dishes to be filled with marine animals11. Whales and porpoises were considered royal, making them the property of the king if they were caught or beached (permission was need in order to dispose it). This caused not only whales and porpoises, but other meats not available to all people, also created a line dividing people of what they could eat12.

Peasants almost never had the money to have to buy a luxurious meal. In many cases, they didn’t have enough food. This could have been because they needed to sell their production for money, tithes from the church, or had a terrible production. Their diets were very limited, mainly bread or pottage with a small proportion of cheese, milk, and bacon13. Pottage was more popular, for it was cheaper and easier to cook. Anything that grew, besides poisonous plants, was put in the pot to make the peasants’ meals14. Bread was also eaten, but was harder to make. Peasants couldn’t bake their own bread, for affording an oven took a lot of money and also a lot of space. Fire wood needed to heat the oven would have been too much for a peasant’s family to get. Thus, ovens were found in communal areas, such as the castle, where everyone could have access to15. People would pay the person taking care of the oven if they were to use it to bake bread. In some cases, some of the dough was pinched by the people taking care of the oven, but this place had to be used as people were fined if they were baking bread in their own household.

Different from poor peasants and those who were part of the middle class, rich nobles ate a wider and delicious variety of food. Not only did they have the access to different animals and spices, they had the people to cook their great meals, normally in a form of a feast. The cast of a Medieval Feast was tremendously huge as they had people making and serving the food, entertainers and others who did special services. There were even a great number of cooks alone, as many of them specialized in one kind of meal, such as the Patisser who made the sweets and the Rottisser who roasted the meat and the Carver who cut up the meat. The Butler would have gotten the drinks ready, making sure it was safe and good to drink and then having the Cupbearer serve them. The Pantler was in charge of making bread and shaping them, mostly into plates which were called Trenchers (as plates were only used of big servings). It was sometimes eaten after the meal as a snack, but in most cases it was provided to the poor as food by the Almoner. There were also The Fools, Magicians, Jugglers, and many other people who entertained the guests as well. Above all these people, there was the Steward who was in charge of the staff and made sure everyone was doing their duties, in other words, he was the man in charge16.

What they ate was not only delicious and had a great odor, the looks of their meal was a delight to see. The subtlety was a sculpture like candy made out of sugar, usually having the shape of nature, like scenes of hunting or animals such as lions and fire breathing dragons. Even angels and castles were made into subtleties17. Illusion food was also a great appetizer for the eye as well for the stomach, as there were dishes such as peacocks made as if they were alive and meatballs looking like golden apples, foods which were not what they look like18. However, not all were great shows for the eyes, but still they were delicious for the people who used a whole variety of meat, vegetables, fruits, and spices and made great feasts, affordable only to the rich.

What people ate was very important, also affecting the health of the people. But by looking at what they ate, difference in status was obviously shown. This not only applied to the Middle Ages, but to other ages in the Old Era, the New Era, and even today. What people ate could have changed the looks of how people were seen, both the status and wealth.