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Research Reveals Medieval Diet Was More Than Meat And Gruel
Post-Gazette ^ | 2-17-2003 | Lance Gay

Posted on 02/17/2003 5:37:57 PM PST by blam

Edited on 04/13/2004 2:34:59 AM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]

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To: blam
Inventories prepared for the 6,000 guests invited to the daylong 1467 installation ceremonies of Archbishop Neville of York in England, show they were provided with 300 caskets of ale, 100 caskets of wine, 1 large bottle of wine sweetened with sugar, nutmeg and ginger, 104 oxen, 6 wild bulls, 1,000 sheep, 304 calves, 400 swans, 2,000 geese, 1,000 capons, 2,000 pigs, 104 peacocks, over 13,500 other birds, 500 stags, bucks and roes, 1,500 venison pies, 608 pikes and breams, 12 porpoises and seals, 13,000 dishes of jelly, cold baked tarts, custards and spices, sugared delicacies and wafers.

Just a nitpick, dosen't that sound more like food for at least 60,000 not 6,000 no matter what the occasion? I mean just 1000 sheep alone with the 13,000 tarts and other sides should be enough 6000, even for a daylong event.

21 posted on 02/17/2003 6:03:40 PM PST by StriperSniper (Frogs are for gigging)
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To: blam
Don't forget cheese and Spam.
22 posted on 02/17/2003 6:03:49 PM PST by boris
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To: blam
Damn, people on this site seem to know everything! Medeival figgy recipe, I'm impressed!
23 posted on 02/17/2003 6:03:59 PM PST by SupplySider
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To: Pharmboy
Hey I thought George Gruel was Warren Zevon's Manager?

Why is everybody picking on him.

24 posted on 02/17/2003 6:04:13 PM PST by dts32041 (Do not attend a gunfight with a handgun, the caliber of which does not start with a "4".)
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To: blam
21st century supper: grilled pork shoulder steak, sauteed mushrooms, and asparagus with dressing.

I must confess that I did succumb to falling upon the dish like a swine while eating, snorting disgustingly and smacking the lips. What can I say? I'm a bachelor.

25 posted on 02/17/2003 6:05:53 PM PST by Monti Cello
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To: blam
It's a bit post-medieval, but here's one of my favorite poems, with a lot of food in it:

Inviting a Friend to Supper
by Ben Jonson

TO-NIGHT, grave sir, both my poore house, and I
Doe equally desire your companie :
Not that we thinke us worthy such a guest,
But that your worth will dignifie our feast,
With those that come ; whose grace may make that seeme
Something, which, else, could hope for no esteeme.
It is the faire acceptance, Sir, creates
The entertaynment perfect : not the cates.
Yet shall you have, to rectifie your palate,
An olive, capers, or some better sallad
Ushring the mutton ; with a short-leg'd hen,
If we can get her, full of eggs, and then,
Limons, and wine for sauce : to these, a coney
Is not to be despair'd of, for our money ;
And, though fowle, now, be scarce, yet there are clerkes,
The skie not falling, thinke we may have larkes.
I'll tell you of more, and lye, so you will come :
Of partrich, pheasant, wood-cock, of which some
May yet be there ; and godwit, if we can :
Knat, raile, and ruffe too. How so e'er, my man
Shall reade a piece of VIRGIL, TACITUS,
LIVIE, or of some better booke to us,
Of which wee'll speake our minds, amidst our meate ;
And I'll professe no verses to repeate :
To this, if ought appeare, which I know not of,
That will the pastrie, not my paper, show of.
Digestive cheese, and fruit there sure will bee;
But that, which most doth take my Muse, and mee,
Is a pure cup of rich Canary-wine,
Which is the Mermaids, now, but shall be mine :
Of which had HORACE, or ANACREON tasted,
Their lives, as doe their lines, till now had lasted.
Tabacco, Nectar, or the Thespian spring,
Are all but LUTHERS beere, to this I sing.
Of this we will sup free, but moderately,
And we will have no Pooly, or Parrot by ;
Nor shall our cups make any guiltie men :
But, at our parting, we will be, as when
We innocently met. No simple word
That shall be utter'd at our mirthfull board
Shall make us sad next morning : or affright
The libertie, that wee'll enjoy to-night.

26 posted on 02/17/2003 6:06:52 PM PST by Cicero
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To: blam
"refrain from falling upon the dish like a swine while eating, snorting disgustingly and smacking the lips."

The ancestors of my ex wife's family apparently ate very well.

27 posted on 02/17/2003 6:07:34 PM PST by Focault's Pendulum (Pluck your "Magic Twanger"...Froggy!!!)
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To: blam
I LOVE this article! I've done a lot of reading about the lifestyles during the Medieval. The average Medieval kitched was large and contained a "fish tank" made of leather. This was filled with water and contained live fish, for use whenever needed. For some reason I find that fascinating.

Thanks for this post.
28 posted on 02/17/2003 6:11:57 PM PST by EggsAckley (eschew obfuscation)
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To: blam
Grits were introduced to the early English colonies by the Indians in the Yankee states.

Probably trying to poison them.

29 posted on 02/17/2003 6:12:23 PM PST by sarcasm (Tancredo 2004)
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To: sarcasm
No grits?

Grits is gooooood! {;o)

30 posted on 02/17/2003 6:12:27 PM PST by RightWinger
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To: blam
Kind of like the prevailing view that all aboriginal Americans here in North America ate was deer, corn, squash and beans, when in fact their diet was much more varied and their cooking was quite developed. The continent was loaded with plenty of things to exploit, animal and plant.

There's a mound at Cahokia across from St. Louis which was redug recently and there was a trench in it that was filled with the remains of periodic feasts... the fare was exotic- there were numerous bones of pink spoonbills and other strange critters both found and not found in the area today. I've been hoping to see the reports on that since they said amount and variety was surprising.

Old records of historic tribes also describe some tasty dishes made from fruits prepared in various ways, and condiments made of prepared nutmeat were described as delectable. The descriptions indicate that daily fare wasn't merely a pot of stew or sofkie.

31 posted on 02/17/2003 6:12:46 PM PST by piasa (Attitude adjustments offered here free of charge.)
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To: piasa
Kind of like the prevailing view that all aboriginal Americans here in North America ate was deer, corn, squash and beans, when in fact their diet was much more varied and their cooking was quite developed.

Don't forget popcorn. And Groundnuts. We have them here in New England. They are what Raliegh brought back, and were mistaken for potatoes. I tried some sauteed in butter, and they were delicious. They grow in the roots of a weedy-looking climbing vine

32 posted on 02/17/2003 6:30:16 PM PST by Gorzaloon (Contents may have settled during shipping, but this tagline contains the stated product weight.)
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To: EggsAckley
"fish tank" made of leather. This was filled with water and contained live fish, for use whenever needed.

They not only ate well....but got a bit kinky afterwards.

33 posted on 02/17/2003 6:30:25 PM PST by Focault's Pendulum (I just bought the Maginot Line on E Bay.)
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To: blam
A few years ago I spent a summer in Tokyo. The Japanese thought an American diet consisted mainly of burgers and fries. I wonder what misconceptions the people living 1000 years from now will have about our own food.

By the way, the Japanese love American food for breakfast. Toast, coffee, and a tossed green salad is their idea of Western breakfast food.
34 posted on 02/17/2003 6:30:59 PM PST by redheadtoo
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To: StriperSniper
Just a nitpick, dosen't that sound more like food for at least 60,000 not 6,000

If there were 6,000 invited guests, it probably came out to nearly 60,000 actual eaters.

Each of the guests would have a spouse or equivalent, plus as many servants as he could afford to bring along, because the size of your retinue illustrates your wealth and position.

The "uninvited guests," along with the poor or pretending-to-be-poor, and all the staff of the hosts, would have been served the leftovers from the meals, and/or handed food straight out of the kitchens.

My husband and I used to be reenactors, back when ... I miss the clothes, and the food!

35 posted on 02/17/2003 6:33:08 PM PST by Tax-chick (formerly Caterine FitzWilliam of Shelby, legendary Reeve of Bjornborg)
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To: blam

36 posted on 02/17/2003 6:38:13 PM PST by cmsgop ( Arby's says no more Horsey Sauce for Scott Ritter !!!!)
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To: inquest
Seriously, the Middle Ages was such a fascinating time, for me at least. It's too bad it's gotten such a short shrift.

Your right. Ah! To live in the days of finding out if witches were made of wood! Building 'trojan rabbits', multiple swamp castles and supplying shrubberies to bands of rogue knights!And not to forget the endless dabates of the number of wingbeats per minute of an African vs. European swallow!

37 posted on 02/17/2003 6:45:29 PM PST by uglybiker
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To: uglybiker
Hey, I didn't say I wanted to move there!
38 posted on 02/17/2003 7:01:29 PM PST by inquest
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To: blam
Yes, I'm sure rabbit was a common meat for meals. It is tasty, relatively easy to catch with snares or ferrets, and plentiful.
39 posted on 02/17/2003 7:35:34 PM PST by expatpat
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To: sarcasm
No grits?

Nope, no corn. Corn, tomatoes, potatoes, and many others are strictly American (as in North and South) foods. Italian food with no tomatoes, can you imagine that?

40 posted on 02/17/2003 8:22:15 PM PST by El Gato
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