Research Reveals Medieval Diet Was More Than Meat And Gruel

Post-Gazette ^ | 2-17-2003 | Lance Gay

[El Gato]

even medieval etiquette frowned on unsanitary dogs at the dinner table.

And what's wrong with dogs at the dinner table, as long as they are well behaved? It's the people wiping their greasy hands on their fur, (supposedly) that would be unsanitary, not the dogs.

Among things eaten were starlings, vultures, gulls, herons, cormorants, swans, cranes, peacocks, capons, chickens, dogfish, porpoises, seals, whale, haddock, hedgehogs, cod, salmon, sardines, lamprey eels, crayfish and oysters.

No possum though, nor racoon. There should be rabbit or hare on the list though, maybe squirrel too. Never had the first two, but I've shot and eaten the latter two, and they aren't bad. Domestic rabbit is down right tasty, as long as you don't play with the little bunny before hand. :)

Turnips, parsnips, carrots, peas and fava beans were common vegetables, and use of onions and garlic was common.

Most of those, save maybe the fava beans were common fare when and where I was a kid (in Lincoln Nebraska in the '50s and '60s.) I'm old, but not *that* old.)

[El Gato]

MEADE! Some idiot forgot the MEADE!

Well it's not bad, but it doesn't really have much of a kick. Heck the Norse were lucky to be able to get that honey to ferment at all. The only time I've had it was in 1976 at Solvang, California, near Vandenberg AFB, where I was TDY for one week of my two week active duty tour. I'd also been at Vandy for 6 weeks back in '71, for AF ROTC field training, but they didn't let us off base but one weekend, and without a POV, going to Solvang, which I hadn't heard of then in any event, would have been problematic.

[El Gato]

one book tells diners not to pick their teeth with their knives, and to "refrain from falling upon the dish like a swine while eating, snorting disgustingly and smacking the lips."

Well, where's the enjoyment in that? If you've just come in from a hard day in the field, farming or hunting, you're hungry, although more like a Jackal than a swine (pigs are actually fairly dainty eaters by barnyard standards, although they do tend to grunt and snort) Let the pinky in the air crowd worry about table manners, let the rest of us enjoy our food. :)

[stainlessbanner]

Please pass the peacock!

[El Gato]

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.

We're all human and omivorous. We'll eat anything that doesn't try to eat us first, and somethings that will *try*.

[ItsJeff]

Pass the starlings...and could I have some more gruel, sir?

Not until you eat your hedgehogs!

[savedbygrace]

No I don't....but the neighbor's poodle makes a great napkin

Origami? That's some poodle.

[Erasmus]

No I don't....but the neighbor's poodle makes a great napkin....and the little puffy thingy at the end of the tail is great for wiping the corners of your mouth.

It's just a good thing you don't keep a lady elephant around.

[stands2reason]

Italian food with no tomatoes, can you imagine that?

Didn't Italy also steal pasta from the Chinese?

[StriperSniper]

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.

Doh! I forgot the posses and hangers on, thanks for the 'enlightenment'.

;-)

[blam]

"Didn't Italy also steal pasta from the Chinese?"

I often wonder what they ate before they got pasta from the Chinese and tomatoes from the new world. Hmmmm?

[Cogadh na Sith]

I kill and eat rabbit around here sometimes... I should give this a try!

[SunkenCiv]

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[stayathomemom]

Italian food with no tomatoes, can you imagine that?

I remember reading an article a few years back, (I think it was in Smithsonian) that years ago many people were afraid to eat tomatoes and feared they were poisonous.
When my daughter was a senior in high school, she organized a family dinner with a medieval theme. She did research for possible recipes and distributed them to my sisters' families to prepare. I do remember a seed cake being one of the foods.

[djf]

I’ve thought about it in the past, and actually I could see myself being quite happy eating a medieval diet.

EXCEPT....!!!!!!

I guess the Romans had one condiment that was indispensable.

Some type of spiced sauce made mostly of various fish guts blended.

Heinz 57 it ain’t!!!

(Thanks alot! I just got done with dinner and now you got me thinking fish guts!!!)

[Jaded]

Seven Centuries of English Cooking by maxime de la Falaise is an interesting cook book. It has the reprint of the original recipe... interesting reading/spelling/interpretation and a modern translation.

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

Don’t know why the article says we don’t eat leeks. I have a couple of leeks in my refrigerator right now.

[wardaddy]

groundhog is quite good actually...nice meat

[null and void]

What are a quibbebs?

[Diggity]

Hedgehog for Thanksgiving lol.