The main diet of medieval man was bread, meat and fish. Although what was eaten and how it was served varied considerably depending on social class. Nobels ate their food from silverware and golden dishes while the lower classes used wood dishes. The upper classes ate fine white bread, the lower classes on the other hand ate coarse rye and barley breads. Everyone had their own knife and soups were drunk from a cup. Although the rich had advantages when it came to food their was also a drawback because, as the kitchen in manor houses and castles might be located at some distance from the Great Hall, food was often served cold. In the lower classes they had an advantage because their tables being only a few steps from the fire on which the meal was cooked.
"Foreign trade brought exports of apricots, plums, peaches, figs, pears and apples. Strawberries, raspberries and red currants could be found in the woods:" (www.medievaltimes.com) Fresh fruit was eaten by the poor. "The wealthy ate little fresh fruit and viewed such unprepared food with suspicion, so it was preserved in honey and also served in pies". Vegetables were not considered by the general public as able to provide much in the way of nourishment. They were used almost exclusively by "monastic communities under vows of extreme abstinence". (www.medievaltimes.com) Nevertheless there were many vegatables available including onions, parsnips, garlic, watercress, lettuce, cabbage, leeks, carrots, artichokes, beans, peas, lentils and asparagus. Overall the ways of mealtime in the Medieval culture is similar to the ways of other cultures, with similar food and drink options along with cultural variations.
Mean Times By: Ashley Smith
ReplyDeleteMeal time in the medival times differ from the meal times in the Paleolithic period. It doesn't differ so much from what they eat but how they eat it, where they get it from and how it is prepared and served. In the Paleolithic period there was no lower, middle, and upper class so the silver wear used, and dishes they served it on was not important to them. They used any flat surface they good, from rocks to stones. The people from this time were known as hunters and gatherers. Meaning the men would hunt down any animal they good, while the women were out gathering fruits and nuts and things to eat. The women would prepare the meal while the men relaxed from a day of hunting. And when the it was time for the next meal, they would do it all over again. For the people in the paleolithic times, meal time was not just about being with your family, sharing stories and enjoying ones company it was mainly for survival.