Yes, a range of times (although we’ve had fixed time-period feasts too), but *modern *clothes and *plastic *utensils are not allowed at all. We serve on earthenware, tin plate and the like.Īn audience dressed in costumes ranging over 1000 years in the middle ages not to mention the folks who are wearing modern clothing and everything from handwrought cutlery to paperplates and plastic spoons. Yes, modern kitchen, usually (We’ve done enough over fire too), but that doesn’t affect the food. While some have food painstakingly researched they are usually prepared in a modern kitchen with modern food stuffs and for a modern audience and often served on modern serving dishes.Įrr, not in MY kitchen or feast hall. I always try and cook not just authentic medieval food with as period ingredients as humanly possible, but food authentic for one narrow range of time and place, possibly only from one cookbook or a few select ones if there’s a larger selection e.g. SCA feasts at least the ones I have been to are an attempt for a Medieval feel, hardly an authentic Medieval feast. Peasants generally made do with pottages, gruels & bread, and I’m sure even the king would eat a drumstick with his hands if he was just getting a midnight snack (although - witness Count Gaston Phoebus’ idea of a quick snack while hunting. Note - this of course pertains to feasting, middle class and up. The SCA? Do NOT go to Medieval Timesor a RennFaire if you want to experience anything mildly authentic. But often you’d share a pitcher with a couple of people. People didn’t generally drink water at table, more for humoural theories than any other reason. I’ve never just done a whole boiled turnip or beet in all my years of medieval cooking, and I can’t offhand recall a recipe for it either. This is not so different from how I plate things today, BTW.Įverything from mashed, boiled, fried, sliced, diced & roasted, salads, stews…Generally, something rooty would be done either mashed, boiled, fried as chips (parsnip chips are om-nom-nom!) or in a complete side dish like armoured turnips (sliced turnips layered with cheese & spices - think potatoes au gratin). But it depends - small birds like songbirds or squab were likely served whole. In fact, this was one of the jobs of the King’s favourites in royal courts, but just kitchen knaves in other places. ![]() But sharing did happen, usually in the sense of 2 or 3 people to a serving bowl. Yes, and no (I don’t know about this “bowl of milk” story, though. Mostly they’d wipe their hands on napkins, and use water bowls. ![]() A lot of food was in smaller pieces, anyway, like meatballs or stews, or else easy to eat with the hands, like many, many kinds of meat pie. They weren’t used in Northern Europe until later because they were considered an affectation. But they did use fingers, picks, knives, and forks in Southern Europe from at least the 10th Century. There’s the old German saying, “Water rusts the stomach”.Īre there any places in the USA, where you can experience a real medieval banquet? People didn’t really drink water at meals if they could help it, largely for potability issues. I know the French ate more green vegetables than the English, who ate more herbs.Īnd beverages-I know there were wine stewards who would refill your cup-what about cyder or water (bleeech)?Ĭider yes. ![]() The ways we prepare vegetables are the same ways they prepared vegetables. Vegetables were served mashed, boiled, stewed, raw, pickled, etc. How about vegetables- would you be served mashed beets/turnips/etc., or would there be whole ones on the platter? But it wasn’t a matter of “hack your own hunk off the joint.” Think more the stereotypical thanksgiving dinner, where the turkey is brought out and admired, and then the person at the head of the table carves it and serves everyone. ![]() Generally, the meat would be carved at table. How about meat? Would it be sent to the table sliced? Or did you hack your own hunk off the joint? There was also a loy of communal sharing (a bowl of milk would be passed around). The servant who job it was to do that was called a ewerer. I’m sure that happened, but generally pitchers and napkins were sent around after each course. I know that people ate mostly with their fingers (forks were not yet common),įorks weren’t common, but knives and spoons were.Īnd people would wipe their greasy hands on the backs of the dogs (who roamed the banquet halls). I always wondered how I would react, if I were transported to a banquest, ca.
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