Medieval food: What did a knight's servants eat? #medieval food #knight

Modern History TV2 minutes read

Medieval food focused on heavy bread with bee balm, bacon in bean pottage reflecting common practices, food preservation through smoking and salting, salt as a social indicator, specific tools for cooking, serving in pottery for status, and pies as medieval fast food with proper pastry. Sauce for pork included parsley, sage, hard-boiled egg yolk, and wine vinegar showcasing cooking techniques and ingredients.

Insights

  • The use of bee balm instead of yeast in bread-making and the emphasis on heavy, wholemeal bread showcases unique medieval baking techniques and ingredients, providing insight into historical culinary practices.
  • The significance of salt as a valuable commodity in medieval England, tied to social status and sourced through mining or panning, sheds light on the economic and cultural importance of this seasoning during that era, influencing food preservation methods and culinary traditions.

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Recent questions

  • How was bread made in medieval times?

    With wheat flour using bee balm instead of yeast, resulting in heavy bread.

  • What were common food preservation methods in medieval times?

    Smoking, salting, and drying meat were common methods.

  • How was salt obtained in medieval England?

    Salt was either mined or produced through panning.

  • What ingredients were used in medieval pottage?

    Bacon, broad beans, leeks, and onions were common ingredients.

  • What were medieval pies made of?

    Proper pastry made from flour, water, and butter.

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Summary

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Medieval Food Practices and Ingredients

  • The bread is made with wheat flour in a traditional medieval way using bee balm instead of yeast, resulting in a wholemeal, heavy bread.
  • Bacon is sliced and used in a bean cottage pottage with broad beans, leeks, and onions, reflecting common medieval food practices.
  • Food preservation methods in medieval times included smoking, salting, and drying meat, with salt being a valuable commodity indicating social status.
  • Salt was expensive in England, either mined or produced through panning, and its cost increased with distance from the source.
  • Leeks and bacon are chopped for the pottage, showcasing the use of specific tools like medieval-shaped knives and the importance of personal utility knives.
  • The use of pottery instead of wood for serving indicates an increase in status, with the addition of boiled pork with a sage sauce reflecting stronger flavors for higher status individuals.
  • The sauce for the pork includes parsley, sage, hard-boiled egg yolk as a thickener, and wine vinegar, highlighting medieval cooking techniques and ingredients.
  • Pies were considered medieval fast food, with proper pastry made from flour, water, and butter, offering a more edible option than basic medieval pastry.
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