In the time of Medieval Europe, there wasn’t a huge variety of food. In those days, peasants and lords/nobles ate different foods based on their wealth, and how well the harvest was in their area.
Peasants usually ate three meals per days:
· 5:00 am – Bread and water or ale.
· 11:00 am – Bread, cheese and ale or water (occasionally herbs and onions are eaten too).
· 6:00 pm – Bread, cheese, vegetable soup and ale. Fish or meat may be added.
As you can see, peasants ate very bland meals, but they also added herbs, such as basil, mint, rosemary and parsley. They did this to add flavour to their meals. Also, in Winter, they would salt or smoke their meat so that their food would last a few months, until the meat went off.
The lords and nobles had a different way of eating, as they had the chance to eat from a far greater variety of foods. Their daily meals included:
· 6:00 am – Good quality bread, meat and wine.
· 10:00 am – Sweet and savory dishes.
· 6:00 pm – Meat and sweet dishes.
· 9:00 pm – Bread and wine.
Lords had their meals served to them by their servants, and were presented creatively. Lords often had banquets and impressive feasts, too. When a celebration was held, the nobles had very important guests, and served extraordinary meals, prepared by servants. Before food was served, the guests had to wash their hands in a bowl of scented water so that they could rinse their hands. One of the highlights of the each course was a special dish called a "subtlety". Some other foods consist of:
· Quail
· Swan
· Geese
· Deer
· Pigs
Also, people did not eat with forks. They had to use knives, spoons and their hands! They did not have plates either, so they used stale bread, named "trenchers".
Some of the spices used at banquets included:
· Cinnamon
· Ginger
· Pepper
The leftover food, from a feast was given to the poor.
Peasants usually ate three meals per days:
· 5:00 am – Bread and water or ale.
· 11:00 am – Bread, cheese and ale or water (occasionally herbs and onions are eaten too).
· 6:00 pm – Bread, cheese, vegetable soup and ale. Fish or meat may be added.
As you can see, peasants ate very bland meals, but they also added herbs, such as basil, mint, rosemary and parsley. They did this to add flavour to their meals. Also, in Winter, they would salt or smoke their meat so that their food would last a few months, until the meat went off.
The lords and nobles had a different way of eating, as they had the chance to eat from a far greater variety of foods. Their daily meals included:
· 6:00 am – Good quality bread, meat and wine.
· 10:00 am – Sweet and savory dishes.
· 6:00 pm – Meat and sweet dishes.
· 9:00 pm – Bread and wine.
Lords had their meals served to them by their servants, and were presented creatively. Lords often had banquets and impressive feasts, too. When a celebration was held, the nobles had very important guests, and served extraordinary meals, prepared by servants. Before food was served, the guests had to wash their hands in a bowl of scented water so that they could rinse their hands. One of the highlights of the each course was a special dish called a "subtlety". Some other foods consist of:
· Quail
· Swan
· Geese
· Deer
· Pigs
Also, people did not eat with forks. They had to use knives, spoons and their hands! They did not have plates either, so they used stale bread, named "trenchers".
Some of the spices used at banquets included:
· Cinnamon
· Ginger
· Pepper
The leftover food, from a feast was given to the poor.