alex hezik kathryn hieneman erin steele. the food to which people had access depended a lot on...

Medieval FoodAlex Hezik

Kathryn HienemanErin Steele

Overview The food to which people had access depended a lot

on their socio-economic status “Pottage” was eaten by many people, regardless of

their finances, consisting of whatever ingredients were close at hand – onions, cabbage, garlic, berries, spinach, etc; richer people could afford to put meat in this and other dishes

Poorer people drank barley ales and beers, while wealthier people drank various fancy wines (clean water was a scarcity, but when found it was often sweetened with honey)

It was thought that food should match people, i.e. warm and moist

Carr, Karen. "Medieval Food." Kidipede - History for Kids!. N.p., 2011. Web. 17 Jan 2012. <http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/medieval/food/index.htm>.

"Medieval Food." medieval-food.net. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Jan 2012.

<http://www.medieval-life.net/food.htm>.

"Medieval cuisine." Wikipedia. 2011. Web. 17 Jan 2012.

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medieval_cuisine>.

The Poor Poorer people’s diets consisted primarily of barley,

which was made into breads and occasionally pancakes or pizza, barley porridge, or barley soup

They sought to spice up their meals by adding vegetables to soup, cheese melted on bread and pizza, and apples as baked apples or apple pies

Herbs that could be grown by individuals or families were used for flavoring

It was believed that the food one ate reflected the person’s work, so people with “lower class” jobs ate less-refined foods

"Medieval cuisine." Wikipedia. 2011. Web. 17 Jan 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medieval_cuisine>.

Carr, Karen. "Medieval Food." Kidipede - History for Kids!. N.p., 2011. Web. 17 Jan 2012.

<http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/medieval/food/index.htm>.

The Wealthy Richer people could afford much more meat and fowl,

and, in more coastal regions, fish Could afford to have their bread made from wheat Could afford expensive spices from the Indian Ocean

spice trade (pepper, cinnamon, etc.) Salt was not in common usage: “In fact, when you

were eating in a medieval castle, the salt would be on the table in a huge fancy salt cellar, and the rich people would sit near the salt so they could use it, while the poor people sat further down the long table and couldn’t use the salt.” (Carr)

"Medieval Food." medieval-food.net. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Jan 2012. <http://www.medieval-life.net/food.htm>.



Popular Beliefs It was thought that raw vegetables were unhealthy, so

they were almost never eaten that way, instead added to pottage or other dishes to be cooked

People believed that it was important that light, easy to digest food was eaten first, followed by progressively heavier courses: if the heavy food was eaten first then it would block the bottom of the stomach so food could not be digested

At the beginning of the period, entire households – including servants – ate together; toward the end of the period people of higher classes sought to eat with more privacy, males and females tended to eat separately because of differing social norms/ideas of cleanliness


"Medieval Food." medieval-food.net. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Jan 2012.

<http://www.medieval-life.net/food.htm>.

Influences on Diet During the Crusades, soldiers became accustomed to foods

from southeastern regions, and when they came back to Europe they brought with them the desire for these foods; thus European cuisine gained a Mediterranean aspect, using oranges, lemons, etc.

Religion had a large impact on what people ate: all animal products (except fish) were not eaten during fasting periods; the definition of “fish” included many marine/semi-aquatic animals: “During the Middle Ages it was believed that beaver tails were of such a fish-like nature that they could be eaten on fast days.” (“Medieval cuisine”)

Just because animal products were not eaten during fasting times did not mean that meals were any less extravagant for the upper class, imitations of off-limit foods would be served instead




Ris Engoule Rice Whole milk Salt Beef broth (substituted with vegetable broth) Butter Ground saffron or yellow food coloring

Seed Cake Unbleached flour Cracked wheat flour (substituted with bulgur

wheat) Yeast Warm ale Salt Sweet (unsalted) butter Sugar Eggs Seeds Milk

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