Dishes at the Tavern

[Thornir Alekeg]

Also remember that there is no refridgeration so most many dishes are seasonal.

Seasonal food, or food that could be preserved. Salted meats, root vegetables and dried fruits could all be stored a decent amount of time.

 

[PapersAndPaychecks]

Real world western european mediaeval, or D&D-flavour pseudomediaeval?

For real world western european mediaeval, subtract potatoes and tomatoes from the menu. They probably cooked a lot with wild onions, wild garlic, and eggs; you could make a fantastic omelette! Also think in terms of religious food rules (fish on Fridays -- although I'm told that a special ordinance from the Pope defined rabbits as "fish" for the purposes of this rule) and figure that as much as possible is preserved, in an era without refrigeration -- hence, for example, salt pork.

For D&D-flavour pseudomediaeval, pick a few D&D critters that taste nice and let your imagination run riot! Frogs' legs are a starter, but giant frogs' legs are a real main course. One roc can feed a village for weeks. Maybe some evil cultures are known to keep pegasi for their eggs, or have a taste for unicorn...

Much more fun than perusing real world mediaeval menus imo.

 

[sckeener]

a menu isn't complete without some booze....here's a collection I've put together from various sources in the format of

Name Cost Location MISC Source

 

[Celebrim]

Seasonal food, or food that could be preserved. Salted meats, root vegetables and dried fruits could all be stored a decent amount of time.

True. Although, in a way even those foods are going to be seasonal, because if the food can be stored a goodly amount of time, most likely it is being preserved against the winter and early spring when no other food will be available.

 

[Kestrel]

Read a George RR Martin novel, from Song of Ice and Fire. Man that guy loves to detail food.

 

[Umbran]

Also remember that there is no refridgeration so most many dishes are seasonal.

This is not entirely accurate. Icehouses are old tech, and may be present anywhere near a good source of winter ice. And preservation of foods by salting, brining/pickling, spicing, smoking and drying were also commonplace, so many out-of season foods may be available, just not in fresh form.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

For Pratchett fans there is Nanny Ogg's Cookbook.

It may have something "worthwhile."

No one makes spotted dick like she does!

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

JRRT's Farmer Giles of Ham has a plot that kicks off because of a fantasy dish plot point. A short novel and fun, well worth a read for a DM wanting to come up with a quest that'll make the players' alternately laugh and cry.

 

[Pagan priest]

The choices would be both seasonal and regional. (Assuming that the world is actually advanced enough to have regular inns and food serving taverns, that is.) Most places would have only a couple of options at best, many places would have only one option at a meal. If you are not there at meal time, you get to wait until the next scheduled meal time.

The kinds of things that would be served would vary wildly, but some staples might include:

• a bowl of porridge
• a bowl of stew, or soup... may have bread along with it, may be served in a bread trencher
• meat pie...either a handheld pie, or a slice from a round pie
• loaf of bread and a hunk of cheese
• a pickled egg or two
• sausages

Higher up the socioeconomic ladder, there would be more choices and better choices. At a tavern that feeds wealthy merchants for lunch there might be a choice of meat stew, roast chicken or sausage. Even an inn or tavern that serves nobility as its regular patrons would still have only a couple of choices, they would just be well presented.

One important fact to remember... there were no cooking shortcuts available, everything has to be made from scratch.

 

[Man in the Funny Hat]

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

Was on their front page this morning so thought I'd throw it at the wall.