Medieval Cookery Seminar

[Umbran]

Did medieval folk eat three square meals per day?

Three meals a day, but they didn't have the nutrition concept of "square meals" (which is a food-groups concept that came up in the 20th century). The commoners would generally break fast on whatever was left over from the night before (no refrigeration, so you eat it soon or it is wasted).

And how about milk? They did they have a way to keep it cold.

While ice for cooling foods has been around since Roman times, the typical man on the street didn't have a way to keep milk cold in the Middle Ages. That's kind of what cheese is for - preserving the nutritive value of milk. Plus, your common joe was rather likely to have a cow or goat that'd need to be milked every day - you don't need to keep it cold if you've got a continuous supply.

 

[Warehouse23]

Yes, cheese: milk's stab at immortality.

 

[Inferno!]

Given that, I am rather skeptical some of the conclusions you report...


Well, in the Middle Ages, there was no large middle class to speak of. Saying only the peasants ate brown bread is rather like saying only the majority of people ate brown bread.

I didn't start the thread to defend his conclusions, just report my recollections as requested by Mark CMG. As mentioned earlier I invited Mr. Myers to check out the thread. Hopefully he'll check it out and clarify things himself. For those interested, his web site has many links and a database of documented ingredients sorted by region and period.

As far as the white bread vs. brown bread, I think the point was that the common perception is that white bread didn't exist at the time.

 

[Chaldfont]

Did he say anything about brewing or winemaking?

 

[Mark CMG]

I didn't start the thread to defend his conclusions, just report my recollections as requested by Mark CMG.

And thanks again for that!

Another source some people might find useful is a book called The Year 1000: What Life Was Like at the Turn of the First Millennium by Danny Danziger and Robert Lacey. A "portrait of everyday life in Anglo-Saxon England in the year 1000". There's some good information in there, not only on food, but on a myriad of mundane activities and things. This one is on my list of "Must Haves" for a DM whose setting is pseudo-medieval.

 

[Mark CMG]

Yes, cheese: milk's stab at immortality.

That's hilarious. It should be your sig. Is it one of your own lines?

 

[Scribble]

mmmmm Imortal Milk is kickass man!

 

[ssampier]

...
No chocolate, no coffee, but hypocras is lovely of a cold winter's evening.

Good thing I live in the 21st century with affordable coffee (leans back and sips a cup of joe). I pretty sure tea wasn't developed until the 15th century? I believe chocolate was smoked by Native Americans in its purest form.

 

[cmanos]

Did he say anything about brewing or winemaking?

I have some experience in brewing and vinting. I have several friends in the SCA who do authentic brewing. I can try and answer qestions you have.

 

[tarchon]

Did medieval folk eat three square meals per day? And how about milk? They did they have a way to keep it cold.

Only the wealthy. Dry grain products were the winter staple, breads, gruels, and porridges especially. Preserving milk wasn't really necessary if you had a cow though.
I highly recommend http://www.godecookery.com/
Generally, my experiences with Roman food have been a lot better though - Apicius hits more than he misses.