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Contents:
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Medieval Legacy:
I must admit this was my image of medieval times, and when I was younger I also tried to picture what these people ate. The reality was far less glamorous than my fantasies, but this does not mean the Middle Ages cuisine was non-descript. The medieval period of history is a fascinating one, albeit sometimes shrouded in mystery. The food itself, the preparation, the utensils used and the manner in which it was eaten might seem a bit archaic to all of us in the modern age. Cooks in medieval times had to create dishes with limited resources, mainly because there was a poor selection of ingredients and spices and keeping foodstuffs fresh was a challenge. The method of cooking food was also restricted by basic tools that were available.
The medieval period is defined as the years between the 10th and 13th centuries, and is also known as the "Middle Ages," or the "Dark Ages." However, other historians claim the medieval age encompassed one thousand years (from 500 to 1500), and began with the collapse of the Roman Empire in Western Europe, and ended with the discovery of the Western Hemisphere by Columbus.
There were also distinct class differences during these times, and much of society gravitated around the current reigning monarch. It was the reigning King who provided many jobs, pensions, and favors. It was also necessary to procure the good will of the monarch in order to gain all of these things, and this is where the class distinction becomes an issue. Much emphasis was also placed on the types and varieties of food that different classes of society ate. Naturally, a Knight of the Realm was bound to eat a much better selection of food than a kitchen serf or a field worker. In some ways, this sectioning of classes has not changed much in our world.
This article attempts to decipher a bit of medieval food culture. I stopped short of going into too much detail for fear of writing an article of novel proportion, but have kept just enough to give a general idea of what food was like during this time. You may also find some interesting snippets of information, and a recipe or two you just might want to try at home. Believe it or not - considering my previous remarks about the lack of variety in the medieval diet - there are some very good recipes that have converted quite well into modern cuisine.
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Visions
of knights in armor, rescuing helpless maidens. .. Rich cloth garments,
gothic and dark. . Robin Hood and his Merry Men robbing from the rich and giving
to the poor. . King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. .