Medieval food

[frualeydis]

I'm currently reading an article by Raymond van Uytven about showing rank in the Middle Ages. He is citing several sources on which food was deemed appropriate for different classes or estates. Apparently peasants, according to the 14th century writer Philippe de Vitri, ate fresh cheese, milk, butter, hard cheese, cream, cream cheese, apples, nuts, prunes, pears, garlic, onions and smashed shallots on brown bread. Other sources mentions eggs, ham and bacon as peasant's food. Neither pork, chicken nor beef was really fit for a nobleman who should eat venison, mutton, capons, partridge, goose, swan etc.
The amount of vegetable dishes in cook books of the era are not proportional to the amount of vegetable dishes actually eaten, because they were too commonplace to write about. As Taillevent says in his Viandier(14th century): "Other small soups such as purée of beets, cabbages, turnips, leeks, chives, peas, beans(...) of all kinds an preparations of pork" will not be treated in his book, because "housewives are real masters of it and anyone can make those".

I think I like the peasant's food better than the nobleman's.

Comments

[pinque.livejournal.com]

I think I do too.

[guyelfkin.livejournal.com]

Can you tell me where to get copies of those articles (are they in English?)

Thanks

Teddy

[frualeydis.livejournal.com]

It's only one article, but the whole book looks promising. The book is called Showing status : representation of social positions in the late Middle Ages and is edited by Wim Blockmans och Janse Antheun. And it's in english.

Eva

[guyelfkin.livejournal.com]

Oooh! Thanks.

Any chance you could bring over a photocopy of the articl? or is it too long?

The girl who organises the cooking in our 14th century group is very interested.

Teddy

[frualeydis.livejournal.com]

I'll photocopy it now, otherwise I will forget it. Then pray that I remember to bring it too.

BTW, Rickard and I decided that we'll meet you at Waterloo station, just say when.

Eva

[guyelfkin.livejournal.com]

Many thanks!

Waterloo - 8:30 by the Sock Shop booth near platforms one and two

Teddy

[frualeydis.livejournal.com]

OK

Eva

[mirazandar.livejournal.com]

this makes me want dinner...

[peronel.livejournal.com]

Ohhhh intrigueing.

Any chance you could post roughly what dates this article covers? I'm suppossed to be investigating attitudes in relation to food in the early modern period and am stalling, but one of the things I'm proposing is that they have their roots much earlier. So this could potentially be useful.

And my uni library actually has it in stock. WHich is bogglign - normally they're useless.

I'm fuming, mind, because a book which I requested yesterday and was suppossed to be back tomorrow has, instead, been renewed for a fortnight. Apparently computer problems lost my hold request. Grrrrr.

[frualeydis.livejournal.com]

It is mainly the 14th century but also some 15th century.

Eva

[myladyswardrobe.livejournal.com]

Nel,
I have a few facsimile books on food/Household stuff. Would you be interested in borrowing them?

If you are able to come over this weekend you can root through them! Of you can come over another weekend if you like.

Bess.

[peronel.livejournal.com]

That would be great and would justify me taking a break from writing to come. Yay!

I'm particularly interested in anything which includes the original dedication, preface, etc. It's likely your facsimiles do, so that would be great.

Nel.