wed-feast-FAQ - 3/18/96 Medieval & Renaissance Theme Wedding FAQ: Questions about the Feast NOTE: See also the files: weddings-msg, p-weddings-bib, wed-FAQ, p-marriage-msg, Ger-marriage-msg, Scot-marriage-msg, beadwork-msg, silk-msg. ************************************************************************ NOTICE - This article was submitted to me by the author for inclusion in this set of files, called StefanÕs Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org Copyright to the contents of this file remains with the author. While the author will likely give permission for this work to be reprinted in SCA type publications, please check with the author first or check for any permissions granted at the end of this file. Thank you, Mark S. Harris AKA: Stefan li Rous stefan@florilegium.org ************************************************************************ Medieval & Renaissance Theme Wedding FAQ: Questions about the Feast *************************************************************** (c) The Medieval and Renaissance Theme Wedding FAQ was compiled by and is maintained and copyrighted by Barbara J. Kuehl. All suggestions and additions should be emailed to her at bj@csd.uwm.edu. This document may be freely redistributed without modification provided that the copyright notice is not removed. It may not be sold for profit or incorporated in commercial documents without the written permission of the holder. **************************************************************** 6.1: What kinds of foods did people serve at wedding feasts during the Middle Ages? From: pmagill@svl.trw.com (Phyllis Magill) Mutton (lamb), roast peacock served with the tail feathers on, braised lettuces, quail, venison, boar, eels, breads, and cheese. -------------------- From Amy Michaels In the 15th century, fowl was popular at feasts--and the goal was to try to get the bird to look as life-like as possible. The cooks would put all the feathers *back on* the bird, along with its head and such. The ability to make the bird ultimately look alive was considered culinary genius. ________________________ From: Karin Oughton Here's some info on 16th Cy (Tudor) Britain which is very similar to medieval (courtesy English Heritage). Foodstuffs for the upper classes were generally roast and boiled meat, poultry, fish, pottages, frumenty, and bread. To a lesser extent they also ate fruit and vegetables, but many believed in the advice given the BOKE OF KERVYNGE c.1500, "Beware of green sallettes & rawe fruytes for they wyll make your soverayne seke." The greatest change over this period was the increasing popularity of sugar, so there were a lot of sweetmeat and sweet seasonings amongst the aristocracy (and very few teeth). Tableware changed, too: they no longer used bread trenchers much but now had wooden boards with a central hollow for the meat and gravy and a small side hollow for the salt. Glass is more widespead and pottery cups known as Cistercian Ware appears to have been popular. A prehunt breakfast served to QEI had : cold roast veal, capon, beef, goose, mutton, pigeon pies, savoury tongue pie, sausages and savoury snacks. -------------------- From BlkKnightI@aol.com Spices were used quite commonly. Cinnamon, cloves, mace, saffron, and especially pepper were savored. Ginger, anise, nutmeg are also mentioned along with many common (and not so common) herbs such as parsley, basil, galingale, rosemary (mentioned in Shakespears' "Hamlet") and thyme. Vegetables were also of common consumption as part of the menu, though the medieval feast did not follow our appetizer-entree-dessert pattern. For example, for a time the sallat was served nearly last but, according to legend, a certain royal served sallat to his guests first so to fill their stomachs and save more of the venison for himself. ____________________ From: alysk@ix.netcom.com(Elise Fleming ) An excellent source for period salads or "compound Sallet" is Gervase Markham's _The English Housewife_. Some of the ingredients are: chives, scallions, radish roots, boiled carrots, turnips; also young lettuce, cabbage lettuce, asparagus, purslane and herbs with vinegar, oil and sugar and cucumber served with vinegar, oil, and pepper. Another compound sallat includes: young buds and knots of wholesome herbs such as red sage, mints, lettuce, violets, marigolds, and spinach, served with vinegar, salad oil and sugar. Still another compound sallat includes: blanched almonds, shredded raisins, shredded figs, capers, twice as many olives, currants, red sage and spinach all mixed together with a store of sugar. These were put in the bottom of a dish and vinegar and oil put on top with more sugar. Then oranges, lemons were cut into thin slices without the outer peel and covered the bottom layer. Then thin leaves of red cau ====================================================================== Edited by Mark S. Harris wed-feasts-FAQ