Food. Something everyone needs. Something that plays at least a small part of every adventure. Yet, often overlooked as a potential source of color, or possibly even wealth by most.
Author: Shakey
Medieval Cooking and Eating Habits
by Shakey (Shakeybob23@aol.com)
Used With Permission. Used with Permission. Do not repost without obtaining prior permission from the author.
1. Remember that restaurants have not been ‘invented’ yet . The restaurant was first created after the French Revolution, when the chefs had no royalty to work for. Independent eateries were an evolution to stay employed. Of course, individual campaigns will tend to develop this to their own whim. I suggest the evolution of restaurants after the Greyhawk Wars, as the resulting Chaos would unsettle many Chefs comfortable postions, and cause them to find more secure ways of earning their keep.
2. Sauces were used to cover up the tastes of spoiled meat as refrigeration was not around. Beef bouillon, cooking liquids from of both meat and fish bound with either bread (or toasted crumbs), almonds (ground), and egg yolks (or any combination) to create thick sauces that would coat such meat. A story in the book, The Physiology of Taste, by Brillat-Savarin, tells of his travel in England and his stay with a couple of young ladies. They do not have much in the way of food as they come to an Inn. A couple of Englishmen are roasting a leg of lamb, but there is not enough for their party, and the innkeep offers to cook them some eggs. Mr. Brillat-Savarin goes to make sure his eggs are cooked correctly, and asks if he can gather some of the drippings from the roast. The innkeep says that that's fine as any drippings are the inn's by default. So he cuts 5 or 6 gashes in the meat, cooks their eggs in the excessive drippings, and they take the eggs to their room, all the while laughing that they ate all the flavor of the meat, while the Englishmen had eaten the equivalent of shoe leather. My point is, you take the jus or juice and you thicken it, coating said roast.
3. Spices were a hot item to have, as they also covered the taste of spoilt meat. When the Crusades came ‘round, many were to be chosen. Middle Eastern: Sugar (cane form), almonds, pistachios, pomegranates, citrus fruits, and spinach. Some spices already available: saffron (very expensive, even now/labor intensive to harvest), ginger, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and long pepper.
4. Verjuice and vinegar were highly used. Verjuice is the fermented juice or unripe grapes and sometimes crabapples. Other common liquids used in cooking were: wine, almond milk, cow’s milk.
5. Many of the recipes for soups and stews of the period call for cooking the main element-liver, meat, fish, etc… and pureeing it to bind whatever liquid is being used. I assume other ingredients, carrot, celery, onion, peas, etc… were to be found in these mixes.
6. Usage of trenchers. Stale bread used to soak up sauce and to hold food instead of plates. Remember that silverware was not highly used, it was a luxury, at least for most settings. The thick sauces required no spoon. The bowl could be eaten, or tossed to the dogs. The fingers, licked clean.
7. Preserved foods were highly used, a must for survival. Salting, pickling, drying, curing, smoking are such techniques.
8. Medieval diners were fond of bright colors. Saffron for red, edible gold and silver leaf, pomegranate seeds, and colored green almonds are such decorations, although more for the wealthy.
9. Cooking fats: Lard, chicken fat (schmaltz), duck or geese fat, butter, olive oil, etc. Different religions restricted different animal use and thus different cooking fats. Think of all the different religions in Greyhawk. I rest my case.
10. Sweeteners were also in use, but sugar was still considered a spice, as it was a rarity. Honey and dried fruits (such as dates, raisins, etc…) were used more widely. Sometimes different fruits and meats were preserved in honey, such as figs and pears.
11. Mint was one of the most commonly used herbs.
12. For gaming purposes, remember that the poor had to stretch what little meat they had. The rich could afford more complex and flavor hiding dishes. As the Medieval period was nearing its end, dishes were getting more complex and building blocks of cuisine were being developed such as stocks and integral sauces. Please remember that you have many ingredients to choose from. There are many starches, vegetables, types of game, domesticated animals, breads, and the like to choose from. Take these, choose a cooking technique, ponder a bit. How about fire roasted beets with a saddle of smoked venison loin and a verjuice thinned deer liver sauce for dinner?
Chef Bob
Food
