What are some strange or interesting Middle Ages food facts?

Question

I need some weird facts about Middle Ages food and cooking.

Answer 1

off the top of my head, they didn't have forks back then.
They liked to eat swans and peacocks. Often, the bird would be cooked and then the feathers stuck back on it so it looked alive. They would put live birds inside pies and set them loose during banquets.

all this applies to nobility of course, the common people would eat much more boring things.

Answer 2

Middle Ages Fun Facts

Answer 3

Results from 2007 temperature analysis won't be known for a few more weeks, so any statement about 2007 being cooler than 2001 is premature at best. The analysis up through December (link below) doesn't seem to agree with the 2001 being warmer than 2007 claim. It's important to keep in mind what data sets are being used and whether or not news reports are discussion regional, hemispherical, or global temperatures.

Answer 4

They ate with their fingers. That's why they invented finger bowls.

The food of the Middle Ages was very different from the food of today. During the Middle Ages in North Europe, the mainly used cattle and sheep for food. In South Europe, they also had fruits, vegetables, and herbs for food. They used olive oil rather than butter.

Answer 5

Here are some good websites. The Gode Cookery site is really interesting, with lots of info on other medieval topics. It gives you an idea of what the average person ate and the absurd things the nobility would come up with, like a pig front sewn onto a duck's behind.


http://www.medieval-life.net/food.htm
http://www.godecookery.com/godeboke/godeboke.htm

Answer 6

Most people ate vegetables, and meat was a rarity. If they had meat, everything was put in a big cauldron, and they made stew. They ate stew everyday, adding meat and bones as they trapped rabbits, etc. Some richer people raised sheep, pigs and geese, so they had eggs, mutton and pork. If they had leftovers, the meat was packed in salt to keep it from going bad. If you were a Royal, you could hunt deer in the forests, but venison was reserved for the landed gentry, and most of the forests belonged to the King, for his own hunting pleasure. If you killed a deer you got the death penalty. They hunted with bows and arrows, unless they were rich enough to have a hawk, that could kill rabbits for them.

Answer 7

See below.

Answer 8

i guess they eat a mastodon

Answer 9

People rats and other vermin.