A Medieval Feast

A medieval feast is composed of game, and other meats. Wine, beer and ale, are what wet the tongue. Breads, cheeses, fruits, fish, and nuts help to compose the meals. Strange and bizarre foods, an overdose of herbs, and ultimate grandeur in the display were the mark of a rich man's table. So come and have a taste of the splendor of food forgotten; reminiscent of a time that is not...

There are cinnamon, juniper berries, and sugar in your beef, sandalwood in your bread, "sweet herbs and sundrie flowers" beneath your feet. The pheasant on your plate has been dead for some days, but no matter--it swims in a sauce of seventeen spices. You've brought your own knife and spoon, you eat with your fingers, and your plate will be eaten by the hungry at the gate. You drink spiced wine and mulled ale by the quart, sharing the goblet with your neighbor. You're at a twelfth-century English banquet--welcome to the Middle Ages!

Medieval food is largely characterized by the heavy use of spices, especially ginger, cinnamon, pepper, nutmeg, and saffron (Santich 46). One also sees "cubeb" mentioned often, and "verjus": a tart liquid -- a mild vinegar -- made from unripened green grapes (they have high acidity and low sugar levels; the "must" remains unfermented). Fish was salted, as were beef and mutton; and vinegar, sugar, and honey could be used for preservation.

Spices were used as sign of luxury and affluence. They signified prestige. One of the curiosities puzzling me involves the recipes that list a dozen spices and several kinds of meats. It doesn't seem that one could possibly taste all the ingredients, so the dish could impress guests only if they knew of the exotic ingredients in some other way.

For extravagant feasts, the medieval contributions to the annals of weirdness are the "subtleties" -- which were anything but subtle. These were bizarre presentations -- culinary showpieces -- such as a swan with its innards removed and cooked with other fowl and meats, restuffed, and brought into the dining hall in a dramatic position. Or a pie whose crust, when first cut into, releases a flock of birds. Or an animal positioned in some intriguing scene. All much more dramatic than your basic flambé dessert.