Featured Article Summary #2

Medieval cuisine in Europe during the Middle Ages consisted of foods, eating habits, and cooking methods that remained relatively unchanged. Cereals like barley, oats, rye, and wheat were the main staple foods. Cheese, fruits, and vegetables were important for the lower classes, while meat was more expensive and primarily consumed by the upper classes. Fish, such as cod and herring, were also commonly eaten. Spices and expensive imports influenced the food of the nobility, while the working class had less refined meals. A refined cooking style with sweet-sour flavors and the use of seasonings like verjuice, wine, vinegar, and spices emerged among the nobility. Almonds were popular as a thickening agent in soups and sauces. In medieval times, the Mediterranean diet consisted mainly of cereals, particularly wheat. Wheat remained an important food source throughout the era, spreading northward with the rise of Christianity. Bread held a high status due to its role in religious rituals, along with olive oil and wine. Saint Augustine even used bread as a symbol in a sermon, describing it as God's true bread. The Catholic and Orthodox Churches had a lot of influence on eating habits during the medieval period. For a third of the year, most Christians were not allowed to eat meat or animal products, including eggs and dairy, and sometimes fish, during fasting periods like Lent. People would fast before taking the Eucharist, and on fast days like Fridays and during Lent and Advent, meat and animal products were not allowed to be eaten. However, people often found ways to circumvent these restrictions, and the definition of "fish" was often stretched to include other animals. Despite these restrictions, meals were still plentiful, and there were no restrictions on drinking or eating sweets. Over time, fasting became more legalistic, and exceptions were made for groups like children, the old, pilgrims, workers, and beggars. Monks would sometimes find loopholes in the Bible to avoid fasting, and monastery officials made sure there were well-prepared non-meat dishes available on fast days. Medieval society had strict social classes, with the nobility and clergy above the commoners. Food was a way to show social status, with the upper classes eating refined meals while lower-class workers ate simpler foods. As the middle class grew wealthier, they began copying the upper class, so laws were put in place to limit their extravagance and keep the social classes separate. During the Middle Ages, the upper classes believed that their health and well-being depended on their diet and lifestyle. Food was classified based on its properties and how it would affect the body. It was important to eat foods in a specific order and not mix different types of food. Before a meal, an apéritif would be consumed to "open" the stomach, and a digestive would be consumed at the end of the meal to "close" the stomach. Meals would consist of easily digestible foods first, followed by gradually heavier dishes. The most ideal food was one that closely matched the body's humours, and skilled cooks were expected to adhere to these dietary principles.